The American Motorcyclist Association has taken nominations and votes on where the best motorcycling roads in the United States are located. With over 100 roads were submitted, the organization’s 230,000 person membership voted on the entries via the AMA’s website (although were not told how many actually voted). With the tallies finally in, the AMA has chosen 15 routes in all, with some honorable mentions as well.
With an equal showing of roads in the west coast, Rocky Mountains, and southern states, the AMA’s list also includes roads in the midwest and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, seemingly leaving not region unaccounted for in the results. Did your favorite road gain the top spot as “The Best Motorcycling Road” according to AMA members? Find out after the jump.
15. Washington Route 129 and Oregon Route 3, Clarkston, Wash., to Enterprise, Ore.
14. Ohio Route 170, Calcutta to Poland.
13. California Route 58, McKittrick to Santa Margarita.
12. U.S. Route 33, Harrisonburg, Va., to Seneca Rocks, W.Va.
11. Natchez Trace, from Natchez, Miss., to Nashville, Tenn.
10. Angeles Crest Highway, California Route 2.
9. U.S. Route 12, Lolo Pass, Idaho and Montana.
8. California Route 36.
7. Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina and Tennessee.
6. Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana.
5. California Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway.
4. U.S. Route 550, from Ouray to Durango, Colo.
3. U.S. Route 129 — The Tail of the Dragon — on the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
2. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina.
1. Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming.
Source: AMA; Photo: Hitesh Shah / Creative Commons – Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
Roads 12 and 2 are awful. Stay away, there is nothing to see there. :P
I know Matthew is just kidding cause they are awesome!! Sky line Drive isn’t bad either.
Yay, I did number 4 last year in my home state of Colorado. I’m sure it would be a much better road if I lived close enough to do it frequently. But it’s a seatfoam harvesting ride the first time! Mountain wall one side, sheer cliff on the other in some spots! Great post, wish i didn’t have to work and could just drive around and do these rides.
Wow, really surprised that 30th Street between 10th and 2nd avenues in Manhattan did not make the list.
No Northeast routes?
There is a short little road right by GTTSR that is MAYBE 15mi long, marked 25mph and it makes the GTTSR look like an interstate. 1 3/4 lane twisty enough that by the time you finsh you are wonderning WHY it didn’t loop back entirerly on it’s self. No I wont tell you where it is, heck most locals dont’ know about it adn I’m impressed that google view attempted it in the fall after a bit of snow/ice. 8^) fat bike, sport tourers and sport bikes should avoid it and GTTSR. Them bikes are to big and handle too poorly…go ride lol pass or beartooth. OR ride from salmon, id to missoula. ;^) that one is almost twisty.
I wish I lived somewhere with nice roads, Houston sucks for bikers not just because of the bad traffic and shitty drivers but the topography here is flat as hell, nothing remotely scenic and absolutely no twisties – all straights.
Philip, thats why God invented racetracks
also phillip, that’s why uhaul and good maps exist. ;^)
The Top 15 Motorcycling Roads According to AMA Members #motorcycles http://bit.ly/gjxIgU
I cant believe Highway 2 is in there. Its okay, lots of twisties but not a top 10 road. Too many drifters, sightseers, gravel, busted up pavement from snow. I’m really surprized they Highway 49 in Californina gold country did not make the list, far better road than ACR. Hwy 49 is one of the purest stretches of highway fun I ever rode. Mile after mile of pristine black and yellow ribbon undulating through the northern California countryside. Nary a car or other vehicle on the road. Add to that the beautiful old villages along the way to stop for refreshment and historical imbibement, it makes for a stunning weekend road trip. Start in Placerville and work your way down through Sutters Mill, Sonora, Jamestown, Angels Camp, Columbia. End up in Mariposa with your lungs full of fresh Yosemite air. How this epic stretch of road was left of and crappy old ACR got on leaves me to question the validity of this list. Hmmm.
RT @MissAdventuring: The Top 15 Motorcycling Roads According to AMA Members #motorcycles http://bit.ly/gjxIgU
Going to the Sun Road in Glacier is NOT a good motorycling road. The road is absolutely trashed. It is always wet, it is exceptionally narrow and it is habitually clogged with slow Harley and Goldwing riders. Nevermind the rubbernecking tourists. As a Montanan, I don not recommend it – at all. Sure, it’s scenic, but it’s better done from a cage.
Also, I’m surprised Hwy 101 in Northern California on up to Hwy199 into Grants Pass, OR isn’t mentioned. That’s an epic ride!
Route 1 in CA — oh yeah!
There must be a lot of Harley and Gold Wing voters because any sport biker would be lulled into sleep on 2. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. IMO 3. U.S. Route 129 is the most overrated Motorcycle road in unless you enjoy following hoards of Harleys and sports cars. Besides, you can fit about 10 129s into Lolo Pass. I’m a bit surprised that 8. California Route 36 is mentioned without notice to California 299. They are both awesome roads.
The state of Colorado has more and better routes than anywhere else in the country. Being home to roughly 52 of the Rockies 54 15,000 foot mountains is more than enough indication for any obsessed rider.
Besides the popular twisty routes which I love there are routes like MT 200, NV 50 and UT 95/24 where the only things to slow you down are deer, cows, pictographs and geography that’s beyond my description.
On March 23, 2011, after receiving 6″ of snow in Minneapolis, MN, I reminisce and long to crank up the k1200rs and tour our great roads.
rparker….shhhh don’t mention MT 200 or UT 95/24. I’d rather not have riff raff on those roads. It’s too late for lolo and 93. Oh well, when I’m feeling froggy I swipe the wifes ninjette to go spank sprot bikes on those roads.