The best roads in the western US??

[rdane]

As always George's pictures are killing me It isn't likely I'll load my car up and ship it to Europe so where is the next best place in the US?

The NW includes the North Cascades Highway, Mt. Rainier and the St. Helens run. Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier is good but full of tourists.

The old Whitebird pass is closed in Idaho which was a good option. The Lochsa? The Clearwater? Hells Canyon? Beartooth Pass in Montana? Sedona? The Sierras of California? Highway 1?

Come on guys give me a list?

[braddb_82SC]

Originally posted by rdane
As always George's pictures are killing me It isn't likely I'll load my car up and ship it to Europe so where is the next best place in the US?

The NW includes the North Cascades Highway, Mt. Rainier and the St. Helens run. Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier is good but full of tourists.

The old Whitebird pass is closed in Idaho which was a good option. The Lochsa? The Clearwater? Hells Canyon? Beartooth Pass in Montana? Sedona? The Sierras of California? Highway 1?

I've driven some fantastic roads in my home state of California but nothing I have driven here compares to Montana's Beartooth Byway (or Beartooth Pass as named above). You can catch sights from your car normaly reserverd for high country backpackers. You'll want to stop every 1/4 mile to take another photo.
The road's nice and twisty too.

-Brad

[Quicksilver]

Highway 4 towards South Lake Tahoe. As it passes Lake Alpine (I think that was the name) it is so narrow that there isn’t a center line and it is marked “No vehicles over 22 feet”. Someone basically ran a bulldozer through the woods, going around trees and boulders. Then they followed it with a paving machine.

I got the car off the ground 3 times from the woop-de-doos chasing my buddy on the Ducati. He was a bit surprised that he couldn’t walk away. Secret word – “Brakes”!
Here is a little taste.
.

Wayne

[iobound]

Most roads heading North in Marin County CA are awesome. With the exception of 101.

[RoninLB]

The wildest ride of my life is detailed part way down this page. It's not for the faint of heart.

BigBig Ride/ It's Over

[Rufblackbird]

this thread might help a bit

[motion]

Gotta put my vote in for the Beartooth Pass. What a road! Glaciers in the middle of August... last year I was up there in July and it was snowing like mad. You can literally see for a hundred miles in all directions. Top of the world.

[scottb]

California Highway 1.

[Grady Clay]

I agree, Sun Hwy over Logan Pass in Glacier NP. Also US 212 out of the NE corner of Yellowstone NP toward Billings is great. The road from Yellowstone to Jackson is spectacular. Tie them all together – WOW!

Do this trip in September or October for the best scenery and least motor coaches.

Best,
Grady

[Zeke]

This is where we get some of our ideas for runs. Roads

[KNS]

Hwy 550 from Durango to Silverton, Colorado.
Tons of back roads inland between I-5 and Hwy 101 in Cali.

[vash]

highway one sucks. to many grandmas driving in 1st gear.

what is that road deemed "commercial road"? at least that is what us motorcyclist called it sunday morning. (where all the car companies film there cars, rolling grassy hills) that road rocks!

[TRE Cup]

California
Highway 198 from coalinga to highway 25 going north to Hollister
Option: take 25 to the king city turn off going west to King City. Once there- take G14 out of town north to G16- follow G16 all the way into Carmel Valley.

Highway 58 west of Taft/Maricopa- it goes out to Highway 101 thru some terrific roads.

Highway 41 east of the 101- there's some great super twisties in there to that reconnect to the 58

[banjomike]

One time I was heading from the Bay Area south to LA in my old 944, and out of habit ended up on 101 south. 101 takes almost 2x as long, so somewhere after Gilroy I got on Hwy25. It goes past Pinnacles National Park. I turned L onto 168 which took me to Coalinga (wait this is the same strech of road described above!). It was a hell of a fun drive and the mountain climb on 168 was brutal steep, but plenty passing lanes. The whole thing was twisty, with plenty of elevation changes, very little traffic, and beautiful, in a central cal hills kind of way.

[look 171]

gotta go for a drive w / him - TRE. He knows his stuff, about the p car as well. By the end of the day, you will need a set of new arms from gripping and turning the Momo all day in the twisties. Non stop full -on.

[Grady Clay]

Another issue other than time-of-year is time-of-day/week. Some of the best ever drives have been going West at dawn on Sunday mornings.

I once drove from 4th & Broadway (Rennenhaus) in Denver to Palomar Park (Redwood City), CA in 14 ˝ hours. The most memorable part was the range just west of the Great Salt Lake at dawn – as fast as a 2.5 11:1 911 would go in 1969.

Best,
Grady

[Jeff Higgins]

Some of my favorites in Washington

Loup Loup Pass on Hwy 20 between Twisp and Hwy 97 in the Okanagon valley. Very lonely at times; steep twisty climb. Continue North on Hwy 97 (kinda boring) and pick up 20 East again out of Tonasket and go over Sherman Pass, and on as far East as you have time.

The River Road between Ellensburg and Yakima; heavily patroled at times, but good fun on an early weekday morning.

Once in Yakima, Westbound on Hwy 12/410, taking 12 to Packwood or 410 to Mt. Rainier National Park, where the road turns to crap and you have to watch the chuck holes.

Hwy 101 around the North end of the Peninsula starting in Kingston and around to Port Angeles, Forks, Hoquiam/Aberdeen, and points beyond.

Hwy 14 all along the Columbia River.

[9 once]

Hwy 38 coming down from Big Bear Lake the back way down into the Redlands east of San Bernandino. Also Mexican Hwy 2 from Mexicali to La Rumorosa Baja California. [img]

[Steve87-911]

Of course PCH (Hwy 1) on the central coast of CA. Dont hate me but I actually drive part of it as i make weekly commute to work.

And I really like Glendora Ridge Road in So Cal just because it's got twisites and very few blind corners...because it sits atop the ridge. (Also, not too many other cars on that road when I last checked, but it is kinda short.)