Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle RideSep 19–19, 2026 · Alabama

Started in 1994 with just eight riders, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride has grown into what organizers and media describe as the largest organized motorcycle ride in the world. The ride is held every year on the third Saturday of September and is organized by the Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association, Inc. There is no fee to register and no registration requirement — riders simply show up. The procession follows U.S. Highway 72 westward across northern Alabama, a route recognized by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission as the official Trail of Tears corridor honoring the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations.

The main ride departs downtown Bridgeport at 8 a.m. and runs to Waterloo, with a midpoint lunch stop near Huntsville. The entire route is escorted by Alabama State Police and local law enforcement, with traffic lights held as the procession — which can stretch 25 miles or more — passes through. Communities line the roadsides to watch and cheer. The weekend is broader than one day: pre-ride activities begin in Cherokee, North Carolina, with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee riding to Bridgeport on Friday, and a post-ride option continues westward toward Oklahoma.

At the finish in Waterloo, riders arrive at a pow wow celebration featuring Native American dancing, vendor booths, and food. The tone throughout is purposeful and communal — riders come to honor history, not to put on a show. Merchandise sales fund Native American scholarships in Alabama and Tennessee, so buying a t-shirt at the event has a direct charitable effect.