Skyline Drive

Spent the day riding the Skyline Drive in VA. Weather forecast was cloudy with periods of rain so traffic was very light given this was Labor Day. Toll is $10 for motorcycles. The speed limit is 35mph (a Federal traffic ticket can get expensive) so it was 3rd gear most of the way. Could not enjoy the vistas due to the fog and clouds plus many scenic overlooks are getting a facelift. Road conditions are excellent. Despite the weather conditions it was a great ride. Catch this byway in the off-season and you will have a wonderful riding experience.

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Arizona: US 180 - "Route goes from a high elevation of over 8,000ft to a low of close to 5,500ft." Located between Flagstaff and Grand Canyon National Park.

2) Florida: Beacon Light Road - "A well paved, narrow road with tight turns and little hills." In Brevard County, south of New Smyrna Beach.

3) Indiana: SR 25 - "Very beautiful road, runs along the Wabash River from Lafayette to Delphi. It does have a number of sweeping turns and hills."

4) Minnesota: CR 9 - "...check out the St. Criox River at Wild River State Park." Off of I-35 noth of the Twin Cities Metro area.

5) North Carolina: Gum Springs Church Road - "Beautiful quiet road along Jordan Lake. Mostly scenic with a few good sweeping turns and some hills." Located east of Pittsboro.

6) New York: SR 46 - "Nice mix of sweepers and moderate twisties. Route passes through two state parks..." North of Rome.

7) Ohio: Kitzmiller Road - "The road is in great condition with some 90 degree turns and lots of trees." Northeast of Columbus.

8) Virginia: SR 631 - AKA Dobyns Road. "Twisty with some elevation changes." In the Roanoke Valley region west of Stuart.

9) Wyoming: SR 211 - "Combination of straight, sweepers, and rolling hills. Lots of open prairie." Portion of the road is gravel but OK for street bikes. North of Cheyenne.

New Roads

Added 6 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Idaho: SR 32 - "The variable green patchwork of the farmland created a very scenic ride and the seemingly endless sweeping and rolling from one end to the other left me with a huge grin at the end." East of I-15 close to the Wyoming state line.

2) North Carolina: Croomsbridge Road - "Its a nice road but short." Just off I-40 north of Wilmington.

3) Ohio: Clark State Road - "Beautiful Ohio Byway road with good elevation changes and sweepers through horse farms and state parks." Located northeast of Columbus.

4) Pennsylvania: SR 18 - "This is a great high speed route with many long passing zones and great curves and elevation changes. " Starts in Washington, south of Pittsburgh.

5) Virginia: SR 600 - "This is a beautiful route to take on the motorcycle. Along this road you will have access to seaside fishing towns that have great seafood restrauants and other attractions." Located on the DelMarVa peninsula.

6) Wisconsin: SR 47 - "...tons of twisties and small hills with slow vehicle turn outs. It's also quite scenic on the Menominee Indian Reservation." In the northern highlands east of Wausau.

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Arizona: Old US 80 - "This is a paved 2-lane rural road thru the Gila River Valley. It runs roughly parallel to AZ 85..." Can be accessed from I-8, X115 or X119. Located SW of Phoenix.

2) California: Grimes Canyon Road - "Twisty mountain road from Moorpark to Filmore. Start and end in the orange groves with a great mountian view." Located NW of Los Angeles.

3) Idaho: Pine-Featherville Road - "This road will wind downhill to the Anderson Reservoir. The road is two lanes all the way with many twists and turns plus tons of great places to take pictures." West of Mountain Home off of US 20.

4) New Jersey: Hartsthorne Drive - Situated on a peninsula in Sandy Hook National Park.

5) Ohio: Morse Road SW - "Good hills and valleys with a great ravine bridge to enjoy the ride even better." Located east of Columbus.

6) Oklahoma: SR 152 - "Highway 152 west from Cogar to Binger is very good.." Can be joined with SR 37 and US 281 to make a nice loop. Situated west of Oklahoma City.

7) Tennessee: Mooresville Pike - "Hilly, scenic with some twisty parts. Smooth road surface, little traffic." Located south of Columbia in Middle Tennessee.

8) Texas: CR 3420 - "This road is a wonderful road for both the twisties and for the views of Lake Hawkins." Situated north of Tyler.

9) Virginia: US 13 across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. "This is a unique ride in that it provides 360-degree views-- except when obstructed by birds, ships and fishermen, and the smells and sounds of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Chesapeake Bay on the other."

New Roads

Added 6 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Maryland: SR 382 - AKA Croom Road. "This route is smooth and great for cruising. The route takes you near parks, the Patuxent River..." Located Southeast of Washington, DC.

2) New Hampshire: Base Station Road - "Road is basically just for cog railway. Has some nice tight sweepers (twisties lite). A fun backroad that has little traffic." Pick up off of US 302.

3) Pennsylvania: Christmas Village Road - "A short and moderately technical ride through farm land and forest. Nice twisties with good pavement conditions and scenic to boot." Located northwest of Reading.

4) Tennessee: SR 63 - "...it's got it all; Scenic, Sweeping turns, and Twisty. It also has hills, hollows, and unexpected turns. Pavement is good, very little traffic." Just south of the Virginia state line.

5) Texas: FM 95 - "...a good road to ride, for sure!" Located east of Nacogdoches.

6) Virginia: SR 63 - "Good combination of river and mountain twisties, with plenty of elevation changes." Located in Dickenson and Russell counties.

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Alabama: US 29 - "...very rural with some wide sweeping turns. It's a great escape from heavy traffic and a chance to see some wonderful scenery." Close to the Florida State border.

2) Arizona: US 191 - "...among the best of several roads that pass through this classic, red-desert country of northern Arizona. Large, rusty red plateaus rise up on the left and right and are spotted with deep colored evergreens." Not the infamous stretch of 191 between Clifton and Alpine. Further north.

3) Louisiana: Lookout Road - "This is a good road for a peaceful ride. You will probably not pass a single vehicle out here in the middle of nowhere." In the Fort Polk area.

4) Maryland: Warren Road and Popular Hill Roads - "Nice bridge to go over and lots of tree cover. Narrow road." Located off of I-83 in Cockysville area.

5) Michigan: Marcellus Highway - "This is a nice scenic road with some nice sweeping curves." Located in the Southwest corner of the state.

6) North Carolina: SR 150 - "Much of the route, especially around the Mooresville / Lake Norman area, has been overtaken by suburban sprawl, making for slow going even on a Monday afternoon. In all, a disappointment, and not recommended." One man's trash another man's treasure? You make the call.

7) Nevada: SR 225 - "This is a very fun road to ride in several places and the scenic value is also very good. It's a desolate stretch - nobody out there." Continues into Idaho as SR 51.

8) Virginia: SR 71 - "A lovely, lightly traveled ride along the side of Clinch Mountain." In the Southwest corner of the state close to Kingsport, Tennessee.

9) Washington: Issaquah-Fall City Road - "Lots of twisties through the evergreens." Situated off of I-90, X 17 east of Bellevue.

New Roads

Added 7 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: SR 190 - "...gains 6,000 feet of elevation as it winds through the Sequoia National Forest. Overall it is ripe with sweeping turns with the occasional twisty to keep it fun."

2) Idaho: SR 46 - "This road also climbs and twists before it starts to drop into Gooding. There is a 6% and a 8% grade along the way."

3) Maryland: Carroll Road - "Very nice scenic route." Located north of Baltimore.

4) Missouri: SR 135 - "...good road - free of traffic - mix of sweeping turns and twisties- not flat - Missouri Farm Land...."

5) Pennsylvania: SR 183 - "a very beautiful scenic road." Located north of Reading.

6) Texas: FM 317 - "Great ride between Athens and Lake Palestine with low traffic and good pavement." Located southeast of Dallas.

7) Virginia: Greenwood Church Road - AKA SR 657. Located north of Richmond.

New Roads

Added 6 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US.

1) California: SR 243 - "Definably twisty, passes through the little town of Idyllwild." Off I-10, X100 in the Desert Southeast Region.

2) Indiana: W 510 S - "Wonderful narrow two-lane... Very little traffic down a back road. Some sweepers and sharp turns..." Southwest of Lafayette.

3) New York: SR 116 - "The road cruises by the Titicus Reservoir and through a park. Lots of turns and sweeps." In the Hudson Valley Region, it continues into Connecticut.

4) South Dakota: US 83 - "Being on the US System it's wider than most state routes and is fairly well maintained. ...goes through some beautiful hills and rangeland." Can be accessed from I-90, X192.

5) Texas: Spicewood Springs Road - "Very beautiful ride with lots of trees forming a canopy over most of the road. " Located just north of Austin.

6) Virginia: SR 601 - "There are some twists in this route, but it is heavy with scenic sites. ...a lot of the vegetation grows over the road, creating tree tunnels." AKA Fort Valley Road.

New Roads

Added 8 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Kansas: Stockdale Park Road  - "Good ride just off [US ]24..."

2) Minnesota: CR 11 - "Scenic view between tall trees and around beautiful lakes."

3) Missouri: SR N - "Nice little road with sweeping curves and nice hills and scenery."

4) Montana: SR 314 - "This is one really suWEET road that NOBODY knows about."

5) North Carolina: SR 281 - "Great scenery, wide road, few intersections - and really fast for a mountain road."

6) Ohio: SR 557 - "This is the heart of Amish country. It is very senic and twisty."

7) Pennsylvania: US 119 - "This road has ample twisties to keep you entertained."

8) Virginia: SR 623 - "623 is an exciting, tisty, curvy, well paved, and very lightly traveled road that takes you up the mountain and down into Burkes Garden Valley."

New Roads

Added 7 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: Bonny Doon Road - "Great condition road with sweeping turns and very light traffic."

2) Missouri: SR 7 - "Traffic is normally light and road is in good shape. Just south of Richland, MO you will see a sign for The Cave Restaurant, a restaurant in a cave."

3) North Carolina & Virginia: Pipers Gap Road - "The road is wide and well maintained with pleanty of sweepers and a few tighter sweeps..."

4) Ohio: SR 643 - "This is a very beautiful ride through Amish Country. Many great valley views of the beautiful rolling hills of Ohio."

5) Pennsylvania: SR 21 - "This is a nicely maintained highway with plenty of sweeping curves to keep it interesting..."

6) Tennessee: SR 52 - "Sport riders will love it for the curves, cruisers will enjoy it for the view. A winning combination all round."

7) Wisconsin: US 53 - "This is a very nice rural highway with scenic views of rolling farmland. It has a good mix of straights, sweeping curves, and hills..."

 

New Roads

Added the following new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Gerogia: SR 42 - "Not quite the same as the North Georgia Mountains, but they do provide some fun."

2) Illinois: SR 145 - "The route is very scenic with a mixture of forest and farmland."

3) North Carolina: East Fork Road - "Crazy twisty road that just calls out from the map - 'ride me!'"

4) New York: SR 5 - "Route 5 provides picturesque views of the Mohawk Valley. Several small towns line the route..."

5) Pennsylvania: SR 96 - A great alternative to US 220.

6) Tennessee: SR 76 - "Nice road to ride sweeping curves some fast. Lots of trees and other scenery."

7) Virginia: West Neck Road - "...sweep after sweep after sweep...through the farm and swampland of southern Virginia Beach."

New Roads

New roads added to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: SR 41 - "...a nice little way to get out to the coast from the Hwy 101 corridor."

2) Indiana: SR 234 - Fun little ride along Shades State Park. Located west of Indianapolis.

3) New York: SR 443 - "A great road regardless of which direction you travel on it. Lots of nice wide turns..."

4) Pennsylvania: SR 724 - "...runs along Schuylkill River through upper Chester County farm country."

5) Texas: FM 1277 - "This road has lots of nice sweepers and scenery, too. There are many 30 - 40 mph curves through the nice forest scenery, plus some hills with limited sight distance."

6) Virginia: Lime Kiln Road - "Nice country road with some good turns right next to Goose Creek. Very scenic."

New Roads

New roads added to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Georgia: Smokey Road - "Nice peaceful country road, some sweeping turns."

2) Maine: SR 114 - "This route has recently been paved and offers a large variety of terrain. From long flats to open it up, to tight and narrow well banked turns."

3) New York: SR 115 - "Nice ride North out of Poughkeepsie with rural views through some farmland."

4) Pennsylvania: SR 162 - "Very technical, twisty road through Chester County farm and river country..."

5) Virginia: Lime Kiln Road - "Nice country road with some good turns right next to Goose Creek."

6) Washington: Whidbey Island Ride - Scenic ride along Penn Cove and the Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island.

New Roads

Added 5 roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Indiana: SR 227 - "...fairly straight with some real whoopty whoops. Watch your speed, you can get airborne really easily."

2) Maryland: Elliott Island Road - "...it actually has everything from sweepers to tight 1st gears corners and, as it does not see heavy use, the pavement is in very good condition."

3) New York: CR 32 - "Lot's of good sweeping turns, new pavement, good sight lines in most places."

4) Pennsylvania: SR 324 - "Nice scenic twisty route that follows a stream down to the Susquehanna River."

5) Virginia: SR 618 - "Slow easy road (30mph) though farm land and woods."

New Roads

Added several new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: Wildcat Canyon Road - "You have boulder covered hills on either side along the beginning of the ride and a nice pass through Barona (which is very green)."

2) Illinois: Terre Haute Road - "The Lower Terre Haute road has the best curves in the area for motorcycling..."

3) Indiana: SR 243 - Takes you through Lieber State Park and Recreation Area.

4) Iowa: CR X52 - AKA the Great River Road. "Scenic road with nice small towns..."

5) Kentucky: SR 920 - "...a lot of action to it. Lots of curves. Up and down hills."

6) New Jersey: CR 635 - AKA Charlestown Road. Starts at I-78, X12 for 7 miles to the village of Hampton.

7) New York: CR 31 - AKA Upper Mongaup Road. "Plenty of sweepers, a few off camber turns, and elevation changes to please almost everyone."

8) Pennsylvania: SR 69 - AKA Jackson Run Road. Starts north of Warren and ends close to the NY state line at Sugar Grove.

9) Virginia: SR 608 - "Lots of turns with some great elevation changes."

New Roads

New roads added to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: CR J1 - "A fun road that runs through the low mountains of the Coast Range." You can pick it up at I-5, X379.

2) Florida: Black Creek Highway - Located just east of Choctawhatchee Bay and Eglin AFB in the Panhandle.

3) Michigan: Linden Drive - "Sweeping turns along the Grand River basin..."

4) Minnesota: SR 26 - "Great little towns along the way and great views of the river - watch for eagles!" The road continues south into Iowa.

5) Missouri: SR W - "Twisty road that ends up near Bagnell Dam. An absolute blast to ride."

6) North Carolina: Black Snake Road - "This is a nice twisty, winding road that definately lives up to its name." Located northwest of Charlotte.

7) Ohio: SR 235 - A scenic 100+ mile road in the Lowlands and Plains region of Ohio.

8) Pennsylvania: SR 118 - "...a nice well kept road with a lot of small rolling hills and trees."

9) Virginia: Twelve O'Clock Knob Road - "The paved, narrow mountain road crosses the summit of Twelve O'Clock Knob." Road is just south of Salem.

Regonal Maps

A number of regional maps have been developed. These maps serve multiple states and include roads listed on MotorcycleRoads.US that are at least 50 miles in length. Purpose is to provide a tool to plan day trips or longer tours.

The following regional maps have been posted:

1) New England Region
2) New York Region
3) Pennsylvania & New Jersey Region
4) DelMarVa Region
5) West Virginia Region
6) The Carolinas Region

Enjoy!

New Roads

Added the following new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US.

1) Illinois: Grapevine Trail - a hidden gem through the Shawnee National Forest.

2) Kentucky: SR 790 - "Fast sweeping turns, some twisty, little traffic and good elevation changes."

3) Ohio: US 50 - "Just a great ride. Lots of small towns along the way."

4) Oregon: US 26 - "...a beautiful stretch of very good highway."

5) Pennsylvania: SR 326 - A great alternative to US 220. Runs between I-76 and I-68.

6) Tennessee: SR 145 - "...a spectacular and fun ride...".

7) Vermont: East-West Road - Nice little road between US 5 and SR 30 that crosses a covered bridge.

8) Virginia: SR 627 - AKA Mountain View Road, it is located just north of Fredericksburg off of US 1.

9) Washington: Sultan Basin Road - Runs from Sultan (US 2) and dead ends near Spada Lake.

10) Wyoming: US 85 - "This is one sweet ride across the high plains of Eastern Wyoming."

New Roads

Added the following new roads on MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Idaho: CR P1 - "Nice change of pace from the sweepers on Hwy 12."

2) Indiana: SR 164 - "Plenty of curves, plenty of scenery."

3) Maine: North Road - Follows along the north bank of the Androscoggin River. US 2 parallels the south bank.

4) Pennsylvania: SR 858 - "858 is in the middle of nowhere going to nowhere....but it's awesome."

5) Texas: FM 179 - Close to Lubbock, the area is "known for its wild boars to be out after dark."

6) Virginia: SR 693 - "...a 1.5 lane wide, twisty, scenic ride along the New River."

7) West Virginia: Smoke Hole Road - A twisty (partially unpaved) route through the Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.

Skyline Drive - Virginia

Just returned from a trip to Virginia to include a ride on the Skyline Drive. Late April is a great time to ride this road!!!

Traffic was very light. In fact, I probably saw more motorcycles, hikers, bicycles, and deer than "cages" and "bagos". The reason for this was the weather (sunny, with temperature range of 45-55°) and the fact that some of the campgrounds and other services do not open until May or June.

The Skyline Drive is 105 miles with a 35 mph speed limit, but most of the traffic was exceeding this limit and I did not see any park rangers. With light traffic, figure about 3 hours (with some stops) on the road. Local residents told me that during the tourist season, you should figure on 5-6 hours to do the complete drive. Traffic is sometimes bumper-to-bumper and moving along at 20-25 mph.

With all its curves, this road is great for the touring, sport-touring, and cruiser crowd. But, because of the 35 mph speed limit, bikers on crotch-rockets will probably end up with boredom or a speeding ticket or both.

If you plan on stopping to enjoy some of the overlooks, it might be best to travel the Skyline Drive from north to south. A majority of the overlooks are on the southbound side and are frequently located on the outside of sharp curves. If you are traveling northbound, it is difficult to see oncoming traffic when making your left turn into the overlook parking area.

One thing to be aware of. The deer like to graze along the shoulder of the road. Be careful!

Marys Rock Tunnel - mile marker 32.4