This one-of-a-kind motorcycle trip is full of everything you will need to make a perfect road trip. This 230-mile journey down the Maine Coast is easily one of the best motorcycle rides on the east coast.
This 24-mile trip is a top Arkansas road trip, with USA Today listing the trip the #2 best ride in America according to their readers choice for best road trips for motorcycles in America. With lots of curves and switchbacks, make this 59-mile run a top five ride in Arkansas.
This state highway is, however, both a highly trafficked and narrow section of road, so be prepared for some patience if you are actually taking this trip. While only 79 miles in length, Alaska State Road (5) and Yukon State Road (9) should not be expected to ride the incredible to redline. There are hundreds of miles of 2-lane roads to be had, including the wickedly curvy Wolf Pen Gap Road (state route 180), state route 60, and U.S. Highway 129, just to name a few.
The routes through Jefferson National Forest make this incredible route a great, picturesque drive, to be sure. On the George Washington Trail, you will ride right up the northern edge of the gorgeous Monongahela National Forest, as well as passing Cathedral State Park on your way by (which is a great halfway stop). Tunnel of Trees Road is…not coincidentally…one of the greatest backcountry drives in North America. If you are looking for an unspoiled landscape that will transport you back to an earlier time, Tunnel of Trees Road is the road trip for you.
Arizona has a number of amazing bike roads, and this one is easily the best in the desert state. Sure, it is only barely 60 miles, but this ride mixes some mind-blowingly tight turns with some of the best landscapes that Mother Nature has to offer. It is a ride that is often overlooked, but one of the best in Missouri, and you get to see the Boston Mountains of Arkansas on a clear day.
Once a Native American trading route, Arkansas State Route 23 offers breathtaking views across the Berkshires. The Dragons Tail runs through the entirety of the nations most visited national park, offering scores of scenic overlooks featuring views of valleys and Blue Ridge mountain views. One of the nations first dedicated scenic byways, the 75-mile path follows the Columbia River and offers views of Mount Hood, the states highest point.
Countless switchbacks and stunning scenery in the Smoky Mountains make the Cerohala Skyway a great bike ride, and the best part is that Cerohala is far less famous than the Tail of the Dragon, meaning that the road does not see any traffic, and you are more than likely to have the place all to yourself. If you want to really get the most out of your afternoon ride atop your cafe racer or touring motorcycle, you can actually make a loop from Cherohala Skyway into Tennessee and Famous Tail of the Dragon into Deals Gap. There is much bluster surrounding the notorious Tail of the Dragon, which flips back and forth between North Carolina and Tennessee, and though the 11-mile stretch of road is famous for its 300-odd turns, the locals will tell you that there are far better, less-trafficked roads close by. Few riders can afford to carve out time to drive the full length of the historic Route 66 coast-to-coast, but if you are looking for New Mexicos best motorcycle roads, the stretch between Albuquerque and Glenrio Albuquerque may be your best bet.
A motorcycling trip on the Pacific Coast Highway will get you over 600 miles down the whole coast of California. Easily one of the most iconic motorcycle roads in the United States — perhaps even the entire world — the Pacific Coast Highway is a must-do ride for any two-wheeler. Running through Colorados wild and rugged San Juan Mountain Range, Million Dollar Highway is easily one of the most scenic motorcycling roads in the United States. Between San Diego and Los Angeles lies one of the favorite roads to explore in the USA by motorcycling, California State Route 76, taking you from the coast all the way up into Cleveland National Forest.
This incredible road is one of the highest routes in the region, climbing up McGregor Mountain, north of the East Twin Sisters Peak. Technically, the road only runs 19 miles on Arkansas State Highway 23 through Ozark National Forest — although experienced bikers will recognize there are many worthy roads in this same area to add to make a full-day ride. The incredibles will wow your senses, and so will your bike. The route has one especially awesome added benefit, which is it essentially takes you right up the doorstep to the #1 biker route in the entire West, Beartooth Pass (described below).
The following route is located in a fairly remote part of WA east of Seattle and west of Spokane, and is currently the #1 bike ride in Washington. At less than 30 miles, this state highway is not the longest road trip on our list by a longshot, but this gorgeous section of road makes up for it with stunning scenery from head to tail — especially if you do this ride during fall, when leaves are changing.
Interestingly, the Blue Ridge Parkway starts just outside of Shenandoah National Park and ends in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — two national parks that are well worth visiting regardless of whether or not you are riding a motorcycle between the two. Wikipedia tells us that the Blue Ridge Parkway is the largest linear park in the US, covering 469 miles across 29 counties of Virginia and North Carolina. No list of great North American motorcycle roads would be complete without some reference to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we will just go ahead and start there.
