Road	Length	High point
Buena Vista OverlookStop Buena Vista Park sits 500 feet above the Mississippi River in Alma, WI, reached by a short paved walk from the Buena Vista Road parking area off County Road E. From the rock outcropping, views extend miles north across Pool 4 and Lake Pepin and south through the bottomland floodplain. Better Homes & Gardens named it one of the river valley's finest natural balconies. The park includes a picnic shelter, tables, and vault toilets. Free access, open daily 8 a.m.–11 p.m. It sits directly on the Great River Road (WI-35), making it a natural mid-ride stop for anyone running the 250-mile byway.	—	—
Door County Coastal Loop (WI-42 / WI-57) The 66-mile Door County Coastal Byway loops the Door Peninsula via WI-42 up the Green Bay shoreline and WI-57 back down the Lake Michigan side, beginning and ending in Sturgeon Bay. WI-42 north of Sister Bay delivers the peninsula's best riding — 15 consecutive curves bordered by maples near Northport, low traffic, and water views on both flanks as the road crests the peninsula's northern tip. The optional Washington Island ferry from Northport adds a scenic detour. WI-57 through Baileys Harbor and Jacksonport runs inland and carries more truck traffic.	41 mi	—
Great River Road (WI-35) Wisconsin's only All-American Road follows the Mississippi River for roughly 250 miles from Prescott south past Prairie du Chien, riding beneath river bluffs through a string of small river towns. The signature stretch between La Crosse and Prairie du Chien hugs the water almost the whole way.	65 mi	—
Harley-Davidson MuseumStop The Harley-Davidson Museum at 400 W Canal Street in Milwaukee, WI 53203 occupies a scenic 20-acre campus along the Menomonee River and holds over 450 motorcycles spanning the company's 120-plus-year history. Two floors of permanent exhibits trace the evolution of American motorcycling from the founders' backyard shed through the current lineup. The campus includes a restaurant, café, retail shop, H-D Factory Outlet, and outdoor event spaces. Open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Milwaukee is the global home of Harley-Davidson, and the museum draws hundreds of thousands of riders and enthusiasts annually.	—	—
Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor CenterStop The Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center is located at S3661 State Highway 131, La Farge, WI 54639 — 1.5 miles north of La Farge on the WI-131 Kickapoo Valley corridor. The 8,600-acre reserve occupies the Driftless Area's most rugged terrain, with the Kickapoo River threading through limestone bluffs and hardwood-forested valleys. The visitor center offers trail maps, exhibits on the reserve's ecology, and information on paddling and hiking access. Phone: (608) 625-2960; website: kvr.state.wi.us. WI-131 is routinely cited as one of Wisconsin's top motorcycle roads for its tight valley curves and bluff scenery.	—	—
Pete's HamburgersStop Pete's Hamburgers has operated at the corner of Blackhawk Avenue and Beaumont Road in Prairie du Chien, WI since 1909 — over 115 consecutive years under one family. The walk-up stand serves a single item: a water-poached burger with onions cooked directly on a flat-top griddle flooded with water, producing a soft, steamed bun and a melt-in-your-mouth patty. Open Friday through Sunday, April through October only. Prairie du Chien sits where WI-35 (Great River Road) meets the Wisconsin River, and the stand is a pilgrimage stop for touring riders on the southern stretch of the byway.	—	—
Trempealeau Hotel, Restaurant and SaloonStop The Trempealeau Hotel at 11332 Main St, Trempealeau, WI 54661 is a historic riverfront saloon dating to the late 1800s, perched alongside the Mississippi at the WI-35 Great River Road. Famous across the Midwest for its vegetarian Walnut Burger, the kitchen also serves classic bar food and regional Wisconsin fare. Outdoor riverfront seating, a live-music stage, and lawn space overlooking the water make summer evenings here a destination in their own right. Hours vary by season (Fri–Sat 3–9 p.m., Sun noon–7 p.m. as of 2026; check ahead). Motorcyclists on the Great River Road routinely flag it as a must-stop for the combination of history, cold drinks, and a burger unlike anything else on the route.	—	—
WI-13 Lake Superior Scenic Byway Wisconsin Highway 13 traces 70 miles of the Bayfield Peninsula's Lake Superior shoreline, from the US-2 roundabout in Barksdale west of Ashland to County Highway H near the Brule River in Cloverland. Designated a National Scenic Byway, the route passes Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa lands, miles of sand beach, historic fishing villages, dozens of orchards and fruit farms, and the gateway to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore — home to the largest collection of lighthouses in North America. Fall color on the peninsula typically peaks mid-to-late September.	95 mi	—
WI-131 Kickapoo Valley Wisconsin Highway 131 follows the Kickapoo River — the most crooked river in North America — for roughly 33 miles between Tomah and Readstown in the Driftless Area of Vernon County. The road crosses the river approximately 12 times as the Kickapoo doubles back on itself through a tight limestone valley. Curves tighten progressively southward; north of Rockton the bends come closest together. A spur on County Road 33 east and County Road F loops through Wildcat Mountain State Park. Watch for Amish buggies and farm equipment on parallel rural roads.	58 mi	—
WI-23 Spring Green to Wisconsin Dells The Spring Green to Wisconsin Dells segment of Wisconsin Highway 23 is consistently cited as one of the most scenic stretches of road in the state. Running northeast through Iowa and Sauk counties, it passes the House on the Rock near Spring Green, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin estate, and the edge of Governor Dodge State Park, with high hillside views extending miles in every direction on clear days. The section between Spring Green and Dodgeville in particular offers notable elevation changes and pull-over vistas. WI-23 continues northeast to Wisconsin Dells, where US-12 and WI-16 intersect for easy loop options.	75 mi	—
WI-55 Wolf River Run Wisconsin Highway 55 runs approximately 60 miles from Shawano north to Langlade through the Menominee Indian Reservation and Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, paralleling the Wolf River for much of its length. The southern section through the Reservation is a technical workout with tight, shaded twists; the northern section opens into 40–50 mph sweepers as pine forest closes in on both shoulders. Combined with WI-32 and US-8 on a figure-8 out of Laona, it forms one of northeastern Wisconsin's signature touring loops. Minimal development along the corridor keeps the forest character intact.	99 mi	—
WI-60 Lower Wisconsin Riverway Wisconsin Highway 60 follows the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway for roughly 72 miles from Prairie du Chien east to Sauk City, clinging to the south bank of the Wisconsin River through the Driftless Area. Designated a Wisconsin Scenic Byway, the road alternates between sweeping river-level curves — where the fogline meets the water's edge on one side and near-vertical sandstone walls rise on the other — and bluff-top stretches with broad valley views. The corridor preserves prehistoric Native American effigy mounds, Black Hawk War battlegrounds, and 19th-century lead mining remnants. Pavement quality is consistently rated as glass-smooth.	79 mi	—
Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream ParlorStop Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor at 9990 Water Street (WI-42), Ephraim, WI 54211 has operated continuously since 1906 — making it one of Wisconsin's oldest continuously operating restaurants. The soda fountain and ice cream parlor serves home-brewed draft root beer, sundaes, classic burgers, and sandwiches from a classic counter-service setup steps from the Eagle Harbor shoreline in Door County. Phone: (920) 854-2041; website: wilsonsicecream.com. WI-42 runs the full length of the Door Peninsula's west shore, and Ephraim is its most-visited village for cyclists and motorcyclists.	—	—

//Rallies & events

Rally

Rally · September, ~4 days

Wisconsin BMW Club Dells Rally

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin BMW Club's annual Dells Rally is one of the Midwest's longest-running all-brand motorcycle gatherings, first held in the early 1970s. The 55th edition in 2026 is scheduled September 10–13 at Sky High Camping Resort, N5740 Sky High Drive, Portage, WI 53901 (near Wisconsin Dells). The rally includes three nights of camping with water and electric hookups, hot showers, organized guided rides through the Driftless Area and central Wisconsin, a Saturday banquet, live music, beer garden, door prizes, and rally merchandise. Open to all makes. Pre-registration: $60 adults; gate: $75 adults. Contact: rallychair@wiscbmwclub.com.

NextSep 10–13, 2026

Official site ↗

By Switchback · Updated 2026-07-08

Best season

June–October

Helmet law

Under 18 & permit holders only

Lane splitting

Illegal

Signature terrain

Driftless Area, Mississippi bluffs

Wisconsin doesn't announce itself the way mountain states do, but riders who've worked the Driftless Area's limestone-cut coulees or traced the Mississippi bluff line on WI-35 tend to come back. The southwestern corner of the state was never glaciated — that geological accident left a terrain of tight river valleys, sandstone ridges, and roads that follow the land honestly rather than plowing through it. Add Lake Superior's fog-morning shore, the Wolf River's shaded northern corridors, and 70-plus miles of Door Peninsula coastline, and you have a state that rewards riders willing to plan a bit and take the county roads seriously.

Why Wisconsin Rewards Deliberate Planning

The state splits into three riding zones with genuinely different characters. The Driftless Area in the southwest is the headline — an unglaciated pocket of tight river valleys, sandstone coulees, and bluff-top views that feels nothing like the surrounding Midwest flatlands. The northern forest and Great Lakes corridor from the Wolf River drainage up through the Bayfield Peninsula offers longer, more open touring with serious fall color. The eastern shore and Door Peninsula trades technical corners for coastal riding and water views on both flanks.

Those zones don't overlap much, which means route planning matters. A weekend loop out of La Crosse can string together WI-131, WI-33, WI-60, and WI-35 into one of the Midwest's most complete riding days. A trip to the Bayfield Peninsula requires a longer commitment — WI-13 along Lake Superior is worth the drive north, but it's not a quick detour.

Seasonal and Road Logistics

Spring openings in Wisconsin come with a caveat: sand and gravel migrate to the inside of corners during winter and don't clear until late May at the earliest. Ride the first weeks of the season like the road surface is unverified, because in the Driftless Area's tighter coulees, it often is.

Fall is genuinely strong here. The Bayfield Peninsula peaks mid-to-late September; the Driftless Area and Door County hold color into October. The Wisconsin BMW Club's Dells Rally in mid-September provides a fixed rally anchor for those who want organized rides through central Wisconsin alongside solo touring.

Real Hazards to Know

Amish buggies and farm equipment — common on rural parallel roads near WI-131 and WI-33 through Ontario and the Kickapoo Valley. Slow down around blind crests on those county roads.
Deer — active at dawn and dusk statewide, especially April–November. The bluff roads of WI-35 and WI-60 have limited shoulder and no forgiveness if you need to react fast.
Agricultural runoff — mud tracking across pavement after rain is a real issue on the coulee roads of western Wisconsin. Check conditions before riding WI-88 or WI-95 following heavy rain.
Road salt residue — lingers on pavement well into May. Avoid riding on days when temperatures dropped overnight and the pavement hasn't dried fully.

Choosing Your Route

If you have one day in the Driftless Area, combine WI-131 and WI-33 out of Ontario — the junction at Wildcat Mountain State Park is a natural pivot point. If you have a full weekend, add WI-60 along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway east to Sauk City and loop back on WI-35 north through the river towns. For a longer dual-sport trip, the Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail ties the whole state together from the Illinois border to Lake Superior.

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// Frequently asked

Wisconsin has a partial helmet law. Riders and passengers under 18 must wear a DOT-approved helmet, as must anyone operating with an instructional permit regardless of age. Adult riders 18 and older with a full license are not legally required to wear one, though eye protection is mandatory for all riders unless your windshield rises at least 15 inches above the handlebars. Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended regardless of legal requirement.

No. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation explicitly prohibits lane splitting (also called white-lining) and lane filtering. Motorcyclists must operate within a single lane of traffic. Two motorcycles may share the same lane in a staggered formation with mutual consent, but riding between separate lanes of traffic is illegal.

June through September is the core season statewide. May is rideable but expect sand on corners from winter road treatment, and be alert for deer near shoulders. Fall — particularly late September through mid-October — brings excellent color, especially in the Driftless Area, northern forest, and along the Bayfield Peninsula. Northern Wisconsin runs cooler; pack layers for any morning ride north of Wausau after mid-September.

The Driftless Area covers roughly the southwestern quarter of Wisconsin (and parts of neighboring states). Unlike most of the Midwest, it was never flattened by glaciers, leaving behind a carved landscape of river valleys, limestone bluffs, and ridgelines. Roads like WI-131, WI-33, WI-60, and WI-88 follow these contours closely, producing the kind of continuous corner sequences and elevation changes that are rare in the broader region.

Yes, several. Amish horse-drawn buggies and farm equipment appear on rural roads throughout the Driftless Area — WI-131 and WI-33 corridors especially. Deer are active at dawn and dusk statewide from spring through fall. Spring rides (April–early May) carry elevated risk from sand and gravel left on corners by winter road crews. Agricultural runoff — mud and debris tracking across pavement — is common after rain on roads cutting through farming ridges in western Wisconsin.

The Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail is a roughly 600-mile dual-sport route running from the Illinois border near Hazel Green north to Lake Superior near Cornucopia. It covers approximately half pavement, with the remainder gravel and dirt. The route crosses the Driftless Area, moves through central Wisconsin forest, and ends in the Apostle Islands area. As of 2025–26 there is no official BDR designation in Wisconsin; the TWAT functions as the de facto equivalent for adventure riders.

//Sources & references

Wisconsin DOT – Gear and Equipment (Helmet Law) ↗Wisconsin DOT – Proper Operation of Motorcycles (Lane Splitting) ↗Travel Wisconsin – 7 Motorcycle Road Trips for Fall ↗Wisconsin Life – April Is Not The Cruelest Month for Motorcyclists ↗REVER – Wisconsin Motorcycle Roads ↗