Road	Length	High point
Brown County State Park North Gate OverlookStop Brown County State Park encompasses 16,000 acres of rugged hills, ridges, and ravines in south-central Indiana — the largest state park in Indiana. The North Gate entrance at 1801 State Road 46 E gives access to nearly 20 miles of tree-lined park roads with multiple scenic vistas overlooking miles of uninterrupted forestland. The park is a natural extension of the SR-46 motorcycle corridor from Bloomington, and the forest roads inside provide additional low-speed winding miles beyond the main byway.	—	—
Clifty Falls State ParkStop Clifty Falls State Park sits on a 1,416-acre canyon on the Ohio River at the east end of Madison, Indiana. The park features steep limestone gorges, four named waterfalls, and canyon rim trails with views of the Ohio River and the Milton-Madison Bridge. The park entrance is at 1501 Green Road, Madison, IN 47250. Madison itself — whose entire 133-block downtown is a National Historic Landmark District — is consistently cited as the crown jewel of the Ohio River Scenic Byway and the starting point of "The Serpent of 62," Indiana's 100-mile, 1,000-curve motorcycle route.	—	—
House of Thunder Motorcycle OutfittersStop House of Thunder Motorcycle Outfitters has operated since 2004 at 4413 East State Road 46 in Nashville, Indiana, directly on the main corridor into Brown County. The shop stocks leather jackets, helmets, vests, chaps, gloves, boots, rain gear, patches, and accessories. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is the primary gear shop serving riders exploring the Brown County hills and SR-46.	—	—
Indiana 135 — Brown County to Mauckport SR-135 runs 138 miles from the south side of Indianapolis to the Ohio River bridge at Mauckport, but its most-ridden stretch is the 35-mile segment south of Nashville through Beanblossom, Story, and Corydon. The road is well traveled by motorcyclists because it traverses the Hoosier National Forest and skirts the eastern edge of the nearly 16,000-acre Brown County State Park — Indiana's 'Little Smokies.' South of Story the pavement rolls through dense second-growth forest with tight crests, off-camber sweepers, and minimal traffic. The road connects the Brown County SR-46 corridor to the Ohio River Scenic Byway at Corydon, making it the natural north-south spine of southern Indiana riding.	99 mi	—
Indiana 145 — Hoosier National Forest to French Lick SR-145 runs 45 miles north from Tell City (US-37) through Perry, Crawford, and Orange counties to French Lick, crossing the Hoosier National Forest and skirting Patoka Lake along the way. The middle third through the national forest is the scenic high point: a 25-mile stretch with almost no traffic, sweeping bends across forested ridgelines, and a Patoka Lake reservoir crossing. The road terminates in French Lick, best known for its Beaux-Arts French Lick Springs Hotel and the equally grand West Baden Springs Hotel — once called the 'Eighth Wonder of the World' for its 200-foot domed atrium. Rider Magazine identifies this stretch as one of the standout sections of a full southern Indiana tour.	45 mi	—
Ohio River Scenic Byway — SR-156 Switzerland to Ohio County SR-156 runs 27 miles from Vevay (Switzerland County seat) east to Rising Sun along the north bank of the Ohio River, passing through Patriot and Florence with near-constant river views. The road is part of the Ohio River Scenic Byway and forms the return leg of Madison's 100-mile 'Serpent of 62' loop — one of the most curve-dense motorcycle routes in the Midwest. The bluffs are lower here than on SR-62 but the road winds tightly along the riverbank, offering intimate river views that contrast with the open overlooks to the west. Lightly trafficked two-lane throughout.	27 mi	—
Ohio River Scenic Byway — SR-62 Crawford County SR-62 through Crawford County is the most curve-dense segment of Indiana's 302-mile Ohio River Scenic Byway. Between Leavenworth and Corydon the highway climbs and drops repeatedly through unglaciated karst hills — the same geology that produced Wyandotte and Marengo Caves — offering sweeping Ohio River views from ridgeline crests and tight switchbacks descending to the floodplain. Road runners know the 100-mile 'Serpent of 62' loop (Madison to Rising Sun to Vevay and back on SR-156) as Indiana's premier curve route with roughly 1,000 curves, but the Crawford County segment on SR-62 itself is the hilly heart of the full byway. Road conditions are generally good; watch for gravel in shaded turns.	72 mi	—
Ohio River Scenic Byway — SR-66 Perry County SR-66 carries Indiana's Ohio River Scenic Byway designation from just east of Newburgh west through Tell City and Cannelton to its junction with SR-62 at Sulphur — roughly 80 miles of undivided two-lane following the river through Perry and Spencer counties. The Perry County section is the most rewarding for motorcyclists: the road clings to bluffs above the Ohio, dropping to river level at Cannelton where Eagle's Bluff Overlook Park gives a bird's-eye view of the Cannelton Locks and Dam. South of the bluffs the terrain flattens toward Tell City but the road remains lightly trafficked. Perry County's network of county roads off SR-66 adds additional low-traffic riding miles through a region described as 'full of good quality county motorcycle roads.'	150 mi	—
SR-135 (Nashville to Salem) Indiana's best-known riding road, cited by Motorcycle Classics as one of the best Midwest rides — sweepers, S-curves, and ridge climbs through the Brown County hills. The celebrated section is the roughly 25 miles between Nashville and Story, with the most technical pavement in the southernmost 15 miles near Story; the route block imports the full SR-135, which runs far beyond, from the Indianapolis area south to the Ohio River.	56 mi	—
SR-46 + Brown County State Park Loop Bloomington–Nashville–Columbus, ~35 mi core. Forested ridges and elevation; pairs naturally with SR-135.	41 mi	—
Story InnStop Story Inn occupies the entire village of Story, Indiana — Indiana's oldest country inn, established in 1851 and restored as a combined restaurant, tavern, and bed & breakfast. Located at 6404 State Road 135 S where Brown County State Park meets the Hoosier National Forest, the inn serves farm-to-table cuisine with craft beer and wine out of a cellar bar in a historic general-store building. Rooms and cottages are available for overnight stays starting around $200. The property sits on SR-135, one of southern Indiana's premier motorcycle roads, and the inn's parking lot regularly fills with two-wheelers on weekends.	—	—
The Overlook RestaurantStop The Overlook Restaurant has operated since 1948 at 1153 West State Road 62 on a bluff above Leavenworth, Indiana, offering a 20-mile panoramic view of the Ohio River's Horseshoe Bend from both the dining room and outdoor seating. The menu is American diner-style — burgers, catfish, country cooking — with an attached lounge. It sits on SR-62, part of the Ohio River Scenic Byway, making it a natural lunch or dinner stop on the byway run through Crawford County.	—	—
US-150 — French Lick to Shoals Forest Run US-150 between French Lick and Shoals covers roughly 30 miles of north-Martin County backcountry that Rider Magazine describes as 'a motorcyclist's paradise with very little traffic' that 'winds through the forest in a very inviting way.' The route passes through Washington and Martin counties on tight, tree-canopied two-lane with twisting turns, sharp curves, and long forested straight sections between the resort town of French Lick and the White River town of Shoals. Unlike the river byways to the south, US-150 here is a true forest road with almost no commercial development — ideal for riders who prefer isolation over amenities.	178 mi	—

//Rallies & events

Rally

Rally · July

ABATE of Indiana Boogie

Indiana

ABATE of Indiana's annual Boogie is the Midwest's longest-running grassroots motorcycle festival, held each July at Lawrence County Recreational Park, 99 Moore Lane, Springville, Indiana 47462. The 2026 event is the 46th annual, confirming continuous annual scheduling since 1981. Features include live music across multiple stages, a bike show, a scenic group ride, field events, mini bike games, tattoo and arm wrestling contests, and camping on site. Adults 18+ only. All proceeds support ABATE of Indiana's motorcycle safety education and rider-rights advocacy.

NextNext edition TBA

Official site ↗

By Switchback · Updated 2026-07-08

Best season

May–October (south Indiana)

Helmet law

Under-18 & permit holders only

Lane splitting

Illegal (IC § 9-21-10-6)

Signature terrain

Ohio River bluffs, hardwood forest

Indiana does not have a single showstopper mountain road, and it is worth being straight about that. What it has instead is a concentrated pocket of genuinely good riding in the unglaciated hill country of its southern third — a region where the Ohio River has spent millennia carving bluffs, and where the Hoosier National Forest drapes ridgelines in second-growth hardwood that turns vivid each October. SR-135, SR-46, SR-62, SR-66, SR-145, and US-150 thread through this terrain in ways that reward patience and attentiveness rather than raw distance. The 100-mile 'Serpent of 62' loop out of Madison is the closest Indiana gets to a destination curve route, but the quieter forest connectors — SR-145 through Perry and Crawford counties, US-150 between French Lick and Shoals — are where many local riders actually spend their weekends. Add a grassroots festival culture anchored by events like the ABATE Boogie, a handful of well-placed stops (Story Inn, the Overlook Restaurant), and roads light enough on traffic to let you think, and southern Indiana earns a serious look.

Why Southern Indiana Rewards the Patient Rider

Most of Indiana is flat farmland, and there is no point pretending otherwise. But the southern third of the state — roughly everything below Bloomington and Bedford — sits on unglaciated karst geology that the rest of the Midwest largely lacks. The Ohio River and its tributaries spent millions of years cutting into that limestone, leaving behind a landscape of wooded ridges, hollow roads, and bluff overlooks that feels genuinely different from the surrounding region.

The practical result is a compact but connectable network of two-lane state roads. SR-46 between Bloomington and Nashville is the most-traveled entry point; SR-135 is the north-south spine that stitches Brown County to the Ohio River at Mauckport; SR-62 through Crawford County carries the most elevation change and river views; and SR-145 and US-150 cover the Hoosier National Forest corridor between French Lick and the river counties. None of these roads are long in isolation, but strung together they form multi-day touring loops that cover genuinely varied terrain without repeating a mile.

Choosing Your Route

Think about what you're after before you leave:

Forest isolation with minimal stops: US-150 (French Lick to Shoals) and SR-145 (Tell City to French Lick) are the quietest options — little traffic, almost no commercial development, long tree-canopied stretches.
Curves with river views: SR-62 through Crawford County, especially between Leavenworth and Corydon. Watch for gravel in shaded turns after rain.
A full-day loop with amenities: The SR-46/SR-135 combination anchored by Nashville and Story gives you gear shops, lodging, and food at reasonable intervals.
The curve count run: The Madison-based "Serpent of 62" loop (SR-62 west, SR-156 east return) covers roughly 100 miles and is the most curve-dense single-day option in the state.

Logistics and Hazards

Fuel planning matters on the forest roads. SR-145 and US-150 in particular pass through stretches with no services for 20–30 miles. Top off in French Lick or Tell City before heading into the national forest corridor.

Deer are a year-round presence on all of these roads, most active at dawn and dusk. Fall harvest season adds slow farm equipment to the rural two-lanes. On the Ohio River bluff sections, morning fog can settle into hollows and reduce visibility significantly — especially on SR-62 and SR-66 — before burning off mid-morning. The Indiana state government's own rider safety guidance flags frost on shaded pavement as an early-morning hazard from October onward; the Brown County back roads and river bluffs are among the first places to collect it.

Accommodation in the core riding zone is concentrated in Nashville (Brown County) and French Lick. Story Inn on SR-135 offers overnight rooms for riders who want to stay on the road itself. Madison is the natural base for Ohio River byway runs. Book ahead on fall weekends — the foliage season fills Brown County particularly fast.

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// Frequently asked

Indiana does not have a universal helmet law. Riders and passengers aged 18 and over who hold a full motorcycle endorsement are not legally required to wear a helmet, though eye protection is required for all riders whose bike lacks a windshield. Riders under 18 and those operating on a learner's permit must wear a DOT-compliant helmet and eye protection. Whatever the law requires, a properly rated helmet remains the single most effective piece of safety equipment on any ride.

No. Lane splitting and lane filtering are both illegal in Indiana under Indiana Code § 9-21-10-6. Motorcycles are entitled to the full use of a traffic lane, and two motorcycles may legally ride side by side in a single lane, but passing between vehicles in adjacent lanes is prohibited.

Late spring through early fall — roughly May through October — is the practical window for most riders. May and September tend to offer the most comfortable temperatures. Summer brings humidity and afternoon thunderstorms, particularly in southern Indiana; early mornings are often the best riding window on hot days. October is popular for fall foliage, but morning frost on shaded curves in Brown County and the river bluffs warrants extra care as the month progresses.

Indiana's main motorcycle roads — SR-135, SR-46, SR-62, SR-66, SR-145, and US-150 — are paved state routes with no seasonal closures. The Hoosier National Forest roads used for dual-sport loops can accumulate debris after winter; check conditions before early-season rides on forest road segments. No mountain passes or high-elevation closures apply in Indiana.

No — and it is worth knowing that going in. Indiana has no sustained switchback road. Its most technically engaging pavement is the southernmost section of SR-135 near Story and the small back roads around Brown County (Salt Creek Road, Bear Wallow Hill area) — short, tight, and off-camber in places, but not a continuous technical challenge. The Ohio River bluff sections of SR-62 through Crawford County are the next most engaging, with repeated elevation changes and some tight descents.

Loose gravel washes into shaded turns on the SR-62 bluff sections after rain — a consistent local caution. Deer are active at dawn and dusk throughout the Hoosier National Forest corridor. During fall harvest season, slow-moving farm equipment appears on rural two-lanes across the region. Summer afternoon thunderstorms build quickly; the first minutes of rainfall mix with road oil to create especially slick pavement. Fog settles into the Ohio River hollows on cool mornings and can reduce visibility significantly on SR-62 and SR-66.

//Sources & references

Does Indiana require motorcycle riders to use a helmet? – IN.gov ↗Indiana Code § 9-19-7-1 – Minors; Protective Headgear and Face Shields – FindLaw ↗BMV: RSI: Seasonal Riding Safety – Indiana State Government ↗BMV: RSI: Tips on Weathering the Fall Motorcycle Season – Indiana State Government ↗Indiana Code § 9-21-10-6 – Lane Splitting Laws (via Full Throttle Law, 2025) ↗