A List of America's Great Motorcycle Highways

[Old Can Ride]

What makes these highways so special to us, is we road them. So, let us go forth an found more great highways and ride! Simple formula - Great roads = Great rides

 

[CMGuy]

I'd add US 191 (AKA the "Devil's Highway") through the mountains of southeastern Arizona to the list.

I'd add that 191 starts out at the U.S./Mexico border in Douglas, AZ and runs all the way to the U.S./Canada border. Also, at least in AZ, it is known as "Devil's Highway" as it used to be AZ 666 although based on these web sites, sounds like there are other reasons for the name.
e x c e s s i v e l o c i t y: Arizona 191 (Old 666) The Devil’s Highway and US Route 191, Arizona - a great motorcycle road

Route 66 has the romantic cachet, but it is no longer maintained as a US route and, in quite a few places, it appears to be no more than a narrow ribbon of broken asphalt (at least what I saw from I-40 in May).

 

[jtkirk]

Pretty much outside my door: Hwy 9 & Push Mtn. Road in Arkansas. Also Hwy 16.

I work in Southern Missouri. Pretty much any lettered road is great. Personally, Hwy 106 from Eminence to Ellington is the best road ever. 34 out of Van Buren to Piedmont isn't bad either. 95 from Theodosia to Mtn. Grove. 181 from Cabool to Dora to Gainesville. I could go on.

 

[captdirt]

How about Beartooth and Lolo Passes? Riding them next week!!

 

[Big Thump]

How about Beartooth and Lolo Passes? Riding them next week!!

Just getting ready to name those and you beat me to it!
How about "Going to the Sun" highway in Montana?

;

If you want to see a video of some of the road, it starts about 2:14 seconds in on this video we did a few years ago. Please excuse the skull helmet. I was younger and dumber!
http://youtu.be/QTgHVdsEee8

 

[Bug Dr.]

One of the best days I've had riding was catching the start of Beartooth Pass early in the morning last July. Not a soul on the road except for me. I ended up in a campground in the Big Horn Mountains east of Tensleep after a wonderful Mexican lunch at Cody. Perfect!

Highway 299 from Redding to Eureka, CA is pretty nice too.....heck they are all nice out west if the weather cooperates.

But, one of my all time favorite rides has been riding around Lake Superior. There is something special about that lake that really speaks to me. In fact, I plan on doing it again next month on the NC.

Lake Superior from Hwy 17 Ontario

Pikes Peak is pretty darn fun too

Crater Lake isn't too shabby either

Bearthooth Pass. Ahhhhhh!

Hwy 92 near Black Canyon of the Gunnison is nice

I could go on and on but I will stop there.
Mike

 

[docwells7]

I'll start with Hwy 68 from Blue Ridge, GA to Tellico Plains, TN.

If you'll plant yourself at Suches, GA at TWO (Two Wheels Only campground) you can go three different directions and have some great riding.

Hwy 421 from Boone, NC into Shady Valley, TN (the Snake) and then North out of Shady Valley up to Damascus is a beautiful ride. Both are less traveled than the Dragon and every bit as good.

 

[Bubba Satori]

America's Byways®: National Scenic Byways Online

 

[Fuzzy]

I'll start with Hwy 68 from Blue Ridge, GA to Tellico Plains, TN.

If you'll plant yourself at Suches, GA at TWO (Two Wheels Only campground) you can go three different directions and have some great riding.

Hwy 421 from Boone, NC into Shady Valley, TN (the Snake) and then North out of Shady Valley up to Damascus is a beautiful ride. Both are less traveled than the Dragon and every bit as good.

I second that.

 

[rhody987]

What about the Kancamagus Highway (aka the Kanc) I'm NH. I know it's short but it was always a fun road. I plan on verifying this in Aug when I ride up to New England

 

[Old Can Ride]

This is just unreal. Thank you riders for giving all of us new rides. These pictures show us some great adventures. One rider's been there, is always another riders got too ride there. So, keep giving to your friends here, new adventures. Just share!

 

[OldJeff]

Talimena Scenic Drive

Talimena National Scenic Byway

Go during the week, some great twisties and awesome views. Stay over at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge, great place, good food and right in the middle of the ride!

Talimena National Scenic Byway

 

[lipsee]

Honestly you guys do,nt know how lucky you are living in such a big country....so many wild places to visit..In the UK,,to get anywhere you need to ride though a whole lot of mans mess ,,like traffic light (zillions of them ) and traffic jams by the mile and when you get where you are going theres always a sign saying "You can,t park there" or "No Entry" or more likey "Bugger off" .Our green and pleasant land has been turned into restricted attraction (very restricted)...Rant Over..

 

[tslaw]

I like the Natchez Trace that run from Natchez, Ms to Nashville, Tn. Most people don't consider it a great motorcycle road. It's just like the Blue Ridge Parkway without all the mountains and scenery.

 

[buckshot]

It may not be in the US, but the trans Canada Highway (17) from Sudbury to Thunder Bay was some of the best time I've had on the open road. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to do that run on a bike, but charging up those hills and seeing the views on the other side is worth it in any vehicle.

Thunder bay to Kenora was a pretty decent drive too, lots of rock cuts and winding curves.

 

[belinda k]

From the Great Smoky Mountain area, there are hundreds of great roads. We ordered some maps from AMERICA RIDES MAPS. They sell individual maps as well as packages. They specialize in making maps for motorcyclists........great curvy roads within little traffic. We were not disappointed with our purchase. We planned our daily rides using these maps. They are on the web as well as Facebook.

 

[rhody987]

Honestly you guys do,nt know how lucky you are living in such a big country....so many wild places to visit..In the UK,,to get anywhere you need to ride though a whole lot of mans mess ,,like traffic light (zillions of them ) and traffic jams by the mile and when you get where you are going theres always a sign saying "You can,t park there" or "No Entry" or more likey "Bugger off" .Our green and pleasant land has been turned into restricted attraction (very restricted)...Rant Over..

After living in the UK for 3 years I don't disagree, but the beautiful part I found is every road is a windy country road with a healthy speed limit, and in Suffolk at least, comfortable riding temps year round (almost), as long as you're willing to get a little wet in winter.

 

[Cyclerosis]

If anyone here uses a Garmin GPS, you can download BaseCamp from Garmin for free. With BaseCamp, you can plan a route using one of several modes of transportation. Using 'motorcycle' as a mode of transportation, will alter the route significantly from using a car. I just finished downloading a route to my Garmin device that will take me along a more scenic route to the Horizon Unlimited event in SC, instead of I-81. Yes the route is longer, but it's scenic!

Also, check out https://www.madmaps.com/ I can't remember what I paid for a list of scenic routes from this outfit several years ago, but I did download and use the Mid Atlantic scenic loops on my GPS which took me down some beautiful roads in the Pocono Mountains I wouldn't have found myself.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Nana Chou just loves no parking signs! She would love it there.

 

[Old Can Ride]

You guys have brought back so many great memories with this list. I will never forget the Natchez Trace parkway and Kosciusko, Mississippi. This is where Oprah Winfrey is from. Went out to see the church she went to as a child. We stayed in a bed and breakfast in Kosciusko that is haunted for our wedding anniversary. I rolled over and pinched my wife in the middle of the night, and did she come out of that bed looking for the ghost. Lyle Lovett happened to be here at the same time, he was on a Ducati. Even though we got to meet Lyle Lovett, he was no match for the Shoe Lady of Kosciusko. What a great lady. She went around town and collected old shoes. She then painted all the old shoes different colors and planted them in her front yard. This is a once in a life time thing, all those shoes planted in the front yard were beautiful. We took the tour of her home, and my wife bought some beaded bottles from her. A never forget person and memory.

I've been riding a long time now, but just by asking you good folks have confirmed I haven't even scratched the surface. So many great roads, people, and adventures still waiting to be ridden. So ride!