The Best Motorcycle Trips
America is a large, open country with plenty of things to do and see, especially from the seat of your motorcycle. To help you find a great ride, we’ve put together our list of the ten best motorcycle trips from around the United States.
Because people like different types of rides, instead of doing a top ride list, we’re putting them geographically from east to west. After all, if you live on the west coast, do you want to hear that our number 1 ride is 2,000 miles away?
Eastern US
Blue Ridge Parkway
Connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, this stretch of road offers sweeping curves and awe-inspiring vistas. Scenic overlooks, picnic sites and natural beauty are just some of the reasons for taking this trip.
Rider Comment: “Amazing diversity. On this ride, you can see Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain in the eastern U.S. and see Linville Gorge, The deepest gorge east of the Grand Canyon.”
North Georgia Mountains/Cherohala Skyway
Photo copyright NCDOTcommunications
A fantastic 275-mile loop in northwest Georgia and southcentral Tennessee includes the Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee, with breathtaking views around just about every curve. Georgia State Road 60 is one of the most scenic roads in the state.
Rider Comment: “This is a great ride with a lot of variety. From farm country to hill country and the Appalachian Trail, this is a trip I’d do over and over again.”
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Photo by Finetooth - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
U.S. Route 6 actually runs from Provincetown, Massachusetts to Bishop, California. It is named to honor the American Civil War Veteran’s Association. But the part we love is through northern Pennsylvania. Although not real twisty, it’s been considered one of the top rides in the U.S. for years.
Rider Comment: “I love the vintage old towns this ride goes through. I’ve ridden a lot of roads, all across the U.S. and this is one of my favorites.”
Central US
Fayetteville, Arkansas/Ozark Mountains
Photo copyright Brad Sims
There are several great rides in this area, including the Pig Trail route that goes through the Ozark National Forest. The twists and turns through the mountains make any ride in this often-missed part of the U.S. memorable.
Rider Comment: “A great time to make this ride is during “Bikes Blues and Barbecue”. It’s usually the 3rd week in September and hosts some of the best BBQ in the country. The riding to the east of Fayetteville is some of the best riding I've experienced. The curvy two-lane roads thorough the Ozark mountains are amazing!”
Lake Michigan Circle Tour
One of the most scenic routes in the U.S. is the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. This 1,100 mile ride literally goes around Lake Michigan through Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. There is a wide variety of scenery on this ride, ranging from pristine woods to quaint towns to the skyscrapers of Chicago.
Rider Comment: “This is a great ride. From Door County to Chicago to dense forest, there is so much to see and do. Plus, the incredible views of Lake Michigan.”
Mississippi River Driftless Region
This stretch of road along both sides of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois is a fantastic ride. The Great River Road of Wisconsin part of the ride covers about 250 miles and 33 river towns.
Rider Comment: “We've ridden all around the nation and still believe there's no better riding than this amazing stretch of road.”
Black Hills of South Dakota
The Black Hills and Badlands area in South Dakota offers amazing scenery. You’ll find some of the best roads. Iconic monuments, steep cliffs, and breathtaking sites all make it worth your while to check out South Dakota.
Rider Comment: “The Needles Highway, Custer State Park, Spearfish Canyon -- beautiful scenery and hairpin turns. I love riding in this area!”
Western US
The Twisted Sisters
Photo copyright Chico Boomba
This challenging ride in west Texas is a one hundred mile loop west of Austin. The route follows canyons, climbs steep hills and offers many tight, twisty curves with shear drop-offs and not much in the way of guardrails.
Rider Comment: “As an experienced rider, I love this trip. I always tell beginners to focus on the road. There is one 15-mile section that has about 65 curves!”
Million Dollar Highway
Photo copyright 2WheelTravlr
The Million Dollar Highway is one of the most intense rides in the country. This 12-mile stretch of the San Juan Skyway runs approximately from Durango to Ouray in Colorado. The views are absolutely jaw-dropping, but make sure you’re keeping your eyes on the road.
Rider Comment: “It's mountain-ness and curvy, and the white line is crumbling away on the edge of the road. It's not for the faint of heart, but well worth doing!”
Pacific Coast Highway
Also known as California State Highway 1, the road runs along most of the Pacific coastline in California. It has great views of the ocean, fantastic places to rest and great views of wildlife, including an Elephant Seal Rookery in San Simeon.
Rider Comment: “This is such a cool ride. I love the scenery, the weird little places along the way and going around a bend without knowing what is coming next.”
No matter where you live in the U.S., there are great rides not far from your home. But we hope the trips we’ve listed here help you discover a route you haven’t taken before.
But remember, before you fire up your bike and hit the road, make sure it is running in peak condition. One place to start is with an oil change. Power Oil Center offers a full selection of oil change kits for motorcycles. Simply select your bike’s model and make of your bike and pick out an oil change kit. You’ll get everything you need to change your oil.