Some roads are better experienced on the back of a bike. Here are our picks for America’s 5 best motorcycle road trips.
Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap, NC)
Route: 11 miles
The Tail of the Dragon is largely considered the most popular motorcycle road trip, with 318 curves in a short stretch of US 129 along Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee/North Carolina border.
Start in North Carolina at Fugitive Bridge — yes, of Harrison Ford’s 1993 thriller The Fugitive — where you’ll navigate a magnificent series of “S” curves before crossing the Tennessee state line.
Make sure to pack: A proper windshield. Trust us, you’ll be happy you sprang for one.
Needles Highway (Black Hills, SD)
Route: 14 miles
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August is the perfect excuse to head for the (Black) Hills on Needles Highway. Roughly 30 miles south of Rapid City, SD, you’ll wind alongside the highway’s namesake granite spires and pass through the Iron Creek and Needles Eye tunnels, both of which have been blasted through solid granite walls.
Nestled inside the 71,000-acre Custer State Park, South Dakota’s largest, it’s where the wild bison, deer and antelope literally play.
Make sure to pack: A hydrant backpack to stay hydrated on hot-weather drives.
Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia and North Carolina)
Route: 469 miles
Meandering along the breathtaking Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll be treated to a scenic and slow (speed limits never exceed 45 mph) ride along the spine of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains.
Since it spans from Virginia through North Carolina, break up the trip with pit stops in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park or the charming town of Asheville, NC (don’t forget the barbecue!).
Make sure to pack: Some highway pegs to rest your feet.
Beartooth Highway (Montana and Wyoming)
Route: 47 miles
Beartooth Highway, the “All-American Road.” Just like its nicknames, Highway 212’s reputation precedes it. Perhaps that’s because you’ll find more bikes than cars on this scenic byway with dips and stunning vistas. Or because, at nearly 11,000 feet, it has the highest elevation of any highway in Montana and Wyoming.
Zigzagging across the peak, riders are treated to unparalleled panoramic views before being dropped off at the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Make sure to pack: A balaclava. At this altitude, don’t underestimate its warmth on winter rides.
Million Dollar Highway (Colorado)
Route: 25 miles
As with all million-dollar views, you have to go up. This highway in western Colorado climbs through 3 mountain passes, providing jaw-dropping vistas of the canyons below.
Part of the San Juan Skyway, US 550 had to be cut into the side of the mountain (the cost of which is 1 explanation for the nickname Million Dollar Highway), cementing its status as one of the most remarkable motorcycle drives in the US.