1. San Juan Mountain Skyway, Colorado
The San Juan Mountain Skyway in Colorado is a 236-mile loop that begins and ends in Durango. As you ride through the San Juan National Forest, you'll encounter towering mountains, old-growth forests, and vibrant wildflowers. Stop in the Victorian-era mining town of Silverton, where time seems suspended, and continue to Ouray, known as "The Switzerland of America."
The route guides riders over rushing rivers and stunning overlooks, with the famous "Million Dollar Highway" segment swinging thrillingly close to cliff's edges. Each curve reveals impressive vistas where azure skies meet rugged horizons. Landmarks like Mesa Verde National Park, with its ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings, fall along the path.
This tour offers a plunge into Colorado's most tantalizing outdoor theater, with colossal landscapes, unexpected marvels, and pure motorcycling pleasure. It's a top contender for spirited riders seeking to answer the call of the road.
2. Triple Nickel, Ohio
Route 555, known as the Triple Nickel, carves through southeastern Ohio from Zanesville to Chesterhill. This path winds through overlooked splendors and the tranquility of Amish country life.
The journey takes you through verdant fields, dense woodlands, and past Amish homesteads. Tight turns and steep hills form natural rollercoasters, demanding focus and offering thrills. You'll sweep past towns tinged with nostalgia for a simpler time, with occasional junctions leading to quaint settings with pie stands and rustic farmer's markets.
The Triple Nickel presents a pathway like a green-woven ribbon flung across fields and through forest canopies. It's an idyllic blend of challenge and charm on the free-breathing roads of Ohio, where every mile reminisces and every bend calls to be savored.
3. Scenic Byway 100, Vermont
Scenic Byway 100, affectionately known as "Vermont's Main Street," stitches the rustic charm of Vermont from Stamford in the south to Newport in the north. This highway plunges through the serene Green Mountains, offering a transportive experience into the state's bucolic yet vibrant spirit.
As you ride, you'll pass through small towns and villages where local artisans ply their crafts, general stores beckon with timeless appeal, and farmsteads offer fresh bounty. The surrounding landscapes boast lush meadows, reflective lakes, and heavily forested patches.
Venture through Waterbury, the heart of craft beer innovations and artisanal cheeses, and visit the Ben & Jerry's factory for a whimsical ice cream experience. Towns like Ludlow and Killington offer hidden falls and alleyways of forest, transforming into snow-dusted wonderlands in winter.
The drive is equally transformative with each passing season, from the splendid fall foliage to the plush green of spring awakening. Scenic byway markers guide you to new discoveries, such as amphitheaters of nature at Mount Holly or Waitsfield's historic covered bridges.
On Scenic Byway 100, every mile connects you deeper into Vermont's animated stillness, offering serenity on the road bordered with irrefutable charm and boundless New England character.
4. Tail of the Dragon, North Carolina
Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, nestled along the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, is a challenging stretch boasting 318 curves along its 11-mile span. This asphalt serpent demands respect with every hairpin bend.
For the motorcyclist with a penchant for precision, the Tail offers unparalleled rewards. Each curve, named and known among enthusiasts, curls closely around rocky outcroppings and tree-lined precipices, presenting a dance with the natural world.
Arrive prepared with sharpened skills and honed senses. It's a place where bikers test their limits at what is known as '318 curves in 11 miles'—an engineering marvel that turns a commonplace roadway into a legend. Complementing these adrenalized bends are equally thrilling pauses, with overlooks offering glimpses of the broad expanse of Appalachia.
Local charmers like the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort cater to riders with hearty comfort food, lodging, and tales of the Dragon's latest conquests. While the adrenaline of prowess tested against serpentine road is a draw, the transcendent beauty of the surrounding Smoky Mountains adds a profound punctuation to the experience.
Whether drawn by the challenge or the scenery, Tail of the Dragon compels a ride worthy of any motorcycle enthusiast's bucket list—a road where every turn invites you to lean into something further than asphalt.
5. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Joshua Tree National Park in California is a profound expanse where two distinct deserts blend under a hauntingly beautiful canopy of sky. This park offers a rare encounter with nature at its most starkly picturesque, laid out under the vastness of an open desert sky.
Embark upon this majestic realm, guiding your bike along roads embraced by natural sculptures and stark, raw beauty. The park's famous roadway spans approximately 70 miles and circles through phenomenal vistas, inviting riders to savor a leisurely expedition. Adhering to the park's lenient speed limits accentuates the journey's reflective peace, making it imperative to absorb its subtle details.
Roaring through the hallmark Joshua Trees, these iconic desert dwellers stand like sentries bearing witness to your crossing. Each tree, with arms sprawling towards the heavens, speaks volumes of survival and tenacity in the face of aridity.
The journey across this landscape is a ride across an artist's canvas. Each twist and turn unlocks a new frame, perfect for capturing expansive vistas ranging from the cholla cactus gardens to historically rich sites like Keys View, which presents panoramic views spanning from the Salton Sea to the distant outlines of Mexico.
Beyond the allure of ethereal vistas, make stops at visitor-friendly locales like Barker Dam, a historic watering hole now serving as a snapshot waypoint for musing travelers. Explore the Hidden Valley with its wraps of mythical rock formations spiraling towards the sky.
Traversing Joshua Tree National Park by motorcycle stands as not merely a scenic ride but a passage through other dimensions—a bold ride across the harsh yet inviting tapestries of America's desert theater.
6. Route 6, Pennsylvania
Route 6 in Pennsylvania stretches over 400 miles, merging scenic vistas with slices of American heritage. Known as the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway," it weaves through Pennsylvania's northern tier, connecting charming small towns, each with unique stories and local flavor.
Travel through this corridor of cultural history, starting from Milford, where forests meet architectural ornaments of a bygone era, and winding into towns like Wellsboro. Here, gas street lamps line quaint downtown areas, reminding you of Victorian elegance—a perfect backdrop for leisurely walks or photography.
Route 6 offers invitations to discover parts of America's journey from pre-Revolutionary days through the Industrial Age. Explore remnants of logging history, classical theaters, factory whistle towns, and coal mines that shaped the industrial backbone of the nation.
Driving through Port Allegany and Coudersport, Route 6 ushers you into locations where community festivals enliven streets and local museums harbor knowledge of Pennsylvania's central role during formative American years.
The journey along Route 6 is diverse in life and landscapes. Mixed into the deep forestry and quiet farm country, antiquated railroad tracks provide pathways synced with tranquility. Wonder further west, uncovering sculpture gardens in Kane and vineyards near the harbor edges of Erie.
After the day's riding, commit the evening to stargazing at spots like Cherry Springs State Park, known for having "the darkest skies in the Northeast."
Ride Route 6 to connect not just destinations but epochs. From adolescent America to its more rebellious phases, acknowledged in bronze or architecture, ephemeral moments alongside enduring milestones, each sewn into the fabric. Along this journey, you learn more than just maneuvering on tarmac; you receive a sense of the heartbeat of America's revealing landscapes and echoed history.
7. Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming
Beartooth Highway weaves its way through the elevations of Montana and Wyoming. This highway forms a zigzag through the terrain of the Rocky Mountains, hitting a peak at nearly 11,000 feet. Dubbed "the most beautiful drive in America" by Charles Kuralt, Beartooth Highway is a quintessential American epic on the open road.1
Riding this highway feels akin to threading a needle along the sky. It's a rollercoaster of climatic contrasts, with panoramic views that unfurl like an artist's canvas painted with forest green, mountain stone, and summer snow. As your motorcycle climbs the serpentine tar, every curve turns over another spectacular reveal—from precipices and hairpins to plateaus and alpine lakes that reflect the drama of the sprawling sky above.
Sculpted through rock and ridge line, the road tempts those who crave hair-raising bends and entices nature lovers. Each mile promises proximity to the natural theatrics of the wilderness: witness frolicking wildlife, vivid wildflowers perfuming the breeze, and the sudden storm that overwhelms with its might yet passes quickly.
Intrepid travelers who take their pilgrimage along this towering route can discover remote corners hidden by altitude—stirring locations such as the Bear's Tooth, which pierces the horizon. Frequent stops to graze roadside eateries sprinkle a local flavor into your journey; pull over to taste dishes born from the highland's bounty or sip on a hot coffee while sharing stories with fellow riders.
Every ascent along the Beartooth Highway sparks an ascendancy of spirit—a call to those who yearn to marry challenge with wonder. It's not just a ride but a shout of freedom beneath vast Montanan skies, wrapped in landscapes that both humble and elevate. It strikes a bond between beast and beauty that lingers long after the last mountain has faded from your rearview mirror.
Pack resilience for dramatic weather shifts, layer anticipation for postcard-worthy summits and valleys, and trade a bit of your soul for everlasting mountain high memories. Riding the Beartooth Highway isn't just about steering gently—it's learning to glide where eagles chart invisible routes.
8. Pacific Coast Highway, California
The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is an experience, a vivid ribbon twining through California, hugging rugged cliffs and whizzing by the pulsating Pacific. Starting from San Francisco down to San Diego, this historic highway offers a ride polished with salty sea breeze, aromatic coastal flora, and eye-catching panoramas that flicker between sheer cliffs, rolling surf, and expansive sky.
As you throttle south, leave the mist of the Bay Area, pioneering through landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge. Your journey threads through towns like Monterey and Carmel-by-the Sea—each with their own mix of art, history, and coastal cuisine. Sample some of the fresh ocean bounty—whether it's sizzling seafood or delicacies dipped in culinary innovation.
- Pause at Big Sur, where mountains crash into ocean in dramatic plunges of land and seascapes.
- Continue your coastal rendezvous steering through Santa Barbara, known as the American Riviera, where beaches beckon with whispers of old luxury mingled with new-age vibes.
- As the journey peels further south, touch down in locales like Malibu, Santa Monica, even swirl through the animated vibrancy radiating from Venice Beach.
Each neighborhood donates its own flavor, blending a mosaic of natural attractiveness with cultural quirks.
Finally, as PCH steers to its culmination point in San Diego, the journey might physically come to a close, but not without stitching indelible imprints upon your memory. Each twist and turn along California's Pacific Coast Highway instills legendary vistas and spirited turns often bookmarked by towering palms and endless horizon lines cast in the promising light of the Californian sun.
9. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina
Transition from the sun-soaked beaches and clifftops of California's Pacific Coast Highway to the lush landscapes of the Appalachian Mountains with a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. This meandering 469-mile road, often referred to as "America's favorite drive," invites motorcyclists to immerse themselves in pastoral elegance and panoramic mountain vistas that sprawl skyward, painting the horizon with strokes of blues and greens.
As your journey begins, let the symphony of the natural world envelop you. The Parkway itself is bordered by fragmented bouts of wildflowers and imposing hardwoods that lean into the highway. For the avid photographer or casual snap shooter, every mile revved presents yet another postcard-perfect scene.
Sweeping through Virginia, the Parkway ribbon rises and falls. Aside from the hypnotic vistas at places like Humpback Rocks and Roanoke Valley, there are cooler climates and mists that drape themselves over the mountain slopes each morning and during gentle rains. Tales of old can be found echoed in the rustic setups of the occasional grist mills and quaint farmhouse-inns that appear around bends.
Crossing into North Carolina, the air spies hints of southern warmth, and Earth cascades vibrant displays across diverse topographies—from gorges and fern-filled hollows to towering heights like those of Richland Balm. Wild bursts of rhododendron decorate landscapes together with rushing streams that crave the attention of fishermen and picnickers alike.
Navigating the curves along this scenic artery, riders swell with freedom as elevation and perspective twist tempting bends through tunnels of foliage. Peeled patches of overlooks prompt even the most focused riders to throttle down for pulses of tranquility echoed from nature.
The fullness of Appalachian heritage peppers both states, with cultural waypoints highlighting traditional music, crafts, and folklore that resonate deeply with those of Appalachian descent, providing insight into the heartlands from which America's historical narrative has been spun. This roadway is a corridor of communal value, channeling visitors gracefully through landscapes pulled tight with living culture.
One can't hail only from the road's aesthetical appeal—its call of peace often required in hectic trails of city life lends one into an immersive conversation with rustic grandeur, draped neatly over the beauty of Virginia and North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway.
10. The Natchez Trace, Mississippi to Tennessee
The Natchez Trace is a historic path that stretches over 444 miles from Mississippi to Tennessee. The trail offers a rich cultural experience and natural beauty, with towering oak and elm trees draped in Spanish moss lining the route.
Along the Trace, there are nearly two dozen historic sites, each offering insights into the lives of Native Americans, European settlers, and early pioneers. The Mount Locust Inn and Plantation is one such site that provides a glimpse into early pioneer life.
As the trail transitions into Alabama, riders can explore places like the Confederate graves at Colbert Ferry, known for its steamboat and ferry tales. Entering Tennessee, the lush green landscape rolls out before you, inviting moments of reflection and appreciation for the natural surroundings.
The Natchez Trace is not only a scenic ride but also a journey through history. From civil war sites to landmarks once belonging to chiefs and soldiers, the trail offers a unique perspective on America's past. Conservation efforts have preserved the natural beauty of the area, allowing travelers to experience the same landscapes that have been traversed for centuries.
Riding the Natchez Trace is an opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich tapestry of American history while enjoying the beauty of the southern landscape. Each mile brings a new layer of revelation, connecting the past to the present and inviting travelers to appreciate the continuity of the human experience.
Each road traveled stitches its own unique story into the fabric of our experiences. Among these, the Beartooth Highway stands out as not just a path but as an invitation to ascend into both literal and metaphorical heights, challenging every rider to embrace the rugged beauty that defines much of America's untamed wilderness.
