editor Key Takeaways:
- From the Appalachian ridgeline to the California coast, this country has roads built for motorcycles – and the five routes here are worth planning a real trip around.
- These aren’t “top ten” list filler. They’re roads that riders actually organize their lives around.
- Check seasonal closures before committing – a few of these routes are inaccessible for months at a time.
Get on a motorcycle, and the road becomes something you’ll never find in a car. The temperature change through a canyon, the sound of the engine in an open stretch, the way your whole body reads the road – none of that survives a windshield. America was practically built for two wheels. Not many countries hand you desert, coastline, mountains, and flatland. All rideable, all connected by pavement.
Read: The Secret to a Family Vacation Everyone Actually Enjoys
Go-To Routes You Must Ride
Here are some of the top routes chosen by actual riders.
Blue Ridge Parkway: 469 Miles, No Trucks, No Traffic Lights
Blue Ridge Parkway starts in Shenandoah, Virginia, and runs 469 miles south to the edge of the Smokies in North Carolina – designed from the start to keep commercial traffic out. No commercial trucks. Minimal traffic lights. Curves, ridge-line views, and long, quiet stretches where the road is yours alone.
Fall is the move, late September into early October. Peak color, manageable temps, and the light at elevation is something worth seeing.
Tail of the Dragon: 318 Turns at Deal’s Gap
Deal’s Gap sits right on the NC-Tennessee line. US-129 through there is one of those roads that comes up in conversation years after you’ve ridden it. Eleven miles. Three hundred and eighteen curves. They don’t come with breathing room. Tight, technical, relentless. At one point, the curves come faster than you can anticipate them.
Hit it early on a weekend if you can. It draws a crowd, and for good reason – this is one of the most photographed roads in the country. The surrounding Cherokee National Forest’s beauty is on par with popular national parks, and it has plenty more excellent two-lane roads to explore once you’ve gotten the main route out of your system. The Dragon gets under your skin. Plan accordingly.
Pacific Coast Highway: Running Highway 1 from LA North
Whatever you’ve heard about Highway 1, it’s true. From the cliffs above Big Sur, to the fog coming off the Pacific, to the way the road clings to the hillside hundreds of feet above the water, it’s about as cinematic as a road gets. On a bike, you’re getting the full experience, with salt air, Pacific temps, and every smell and sound that a car seals out.
LA to San Francisco is around 400 miles of mostly two-lane. It’ll feel longer than that because you’ll stop. A lot. That’s not a problem because stopping is the point of this one.
Route 66: Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier, Eight States
Nearly 2,400 miles of it. Eight states. Chicago to the Santa Monica pier, through towns and terrain that look like nowhere else, places you can pull over and feel the history.
The original road still runs in pieces, with diners and motels and roadside setups that haven’t changed much since the ‘50s. Nobody’s taking Route 66 because it’s efficient. That’s entirely the point. Modern American culture traces back here, to the Mother Road.
Going-to-the-Sun Road: Glacier National Park at 6,600 Feet
It goes through Glacier National Park and crests above 6,600 feet, featuring the kind of scenery that still surprises you even after you’ve seen all the pictures. Glacial lakes, waterfalls, peaks with snow on them in July, wildlife close enough to stop traffic; it’s a must-go for riders who are outdoor enthusiasts. The road itself is narrow in sections and carved directly into the mountainside, which is not ideal for wide touring setups with big saddlebags. Prepare before you go.
The season is short. Typically mid-June through mid-October, weather depending.
Before You Roll: A Few Things Worth Knowing
A few things apply no matter which one you go after:
- Mountain routes: Going-to-the-Sun, parts of the Blue Ridge – close in winter and into spring. Check current status before you book.
- Pack for temperature swings: Elevation changes fast, and so does the weather in mountain terrain.
- Give yourself more time than the mileage implies. The best rides on this list reward riders who aren’t rushing.
- Know your machine: High elevation and big mileage days ask more of a bike than regular rides.
Experience These Routes
Any one of these routes is worth a dedicated trip. Some are wild and treacherous routes, while some can be so serene and peaceful at times that all those who do them hear is the sound of their own motorcycle exhausts. The riders who’ve done them come back with stories. Figure out which one fits your season and your setup. Then stop planning and go. The others will be there.
