Your 2026 Summer Motorcycle Travel Guide

Jun 25, 2026

If you're planning and searching for summer motorcycle destinations in 2026, you've probably run into the same problem we have. The routes every magazine recommends are also the ones every car-and-RV traveler is driving in July: Pacific Coast Highway, Colorado's Million Dollar Highway, the full Blue Ridge Parkway. Beautiful roads, but the experience changes when you're stuck behind tourist traffic at every overlook.

So, as a result, we’ve put together ten alternative motorcycle road trip ideas, all with great riding and a lot less summer traffic. Six east of the Mississippi, four west, and all rideable through July and August without the heat and crowding of the famous picks above. 

Where Should I Ride a Motorcycle This Summer?

When you're figuring out where to ride a motorcycle in the summer season, look for destinations that share three qualities: they sit above 4,000 feet, so daytime temperatures stay rideable, they have enough mileage to fill three to four days of riding without doubling back, and they're easy to reach from a major airport, so a fly-in trip doesn't take away an entire day.

• Elevation above 4,000 feet: Daytime temperatures run 10 to 20 degrees below the valley floor in July and August
• Three to four days of riding: Named scenic byways or state-designated routes with enough mileage to plan a full trip without repeating roads
• Major airport within three hours: Short enough that airport pickup and the drive to your rental don't end up becoming the day's main event

Best Summer Motorcycle Rides of 2026

1. Cherohala Skyway and the North Georgia Mountains
2. Pisgah National Forest, Western North Carolina
3. Eastern Oregon's High Desert
4. The Driftless Area
5. Upper Peninsula of Michigan
6. Hocking Hills and the Windy 9, Ohio
7. The Arkansas Ozarks
8. Idaho's Sawtooth Range
9. Pennsylvania Route 6
10. West Virginia's Highway 150 and the Highland Scenic Highway

1. Cherohala Skyway and the North Georgia Mountains

The Tail of the Dragon gets most of the attention, but it isn't enough to fill a long weekend on its own. Pair the 43-mile Cherohala Skyway with the Tail and SR-60 through North Georgia, and you've got four days of mountain riding, elevations above 5,400 feet, and three roads that each feel completely different.

Where to Stop

• Bald River Falls
• The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap
• Suches, GA
• SR-60 through the Chattahoochee National Forest

TIP: Fill up at one of the two endpoints before you ride the Skyway itself. There's no gas in the 43 miles between Tellico Plains and Robbinsville, and the local tow trucks aren't cheap when you're calling them from a pullout at sunset.

Rent a Motorcycle in Atlanta, GA

Flying into Atlanta puts you within a few hours of the Cherohala Skyway, the Tail of the Dragon, and North Georgia's best riding roads. Browse motorcycle rentals in Atlanta, choose from sport-tourers, standards, cruisers, and more, then pick up your bike and head straight for the mountains.

Read the Full Cherohala Skyway Guide

Want the route mapped section by section before you go? Our Cherohala Skyway guide walks through every fuel stop, lookout, and the detours we'd take ourselves.

2. Pisgah National Forest, Western North Carolina

Pisgah's reputation comes from the smaller forest roads off the Blue Ridge Parkway, not the Parkway itself. Once you've ridden NC-215, NC-276, and the Devil's Whip section of US-276, the Parkway starts to feel slow. Asheville, NC sits within an hour of all three, which makes it the top East Coast base for sport-tourer and ADV riders and a regular on shortlists of best summer motorcycle rides.

Where to Stop

• Looking Glass Falls
• The Devil's Whip
• DuPont State Forest
• Sliding Rock

TIP: From mid-July on, plan to be on the road by 7 or 8 AM. Afternoon thunderstorms become a planning factor in Pisgah, and getting caught in one on the Devil's Whip turns the rest of your day into a long story. Build a buffer day mid-week so you can move the rough days around when the forecast turns.

Book a Guided Tour in Asheville, NC

Pisgah has enough great roads that it's easy to spend more time planning than riding. Asheville sits within about an hour of NC-215, NC-276, and the Devil's Whip, making it an easy base for the trip. Browse guided motorcycle tours in Asheville and let a local Riders Share host lead you through those roads and others that make this one of the Southeast's best summer rides.

3. Eastern Oregon's High Desert

Most riders thinking "Oregon trip" picture the coast or the Cascades, which means almost nobody ends up east of the mountains, and that's their loss. The east half of the state is high desert, painted hillsides, empty two-lane highways that stretch for hours, and Hells Canyon, which is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon but almost nobody mentions it. It rides closer to Nevada than the Pacific Northwest, with better pavement and gas stations every 80 miles.

Where to Stop

• Steens Mountain summit
• The Painted Hills
• Hells Canyon Overlook at Hat Point
• Frenchglen Hotel

TIP: Check the Burns District BLM page for the Steens summit road status before you commit to dates. The summit road usually opens mid-June and closes by late October, but a heavy-snow winter can push the opening into July, which can throw off your entire trip if the rest of it is already booked.

Pick Up a Bike Rental in Bend, OR

Bend puts you within a day's ride of the Painted Hills and Eastern Oregon's high desert, making it one of the easiest places to start this trip. Browse motorcycle rentals in Bend, including the adventure bikes like BMW R1300GS, KTM 890 Adventure, and Yamaha Ténéré 700, then head east to ride the gravel connectors, the Steens summit road, and Hat Point without turning around when the pavement ends.

4. The Driftless Area

You'd never guess from a map that this corner of the Midwest has Appalachian-style ridges and back roads that constantly turn. The Driftless Area got its name because the last ice age skipped this pocket of southwest Wisconsin, northeast Iowa, and southeast Minnesota while flattening everything around it. The result is one of the more underrated motorcycle road trip ideas in the central US, and the locals who already know about it seem perfectly happy keeping it under the radar.

Where to Stop

• Wyalusing State Park
• Highway 35 along the Mississippi
• Spring Green, WI
• Carr Valley Cheese in La Valle, WI

Rent a Motorcycle in Madison, WI

Flying into Madison puts you within easy reach of the Driftless Area without spending half the day getting there. Search through available motorcycle rentals in Madison, pick the bike that fits your trip, and start exploring the ridge roads, river valleys, and small towns that make this part of the Midwest so different from everything around it.

Read the Driftless Region Guide

New to the area? Our Driftless region guide maps out specific day loops through coulee country, including the best Highway 35 stretches above the Mississippi.

5. Upper Peninsula of Michigan

If summer heat has been ruining your trips lately, you're going to like the UP. Lake Superior holds the daytime temperatures in the upper 70s through most of the summer even when the rest of the Midwest is in the 90s, traffic stays light outside Mackinaw City and Munising, and the ride north on US-41 to Copper Harbor ranks among the best summer motorcycle rides in the lower 48 for heat-sensitive riders.

Where to Stop

• Whitefish Point
• Brockway Mountain Drive
• Tahquamenon Falls State Park
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

TIP: Fill up whenever you see a station heading north on US-41. Gas stations can be 60-plus miles apart out here, and the stretch between L'Anse, MI and Copper Harbor has stranded plenty of riders who assumed there'd be another station around the next bend.

Read the Full UP Route Plan

Our Upper Peninsula of Michigan guide lays out the full trip from the Mackinac Bridge to Copper Harbor and Whitefish Point, including mileage, suggested trip lengths, route maps, and where you'll want to top off before the longer fuel gaps.

6. Hocking Hills and the Windy 9, Ohio

Ohio doesn't usually come up in motorcycle conversations, which is exactly why the state put together the Windy 9 in the first place. Nine official rider routes in the southeast corner, designed to draw riders away from the better-known Appalachian destinations next door. The Triple Nickel (Ohio 555) is the headline, covering 62 miles between Zanesville, OH and Little Hocking, OH along the Ohio River, with tight corners, frequent elevation changes, and almost zero traffic outside holiday weekends.

Where to Stop

• The Triple Nickel (Ohio 555)
• Old Man's Cave
• Marietta riverfront
• Wayne National Forest

Browse Motorcycle Rentals in Columbus, OH

The Windy 9 is close enough to Columbus that you don't need to build a week-long vacation around it. Find a motorcycle rental in Columbus, head toward southeast Ohio, and spend the weekend riding some of the state's best roads.

7. The Arkansas Ozarks

Arkansas Highway 7 has been on national best-rides lists for decades, but it still doesn't see the crowds you'd expect in the middle of summer. The full stretch covers 153 miles between Russellville, AR and Harrison, AR through the heart of the Ozarks. Pair it with the Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Highway 23) and the Talimena Scenic Drive across the Oklahoma border, and you've got a four-day loop without doubling back.

Where to Stop

• The Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Highway 23)
• Eureka Springs, AR
• Hot Springs National Park
• The Talimena Scenic Drive

Book a Guided Tour Through Beebe, AR

Highway 7 is only the beginning of what the Ozarks have to offer. Browse guided motorcycle tours from Beebe, AR and spend your trip riding Highway 7, the Pig Trail, Talimena Scenic Drive, and more without having to map out the route yourself.

Read the Arkansas Ozarks Guide

Highway 7 is only the beginning of what the Ozarks have to offer. Browse guided motorcycle tours from Beebe, AR and spend your trip riding Highway 7, the Pig Trail, Talimena Scenic Drive, and more without having to map out the route yourself.

8. Idaho's Sawtooth Range

For one summer trip where every part actually works out, the Sawtooths in July are hard to beat. Stanley, ID sits at 6,250 feet, which keeps daytime highs in the mid-70s while the rest of the West is hitting 95-plus. The high passes open by late June, the air stays dry, and the roads are emptier than anywhere in Colorado or California at the same time. If we had to pick the best US motorcycle destination for July, the Sawtooths take it without much competition.

Where to Stop

• Redfish Lake
• Sun Valley, ID
• Sunbeam Hot Springs
• Stanley, ID itself

TIP: Reserve your Boise rental as far ahead as you possibly can. July and August weekends fill four to six weeks out, and the week around July 4 sometimes books up two months ahead. Tuesday through Thursday pickups have better selection if your schedule's flexible.

Rent a Motorcycle in Boise, ID

Boise is your last major stop before you trade city traffic for mountain roads and long stretches between towns. Browse Boise motorcycle rentals on Riders Share, reserve your bike, and start the trip where most Idaho riders do.

9. Pennsylvania Route 6

PA-6 is one of the few major scenic routes east of the Mississippi where it's still possible to ride for an hour without seeing another motorcycle. The route covers 400 miles across Pennsylvania's northern tier from Milford, PA in the east to the Ohio border in the west, and National Geographic named the western half one of the most scenic drives in America. The side trips into Pine Creek Gorge (Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon) and the Allegheny National Forest are some of the most underrated rides in the Northeast.

Where to Stop

• Pine Creek Gorge
• Kinzua Sky Walk
• Cherry Springs State Park
• Allegheny National Forest

TIP: Download offline maps before you leave, especially if you're riding solo. Cell service drops out across the western half, and 'next gas in 30 miles' isn't a sign you want to discover at a quarter tank.

10. West Virginia's Highway 150 and the Highland Scenic Highway

WV-150 and the Highland Scenic Highway aren't roads you rush through to get somewhere else. Between them, you've got more than 80 miles through the Monongahela National Forest with very few intersections, almost no commercial traffic, and overlooks that pull you off the bike every few miles. Add Cass Scenic Railroad and Seneca Rocks, and you've got an easy two- or three-day ride through one of the quietest parts of the Appalachians.

Where to Stop

• Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
• Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
• Seneca Rocks
• Williams River Overlook

TIP: WV-150 isn't open year-round. The road typically closes through the winter, so check the latest Monongahela National Forest updates before finalizing your trip if you're riding in late spring or early fall.

Ride Safe This Summer with Riders Share

Whether you're crossing a few state lines or flying in for a week of riding, Riders Share makes it easy to get on the road. Browse motorcycle rentals in 2,000+ cities nationwide, choose from 15+ brands and 10+ motorcycle types, and add riding gear like helmets, jackets, and gloves to your reservation, with some items available for as little as $5 each. Start your search today!

Discover the Best Tips for Summer Riding

Every route in this guide comes with its own challenges, from hot afternoons and changing mountain weather to long stretches between towns. These guides will help you get ready before you leave:

• Best Hot Weather Motorcycle Gear for 2026: Jackets, Helmets, Gloves and Cooling Strategies
• How to Stay Cool Riding a Motorcycle in the Summer
• How to Keep Your Motorcycle from Overheating in the Summer
• Planning Your First Motorcycle Rental Vacation and Everything You Need to Know

Summer Motorcycle Travel Guide (FAQ)

By now, you've probably got a few destinations in mind. Here are some of the questions that usually come up when it's time to narrow the list down.

What are the best motorcycle vacation spots?

• First fly-in trip: Pisgah National Forest or the Cherohala Skyway
• Least traffic: Eastern Oregon or West Virginia's Highway 150
• Long weekend: Hocking Hills or the Driftless Area
• Best July weather: Idaho's Sawtooth Range or Michigan's Upper Peninsula
• Scenic photography: Pennsylvania Route 6 or the Upper Peninsula
• Cruiser-friendly roads: The Arkansas Ozarks

What is the best US motorcycle destination for July?

If we had to pick just one, it'd be Idaho's Sawtooth Range. Stanley sits at 6,250 feet, so daytime temperatures stay in the 70s while much of the West is pushing well into the 90s. If Idaho's a little too far, the Cherohala Skyway, West Virginia's Highway 150, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula are all great July alternatives.

Where should I take a motorcycle trip in August?

August is when the higher-elevation routes really come into their own. Eastern Oregon, the Sawtooth Range, and Pennsylvania Route 6 all stay comfortable long after lower-elevation rides have heated up. If you're heading to the Ozarks or Hocking Hills, getting on the road early makes the afternoons a lot more enjoyable.

Where can I take a motorcycle road trip in summer 2026?

You really can't go wrong with any destination in this guide. The best one is the one that fits the amount of time you have and how far you're willing to travel. If you're planning a July or August trip, it's a good idea to reserve your motorcycle a few weeks ahead, especially around busier fly-in cities like Asheville, Boise, and Atlanta.