Road	Length	High point
Bear Wallow CafeStop Bear Wallow Cafe is a beloved small-town diner in Alpine, Arizona, at the northern terminus of the Coronado Trail (US-191), sitting at 8,046 feet elevation. Famous for its house-made pies and hearty breakfasts, the cafe has been a fixture for riders completing the Devil's Highway run since before the road was re-signed from Route 666. The menu leans classic American — eggs, burgers, steaks — with locals and through-riders mixing freely at the counter. Hours are 6am–8pm and the parking lot handles multiple bikes comfortably.	—	—
Catalina Highway (Mt. Lemmon) The Catalina Highway, officially the General Hitchcock Highway and designated the Sky Island Scenic Byway, climbs 27 miles from northeast Tucson (2,800 feet) to near the summit of Mount Lemmon (9,157 feet) in the Santa Catalina Mountains — a 6,300-foot gain through six distinct vegetation zones in a single road. The lower desert section features open sweepers with saguaro and ocotillo; the upper section narrows into pine-shaded curves past granite formations and the small alpine resort village of Summerhaven. The highway is a Forest Highway (Arizona FH-39) maintained within Coronado National Forest and is not numbered as an AZ state route. It is uniquely notable for compressing a drive from Sonoran Desert to Canadian-zone spruce forest in under 30 miles — the ecological equivalent of driving from Mexico to Canada.	36 mi	—
Coronado Trail (US-191) 114 miles of US-191 from Clifton to Alpine — "America's curviest road," 460+ named turns, copper mines below and ponderosa pine at altitude. Almost no traffic.	114 mi	—
Hannagan Meadow LodgeStop Hannagan Meadow Lodge sits at 9,200 feet on the Coronado Trail (US-191), roughly 22 miles south of Alpine near mile marker 232 in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Open to the public since 1926, the historic log cabin lodge and dining room are the only fuel-and-food waypoint in the middle third of one of North America's most celebrated motorcycle roads. Surrounded by ponderosa pine and spruce, the meadow sees elk and deer frequently. The dining room serves hearty comfort food and the lodge offers overnight cabins for riders tackling the full Devil's Highway.	—	—
Marble Canyon / Vermilion Cliffs (US-89A) US Route 89A through the Arizona Strip runs roughly 60 miles from Bitter Springs north to Jacob Lake, crossing the Colorado River at Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon — one of the most dramatic bridge crossings in the American West. The Navajo Bridge sits 467 feet above the river gorge; there are two spans side by side (1929 historic pedestrian bridge and the 1995 vehicle crossing), both open to visitors. The corridor follows the base of the Vermilion Cliffs — 3,000-foot-tall bands of red and orange sandstone — through open high desert with minimal traffic. The road is the logical connection from Page and Lake Powell down to Jacob Lake and SR-67 for North Rim runs, forming part of a classic northern Arizona loop.	47 mi	—
Mingus Mountain / Jerome (SR-89A) The Mingus Mountain section of SR-89A runs approximately 35 miles between Prescott and Jerome, climbing over the Black Hills to a summit at 7,743 feet before a dramatic descent into the Verde Valley historic mining town of Jerome. ADOT designates this stretch as the Mingus Mountain Scenic Road. The climb from Prescott packs over 127 turns into 12 miles, with hairpins, constant-radius corners, and sweeping canyon views. The road drops into Jerome — a former mining boomtown perched on Cleopatra Hill at 5,246 feet — before continuing northeast through the Verde Valley. Geographically separate from the Oak Creek Canyon section of SR-89A, this is an entirely different character of road through forest and mountain terrain.	58 mi	—
Mogollon Rim Road (SR-260) Arizona State Route 260 runs 218 miles east–west across the state from Cottonwood to Eagar, with the most celebrated motorcycle section traversing the Mogollon Rim between Christopher Creek (east of Payson) and Show Low. This stretch follows the base and top of the Mogollon Rim through the world's largest contiguous stand of ponderosa pine — a tree-lined corridor at 6,000–7,500 feet elevation alternating between sweeping open curves and dense forested tunnels. ADOT designates it as both the Zane Grey Highway and the White Mountain Scenic Road. The road delivers a gentler, more flowing character than Arizona's hairpin-heavy routes — long radius bends, comfortable sight lines, and mountain lakes (Woods Canyon, Willow Springs) as side destinations.	154 mi	—
Mt. Lemmon Cookie CabinStop The Cookie Cabin has been family-owned in Summerhaven at the top of Mount Lemmon since 1990, perched at 7,700 feet above Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It serves giant handcrafted cookies and New York-style pizza to cyclists and motorcyclists who've climbed the Catalina Highway (SR-77 extension) — a 25-mile run that gains 6,000 feet of elevation from the Sonoran Desert floor to a pine-covered sky island. The address is 12781 N Sabino Canyon Park, Summerhaven. Open daily 11am–5pm, with outdoor seating overlooking the forest.	—	—
North Rim Parkway (SR-67) Arizona State Route 67, the Kaibab Plateau–North Rim Parkway, is the only paved road to Grand Canyon's North Rim — a 43-mile run south from Jacob Lake through Kaibab National Forest and into Grand Canyon National Park. The highway climbs from US-89A at Jacob Lake (7,921 feet) through dense mixed conifer forest before descending to the North Rim visitor complex at 8,241 feet. The road is an All-American Road and National Forest Scenic Byway. Open mid-May through mid-October only (closed in winter by snow). Traffic is lighter than the South Rim, and the road through the ponderosa and aspen forest is smooth and uncrowded — a rare quiet approach to one of the world's great canyon views.	44 mi	—
Oak Creek Canyon (SR-89A) Arizona State Route 89A from Sedona north to Flagstaff carves through Oak Creek Canyon — 14 miles of hairpin switchbacks and tight curves descending from the Coconino Plateau rim at 6,900 feet to Sedona's red rock country at 4,350 feet. The canyon walls of red and cream sandstone rise hundreds of feet on both sides as the road follows Oak Creek through a riparian corridor of sycamores and cottonwoods. ADOT designates this stretch as the Sedona–Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road. The road is well maintained, with multiple pull-outs including Oak Creek Vista at the top and Slide Rock State Park midway. Most riders pair it with SR-179 for a complete Sedona loop.	58 mi	—
Oak Creek Vista OverlookStop Oak Creek Vista is a USFS-managed scenic overlook at the top of the SR-89A switchbacks, approximately 14 miles south of Flagstaff. Perched at the canyon rim, it delivers a sweeping view down the full length of Oak Creek Canyon — layers of red, orange, and cream sandstone falling away to the creek below. Native American artisans often set up craft booths in the parking area on weekends. Vault toilets and drinking water are available seasonally. This is the transition point between the high Coconino Plateau and the canyon descent toward Sedona — a natural pause before or after one of Arizona's most photogenic motorcycle roads.	—	—
Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR-179) Arizona State Route 179 is a 10-mile All-American Road — the USDOT's highest scenic designation — running from Interstate 17 north through the Village of Oak Creek into Sedona. The route flows through the Coconino National Forest with sweeping curves past Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and Cathedral Rock, with towering red sandstone formations lining both sides of the road. The road was fully rebuilt in 2009 with roundabouts replacing traffic signals, dramatically improving flow for motorcycles. Numerous pull-outs serve popular trailheads. SR-179 is typically ridden as part of a Sedona loop with SR-89A, entering from the south on 179 and exiting north through Oak Creek Canyon.	14 mi	—
Salt River Canyon OverlookStop The Salt River Canyon Rest Area sits at the bottom of a dramatic 2,000-foot canyon on US-60 between Globe and Show Low, right on the banks of the Salt River. A pair of bridges — the current 1996 vehicle span and the historic 1934 pedestrian bridge — offer a perfect mid-canyon pause. Riders descend hairpin switchbacks through layers of ancient rock before reaching the river level, then climb equally spectacular curves on the far side. Vault toilets and picnic tables are on-site; this is the only developed stop in the canyon itself.	—	—
Slide Rock State ParkStop Slide Rock State Park occupies a 43-acre historic apple farm in Oak Creek Canyon, 7 miles north of Sedona on SR-89A. The park is best known for a natural water chute in the slick red sandstone bed of Oak Creek — a refreshing stop in summer heat. Beyond the swim, the riparian corridor of sycamores and cottonwoods is a striking contrast to the desert just below Sedona, and the canyon walls rise hundreds of feet above. Riders on the SR-89A Oak Creek Canyon run frequently stop here to cool off and take photos before or after the famous switchbacks to Flagstaff.	—	—
Swift Trail Parkway (SR-366) Arizona State Route 366, the Swift Trail Parkway, climbs 28 miles from the Gila Valley floor near Safford (3,200 feet) to near the summit of Mount Graham (10,717 feet) — a gain of over 7,500 feet in one road. The highway connects with US-191 south of Safford and ascends through five distinct life zones from desert scrub to spruce-fir forest. At Turkey Flat, five consecutive hairpin turns are the road's signature feature. SR-366 is closed above Riggs Flat Lake each winter by ADOT due to snow. This sky-island climb in the Pinaleño Mountains delivers one of the largest single-road elevation gains in the American Southwest and is far less traveled than comparable Arizona climbs.	29 mi	—
Tortilla FlatStop Tortilla Flat is a tiny unincorporated community of about six permanent residents on the Apache Trail (SR-88), 18 miles northeast of Apache Junction. The last surviving stagecoach stop on the historic trail, today it consists of a saloon, restaurant, gift shop, and ice cream parlor crammed into a handful of historic buildings. The Superstition Saloon — its walls plastered floor-to-ceiling with signed dollar bills — serves burgers, chili, and cold beer to riders who've just navigated the paved stretch of the Apache Trail past Canyon Lake. It's the turn-around point for most bikes, as the road beyond becomes unpaved dirt.	—	—

//Rallies & events

Rally

Rally · Early April, ~5 days

Arizona Bike Week

Arizona

Arizona Bike Week is the state's largest annual motorcycle rally, held at WestWorld of Scottsdale — a 386-acre event complex at the base of the McDowell Mountains. The 2026 edition marked the 29th annual event. The five-day gathering draws tens of thousands of riders and features live concerts, motorcycle shows, flat-track racing, stunt exhibitions, manufacturer demos, and hundreds of vendor booths. Charity rides depart each morning. Camping is available on-site.

NextMar 31 – Apr 4, 2027

Official site ↗

By Switchback · Updated 2026-06-05

Best season

Feb–May and Oct–Nov

Helmet law

Required under 18 only

Lane splitting

Illegal; filtering legal (stopped traffic)

Terrain range

Desert to 9,300 ft alpine

Arizona doesn't hand you one kind of riding — it hands you five. You can start a morning run in Sonoran Desert heat, climb through oak woodland, and top out in ponderosa pine at 9,000 feet, all on the same tank of gas. The roads here range from a National Scenic Byway threading a slot of red rock along Oak Creek to a remote two-lane with 460-plus named turns and not a guardrail in sight. The state's elevation range is what makes it work: when the desert floor turns brutal in summer, the White Mountains and sky islands stay genuinely cool. That same geography is also what makes planning matter — fuel gaps run long, monsoon storms arrive fast, and a few roads close seasonally. Do the homework beforehand and Arizona rewards you with some of the most varied pavement in the American West.

Why Arizona Rewards the Prepared Rider

Arizona is genuinely one of the most geographically diverse riding states in the country. The routes here aren't variations on a theme — they're different worlds stacked on top of each other. A sky island highway climbs 6,000 feet through five distinct climate zones in under 30 miles. A canyon corridor drops 2,000 feet into the earth and then climbs back out into the White Mountains. A remote two-lane runs 123 miles with almost no traffic, no guardrails on significant drop-offs, and one fuel stop in between. Understanding that range is the starting point for planning any trip here.

Choosing the Right Route for Your Trip

Elevation and time of year should drive your decision more than any other factor. The desert-floor routes — and the lower reaches of Oak Creek Canyon and Salt River Canyon — are ideal from fall through spring. High-elevation roads like the Coronado Trail's northern section and the upper portions of the Mt. Lemmon Highway shift their optimal window to late spring through early fall. If you're visiting in summer, the high country is your friend; the desert floor can be genuinely dangerous in triple-digit heat.

Skill level matters too. The Coronado Trail is demanding for any rider — tight posted corners, long fuel gaps, no services, and significant exposure on drop-offs make it a route that rewards honesty about your abilities. Salt River Canyon and Oak Creek Canyon are more accessible but still require attention, especially in traffic around Sedona on weekends. The Arizona BDR is a multi-day adventure-bike route, not a day ride.

Practical Hazards to Know

Monsoons: Mid-June through mid-September, afternoon storms can produce flash floods in canyon corridors with almost no warning. Check forecasts before entering any canyon route during this window.
Wildlife: Deer, javelinas, and cattle are genuine road hazards, particularly at dawn and dusk on rural routes.
Heat and dehydration: Carry more water than you think you need. Desert heat at altitude is deceptive.
Fuel planning: The Coronado Trail and the Arizona BDR both have fuel gaps long enough to leave you stranded. Fill up at every opportunity.
Construction: ADOT has active switchback repair work on SR 89A through late summer 2026 — check conditions before riding Oak Creek Canyon.
Sand and gravel: Desert roads collect wind-blown debris, especially after storms. Corners can have sand across them where you least expect it.

Getting the Most Out of a Trip

Many riders base out of Tucson for southern routes and Flagstaff or Show Low for the White Mountains and Coronado Trail. These towns put you within reasonable range of multiple distinct rides without needing to retrace the same pavement. If you're combining routes, the Salt River Canyon connects naturally to the Coronado Trail — Globe to Show Low to Springerville makes a solid two-day loop with very different character on each leg.

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// Frequently asked

Arizona law (A.R.S. 28-964) requires helmet use only for riders and passengers under 18. Adults are not legally required to wear one, but all riders regardless of age must wear approved eye protection — glasses, goggles, or a transparent face shield — unless the motorcycle is equipped with a protective windshield. Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended; foregoing one can also affect personal injury claims if you're in an accident.

No. Lane splitting — riding between lanes of moving traffic — is illegal in Arizona. However, lane filtering was legalized in 2022 (Senate Bill 1273). Filtering is permitted only on surface streets with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less, when all adjacent vehicles are completely stopped, and the motorcycle travels no faster than 15 mph. It is not permitted on freeways.

Late February through early May and late September through November offer the most comfortable conditions statewide. The desert lowlands are also very rideable in winter. Avoid mid-summer in the desert (triple-digit heat is a real hazard) and watch for monsoon storms June through mid-September, which can produce flash floods with little warning, especially in canyon routes.

Yes — several. The Coronado Trail (US-191) has roughly 90 miles between fuel stops at Clifton and Alpine, and the Arizona BDR has a gap reported at around 136 miles. Fill up before entering either route and carry water; the desert heat makes dehydration a genuine risk, not just an inconvenience.

As of 2026, ADOT has ongoing switchback repair work on SR 89A (Oak Creek Canyon) through at least late summer 2026 — expect possible delays or lane restrictions near the north-end switchbacks. The Coronado Trail's higher elevations around Hannagan Meadow can be snow-covered or icy from late fall through early spring. Always check ADOT's travel information before heading out on either route.

Most of the paved routes here are rideable on any street bike. The Coronado Trail's 10–15 mph posted corners north of Morenci demand real attention and are tiring on a touring bike — doable, but humbling. The Arizona BDR is mixed-surface and best suited to an adventure bike with off-road capability. For everything else — Oak Creek Canyon, Salt River Canyon, Mt. Lemmon Highway — a sport-tourer, cruiser, or standard all work fine.

//Sources & references

Arizona Revised Statutes 28-964 — Motorcycle Equipment (Helmet Law) ↗Arizona Revised Statutes 28-903 — Lane Filtering Law ↗Is Lane Splitting Legal In Arizona? — TEAM Arizona Motorcycle Training ↗Guide to Riding a Motorcycle in Arizona — Riders Share ↗Best Motorcycle Rides in Arizona 2026 — Riders Share ↗Arizona Motorcycle Helmet Laws — Law Tigers ↗Lane Filtering Laws in Arizona — Crime and Injury Law ↗