Best Scenic Rides in Arizona

Arizona is a great place to rely upon your riding skills, given our incredible roads that open up into renowned scenic vistas that give new meaning to the term desert wildlife. If you’re looking for the best motorcycle road trips in Arizona (or even just a scenic drive anyone will enjoy), read on to learn TEAM Arizona’s favorite motorcycle rides so you can see more of our great state with absolutely nothing between you and the forests, canyons, and horizon.

Four Great Motorcycle Roads in Arizona

Thanks to our dedication and love for riding, we’ve helped over 150,000 new riders enjoy their motorcycle travels with equal parts skill, safety, and confidence. After bringing our newest riding cadets up to speed at our Arizona RiderCourse facilities, we also feel confident in their ability to take on the following four scenic rides and start exploring on their own.

Route 66

Yearning for the WIDE OPEN road? The famed Route 66 connects Santa Monica to Chicago, but it truly takes on a life of its own in Arizona. Most locals and visitors alike begin their Route 66 journey at the Painted Cliffs Welcome Center to the east (which is actually part Interstate 40), then work their way west through Petrified Forest National Park. Riders then emerge in the aptly named Painted Desert. From there, iconic shots can be taken while standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Flagstaff, Williams (last Route 66 to be bypassed by I-40), Seligman (old time Route 66 at its best), Kingman, and more. That all said, riders will experience an even-keeled tour of several of Arizona’s most breathtaking tourist destinations.

Jerome

History buffs will love the Jerome ride, one of the most charming motorcycle road trips that attract fewer crowds. Just shy of 270 miles, roundtrip from Phoenix, the Jerome route from Phoenix via Wickenburg and Prescott takes you through epic boulder canyons, the Mingus Mountains, and several national forests.This route ultimately connects the old mining town of Jerome to Wickenburg, a piece of living history with roots dating to pre-Civil War prospecting days. Riders starting in Phoenix will head out of town towards Wickenburg which is a great place to stop for coffee and a gas up.  From there, the climb up Yarnell Hill to the small town of Yarnell is a fun, twisty, 25-mile section that will definitely get the juices flowing.  The sweeping curves through People’s Valley give way to series of tight technical turns before entering the glorious town of Prescott.  A short gas up and walk around Prescott’s town center is the perfect break for your bum.  After wombling around the town center, you’ll point your motorcycle towards the Mingus Mountains on Highway 89A where you’ll follow tight twisties to your destination:  Jerome.  Relax, grab a haunted burger, and enjoy the views from on high!

Sedona

Enjoy the veritable infrared hue of Sedona’s famed red-stone canyons while steadily traversing oak and pine forests interspersed with high desert vistas. The most scenic Sedona route runs along the 89A highway, which creates a straightforward path to Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon. Knowledgeable bikers know the Coffee Pot welcomes you with a warm breakfast. 

While you must mind several sections of tight turns, the majority of the route’s ease allows you to concentrate on the nearby terrain, allowing the otherworldly landscape to bathe your senses in a primal vividness that must be seen to be believed. Being a northerly route, you’ll also experience cooler temperatures, an essential factor to safe long-distance riding during the hotter months.

Tortilla Flats

Before we talk about this incredible ride, we would be remiss in our duties if we didn’t provide a warning.  Because it is close to Phoenix, many new riders (and their friends!) think this ride may be a great first ride.  To that we emphatically say NOPE!  We highly recommend you are confident with your cornering, braking, and hazards avoidance skills before tackling this ride.  Unsure if you possess the skills for the ride?  Check out our Confident RiderCourse where we work on the four pillars to motorcycling.  With that disclaimer provided, onto one of the coolest rides around Phoenix!

The Tortilla Flats feature a diverse range of terrain along the Apache Trail, dubbed “America’s oldest highway,” and offers some of the most inspiring views in the state. Along with winding mountain trails, steep canyons, and big sky, Tortilla Flats also features a few side routes to gorgeous day hikes and the following lake-side resting areas:

• Canyon Lake, a more accessible and popular option, is less than an hour away from Phoenix
• Roosevelt Lake, which requires some off-road skill to get there (but well worth it, in the end!)
• Apache Lake Resort: Central Arizona’s only lake-view hotel

What exactly is it that makes for good motorcycle rides? While it’s largely subjective, we think you’ll agree that any scenic drive is much more awe-inspiring and invigorating from the seat of a motorcycle. That’s why we love helping fellow riding enthusiasts hone their abilities while maintaining a comfortable, positive growth rate, safe under the care and instruction of experienced professionals.

We haven’t even tapped into some of the best scenic riders for Southern Arizona; stay tuned!

Take Your Riding Skills to the Next Level with TEAM Arizona

While you can’t go wrong with the tried-and-true suggestions above, you may find the best motorcycle rides arise spontaneously, often in hidden spots you only knew about once you started exploring the Arizona landscape on your own terms. For both planned and unplanned scenic drives, it’s important to know your equipment like the back of your hand and continually hone your riding safety and skills.

If you have further questions about the best motorcycle road trips in Arizona, contact us or continue reading our blog for more rider-safe information. We also invite those inspired to master safe riding to sign up for one of our Skill Advancement RiderCourses, where you’ll learn the fundamentals needed to experience the awe-inspiring power of the American Southwest directly and confidently.