Zion and Grand Canyon National Park Motorcycle Tour

Two of America’s greatest national parks sit within a few hundred miles of Las Vegas, and this self-guided loop connects them by way of Route 66 and Death Valley. Seven nights, around 1,115 miles, and a week of fairly relentless scenery.

Zion comes first, reached through Mesquite, and the ride up its canyon road through the tunnels is one of the finest short stretches in the Southwest. Beyond it the route crosses the Grand Staircase-Escalante, a wilderness on a scale that is difficult to convey, then follows the Vermillion Cliffs to Page before turning south towards the Grand Canyon’s South Rim and the old railway town of Williams.

The second half changes mood entirely. Route 66 runs west through Ash Fork, Seligman, Peach Springs and Kingman, the longest original section still in use, before Laughlin. Then comes a serious day, 295 miles across the Mojave National Preserve into Death Valley and Furnace Creek, the lowest and hottest place on the continent. Pahrump and the run back to Las Vegas close the loop.

EAGLERIDER provides the bike and books all seven nights, with Harley-Davidson touring models alongside Triumph and BMW sport machines. Fuel, meals and insurance are arranged separately. The route is planned and the hotels are fixed, but the pace is not, which suits country where the best stops are rarely on the schedule. Two of the great national parks, the best surviving stretch of the Mother Road and the lowest point in North America, all from a city with direct flights from almost everywhere.