Four Epic Motorcycle Rides To Experience America This Summer

It’s that time of year. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the roads are beckoning. 

Depending on where you call home, the long winter either relegated you to your tight little riding southern oasis or, worse yet, with your bike stuck in storage. Well, that season is finally behind us. Now is the time to map out an epic, cross-country motorcycle journey to take advantage of the nation-wide riding season.

Of course, that requires significant planning and preparation, the likes of which has been covered in-depth in previous blogs. In brief, you’ll need to make sure you own a suitable ride and get it fully checked and maintained, gear up properly, plan your dates and precise routes, decide whether to camp or book a hotel or airbnb, and pack accordingly. 

You can’t skimp on any of the aforementioned steps, but this entry is not about the planning and the prep, it’s about the journey and the destination.

What follows are four genuinely epic tours of Americana, each one ranging from 20 to 40 hours of seat time, every one overflowing with history, scenery, and wicked fun roads.

They all have a flavor all their own too, so feel free to choose whichever speaks most loudly to you.

Route 66

From the Windy City to the Pacific Ocean, the legendary Route 66 route connects Chicago to Santa Monica Pier. 

Some 40 hours on the road, Route 66 showcases the incredibly diverse nature of the nation, its scenery, and its people. This is the way to truly see the country, and particularly the parts more often dismissed as ‘flyover’ states.

Linking Chicago, St. Louis, Amarillo, Sante Fe, Las Vegas, and Santa Monica, the range of sights and things to do is simply stunning. Perhaps even more impressive is all that’s packed between these urban draws, including Meteor Crater and the Painted Desert. 

Great River Road

Like Route 66, the Great River Road lays bare the overlooked beauty of the nation’s heartland, but does so cutting north to south rather than east to west.

It has a very different vibe, however, following the path carved by the mighty Mississippi. This 30-hour ride starts at the Mississipp’s headwaters in Itasca State Park, Minnesota, and follows the river all the way down to New Orleans – the perfect place to celebrate the end of this test of man and machine.

Due to its nature, the riverbluff-side roads are consistently winding and thrilling. It also connects camp grounds, river towns, and riverboat casinos, so there’s plenty of options for fun whenever you feel the need for an extended stretch. 

Atlantic Coast Highway

The Atlantic Coast Highway ride is another 30-hour wheels down journey. It serves as a megalopolis tour connecting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Richmond, and Miami, as well as a showcase of coastlines and ocean towns.

This ride provides an unmatched opportunity to see some of the most historic and foundational sights that directly connect to the nation’s formative days, as well as a variety of ultra modern skylines.

Seafood lovers can indulge along the way, and those who still have energy left at the conclusion of the ride can live it up in the “Magic City.”

Grand Circle Tour

At 20 hours of riding time, this is the shortest in terms of mileage, but we’re willing to bet it will be the longest in terms of actual duration. 

This route connects six national parks – Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, Canyon Lands National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park, along with Monument Valley, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and more.

You are not going to beat this one in terms of natural beauty. And with all of that scenery comes curving roads that carve their way through.

But as fun as the riding is, you’re not going to want to blast past all of these parks, so plan this one as a camping trip and give yourself plenty of time to explore.

It would also be wise to secure yourself a National Park Pass, which, for just $80, grants you access to all national parks and monuments.