Discovery’s Top 10 Motorcycle Roads
Heading through northeastern Yellowstone on our way to the Beartooth.
You’ll never get everyone to agree on what the top 10 motorcycle roads in the U.S. are, but there’s no need to. Everyone has different ideas and appreciates different things.
Nevertheless, it’s always interesting to see someone else’s list of what they think are the best. My friend John, one of the original OFMC riders, sent me this item from the Discovery channel and part of what I find interesting about it is that I’m really not familiar with a couple of these roads.
I don’t think they are ranked, but they’re presented in a 10, 9, 8, . . . sort of fashion that suggests #1 is the best. I don’t think that is what they meant, but that provides more grist for dispute if you choose to see it that way. I’ll take it from the top.
10. Route 50, The George Washington Highway, West Virginia
My first assumption was that this was the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which runs out of Washington, D.C., but then I saw that this road is in West Virginia. Hmmm. Never heard of it. Of course I’ve never spent much time in West Virginia, so I guess I’ll just add this to my list of places I need to get to.
9. Needles Highway, Black Hills, South Dakota
Oh yeah, this one I can vouch for. In fact, we’re going to be on that road again this summer on the OFMC trip. We’ll be spending three days in the Black Hills and there’s no way you’re going to skip this one.
8. Tail of the Dragon, Deal’s Gap, North Carolina
Everyone knows about the Tail of the Dragon. I’ve never been there but frankly, from what I hear, it’s gotten a bit blown out of proportion. I know they talk about 318 curves in 11 miles but heck, I was on a road down in New Mexico a couple years ago that ran a lot longer than 11 miles and probably had just as many curves per mile.
7. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia
It has been a whole lot of years since I’ve been on the Blue Ridge, and never on a motorcycle, so this one is definitely on my list. That along with Skyline Drive, through Shenandoah National Park. I wasn’t really familiar with Skyline Drive but I just worked on Shenandoah last week in my job at the National Park Service and decided then and there that this was another one I have to get to.
6. Beartooth Pass, Wyoming
Oh yes. Fabulous. We’ve been on this one a couple times. Dress warmly. Even in July and August.
5. San Juan Mountain Skyway, Colorado
Another big oh yes. Red Mountain Pass, the route between Durango and Ouray is one of the very best roads in Colorado. What more can you say?
4. Tunnel of Trees Road, Michigan
This is a different sort of one. I would never have heard of it except that we ran across it while coming down through Michigan in 2012. This road runs along the western shore of the lower peninsula portion of the state, and it’s about as curvey as the Tail of the Dragon. Just as with the Tail, you can’t really do much sightseeing because you’d darn well better keep your eyes on where you’re going. And don’t go too fast.
3. Cherohala Skyway, Tennessee
This is another one I’ve heard of but have never ridden. We lived in Tennessee many years ago so it’s possible I’ve been on it but that would have been as a kid. Now I want to see it as an adult.
2. Arkansas Pig Trail, Arkansas
What? I have never heard of this one. What? Where? They say it’s “the Arkansas Dragon.” OK, it’s in the Ozarks, so that tells you something. Add it to the list. I’m sure I’ll be back in Arkansas some day.
1. The Three Sisters (aka The Twisted Sisters), Texas
At least I’ve heard of this one, though I don’t really know anything about it. I see that it’s down west of San Antonio, but it’s been so many years since I’ve been to San Antonio that I forget what that country is like.
But this is why I don’t think the real intent in counting down, rather than up, is intended to rank these roads. I don’t think anyone would say the Twisted Sisters are better than the Beartooth. I also have to question the selections for this list. (Like I said, everyone has their own ideas about these things.) I’d like to ride the Twisted Sisters but is this ride really better than Trail Ridge Road, which is not on the list? Or how about the Going to the Sun Highway up in Glacier National Park? Or the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur?
No, I think they tried to balance the list across the country, not really pick the real top 10. But I don’t care. I like the list. I like getting turned on to some places I didn’t know about. And considering I’ve only been on 4 of these 10, that gives me some riding to think about. And plan. And do. That works for me.
Biker Quote for Today
When you stop chasing dreams, that’s when your getting old…until then enjoy the ride.
Tags: great motorcycle roads
