Arizona is one of the most beautiful states in the US, and it is one of the favorite riding destinations for motorcycle enthusiasts. If you plan to organize a riding trip through Arizona, the Grand Canyon is a place you must visit. There are many other places that you will want to see and explore and in this article, we will tell you the best destinations.
Stay with us to learn more about the state of Arizona and all of the beauties that you would want to visit. Here are the top Arizona motorcycle routes that should be on every rider’s list.
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Best Motorcycle Routes in Arizona
So if you have ever been to Arizona and visited places like Grand Canyon or have ridden through the famous Route 66, you know that this is a state with a lot of fun and exciting things to offer to every motorcycle lover. That is why we want to give you the best routes and places that will leave you speechless.
Phoenix to Show Low on Highway 60
Phoenix to Show Low is one of the best Arizona winter motorcycle rides on Highway 60, and it is a 140–mile long ride. This route is one of the best during the winter because the summer heat can be too hot to enjoy this ride.
This route is pretty simple as you need to get on Highway 60, and you ride from Phoenix to Apache Junction and follow the route to Globe, and after that comes Show Low. You will enjoy this motorcycle ride because there are many places where you can stop and explore them. As you start the ride, you will notice that the road is flat, and as you approach Show Low, you will have some steep climbs and bends.
Route 66-Favorite Arizona Ride
Route 66 is one of the longest and most exciting motorcycle rides, and every rider should go on that ride at least once in a lifetime. This is a very scenic and iconic motorcycle ride that connects some of the most famous locations in Arizona.
If you want to go on a fantastic motorcycle ride on Route 66, you should take the ride from Lupton to Flagstaff, which is one of the most fun Arizona motorcycle rides. The beginning of this ride is in Lupton in eastern Arizona. While on the ride, you should take a detour and go through the Petrified Forest National Park, which is considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Arizona to visit, which has gorgeous wildlife.
When you continue your ride from Holbrook to Winslow, you should stop at the Standin’ on the Corner Park to see some of the iconic views. Going from Winslow, you will go through the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark in Winslow, which is the meteorite impact site and one of the best-preserved sites in the world. After leaving Flagstaff, you can ride to the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
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Cottonwood Canyon Run Motorcycle Ride Through Pine Country and Red Rock Canyons
The Cotton Canyon Run is one of Phoenix, Arizona’s most popular motorcycle rides. This ride will take you through many beautiful landscapes, including twisty and steep sections, for a little bit of challenging ride, so you don’t have to worry that this ride will be boring because it most certainly won’t.
The Cottonwood Canyon Run riding route will lead you from Phoenix on US-60 to Wickenburg. This route is 54 miles long and has twisty parts that will be interesting to riders who don’t like to ride on a straight road. This is the beginning of the Cottonwood Canyon Run.
You will have a 120 miles long route to explore, and you will see beautiful pristine views and find out why this is considered one of the most beautiful Southwest rides where you will witness the beauties of Prescott National Forest and red rock formations.
Note: This note goes especially for beginner riders who have never been riding on twisty and curvy roads and paths. You need to know that there is a road with many twists past Jerome, and the terrain is steep, so have that in mind when planning your ride.
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South Mountain Route
South Mountain Route is one of the top Phoenix motorcycle rides, and you don’t have to leave the Phoenix city limits on this route. This is one of the easiest rides in downtown Phoenix, and it is only 2.4 miles long, but you will have a great elevation of 1432 feet.
This ride starts at Central Avenue & Baseline Road and goes to South Mountain Park. You need to follow the road that goes through the park and ride as long as you don’t get to the South Mountain summit, followed by the Buena Vista lookout.
Although this ride is very short, don’t underestimate its beauty because it will give you one of the most scenic landscapes in the city, and if you find that this is not enough for you, you can go on a ride through the South Mountain Park/Preserve that covers more than 16 000 acres. This park has plenty of locations to be explored, and it is one of the biggest municipal parks in the country.
State Route 89A
State Route 89A is one of the top Arizona motorcycle routes you should explore. This route goes from Prescott to Flagstaff and is an 83-mile long ride. During this ride, you should focus the most on the downhill ride from Flagstaff to Sedona because this ride is ranked as a ride with the most beautiful highway stretches in the entire country.
You will go through gorgeous red rock formations, pine forests, and sunny desert basins during this ride. As soon as you leave Prescott, you will ride through the forests of the Black Hills mountain range, where you will enjoy every mile of the trip. The climb through Oak Creek Canyon will be the highlight of your ride, where you will ride through Southwest woodlands and sandstone formations.
This ride is 29 miles long, but you will experience the beauty of the scenery during this ride, and you should give yourself time to enjoy the views you will witness along the way. There are museums and state parks that you can visit while on a ride from SR 89A, and here are some of the highlights that you can visit:
Grand Canyon South Rim
Grand Canyon South Rim is a motorcycle ride you don’t want to miss, and this ride has to be on your “to-do” list of rides when you are in Arizona because the list of the best riding routes in Arizona would be incomplete without the classic Grand Canyon motorcycle tour.
Many riders have this ride on their bucket list, and this is why we are happy to write about this route and give you guidelines on what you should give your attention to the most.
One of the best places you should visit on this tour is the South Rim on the Arizona side, and this area of the Grand Canyon National Park is the most crowded one. The most crowded period is from the beginning of spring and all to fall, but it is considered one of the best motorcycle rides even during winter since Arizona is the state that has nice winter days.
If you decide to go on a winter ride, you could ride through the Hermit Road from December through February.
You can get to the Grand Canyon a couple of ways on your motorcycle. The first one is to begin in Williams, Arizona, and take SR 64 north, where you will ride 60 miles until you reach Grand Canyon Village. You will ride through an enormous desert landscape, after which you will get to the canyon.
If you want to go on a longer rider, however, you can choose the scenic route that goes from Phoenix and heads to Grand Canyon National Park, which is a 230 miles long route that goes through desert landscapes with beautiful ponderosa pine forests, cacti, followed by the high desert covered with Pinyon pines.
Another route you can take is I-17 to Flagstaff and head to I-40, or you can take Highway 180 and Highway 64. Riding from Sedona to Flagstaff is an alternative option where you can head to Highway 89A, which has one of the most scenic views in the region, and you will most definitely like it.
You can access the North Rim from the Utah side, which is less crowded, and the route is longer, and this is the fact you should have in mind if you ride during winter. This ride is better, but it is not so scenic.
Note: You should plan this motorcycle route because it is a grand motorcycle route, and you should take a couple of days to perform it because there are so many places to stop and visit on this trip, and you don’t want to rush it and miss any of the beauties along the way. This is also a crowded route, and you need to reserve your accommodation on time because it often gets filled up, and you don’t want to get stuck without any place to spend the night.
Lemmon Highway Mt. Lemmon Highway is one of the shortest motorcycle rides through Tucson. This is ideal for everyone looking for a shorter ride in the Tucson area. Tucson is known for its desert landscapes, and it has much more to offer than the Sonoran Desert rides. If you want an exciting motorcycle ride, we recommend taking the ride to Mt. Lemmon through Mt. Lemmon Highway.
Mt. Lemmon is an isolated mountain range located at 6000 feet in the Arizona–northern Mexico area surrounded by desert, and that is why it is called a sky island. This means that the climate up on the top is drastically different. The climate is similar to the one in the Alps.
The ride is approximately four hours long, and you can get to Mt. Lemmon from the eastern side of Tucson, which is around 30 miles long, starting in the desert and heading to the top of the mountain. You will be climbing from Tucson’s 2400 foot elevation to 8000 feet elevation and even more at the summit, and the best thing about the climb will definitely be the views you will experience as you ride through large curves.
Tip: Setting your GPS to Summerhaven is the best and easiest way to organize your route since Summerhaven is a small town close to the mountain summit.
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Final Thoughts
Arizona is one of the US states with plenty of beautiful destinations to offer and lovely places to visit. It is important that you plan your routes in detail, especially if you go on larger tours because you will need a place to stay if you ride for a couple of days. In this article, we wanted to give you the locations that you “must” visit when you plan your riding trip in Arizona.
We hope you liked this article and that you will enjoy Arizona.
Have a safe trip.