Colorado Motorcycle Tour - Black Canyon

Three days, around 725 miles, and almost all of it above 7,000 feet. This short loop out of Denver heads deep into the Colorado mountains, takes in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and comes back over the high passes, which is a serious amount of riding for a long weekend.

The days are long and unapologetic, between 210 and 260 miles. Day one crosses the Pike National Forest and Poncha Springs to Gunnison, climbing most of the way, and sets the tone for a trip that does not spend much time on flat ground.

The middle day is the one to come for. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison sits near Montrose, a gorge so narrow and so deep that parts of its floor see barely half an hour of direct sunlight a day, and the rim road along it is genuinely startling. From there the route crosses the Gunnison National Forest to Glenwood Springs and its hot springs pool, which is a reasonable way to end a day in the saddle. The final ride returns through Vail and the Eisenhower Tunnel, the highest road tunnel in the United States.

EAGLERIDER supplies the motorcycle and books both nights, with Harley-Davidson touring models alongside Triumph and BMW sport machines. Fuel, meals and insurance are arranged separately. The passes are seasonal, so this is a summer and early autumn trip. For riders based in Denver, or anyone with three days and a taste for altitude, it is the most mountain road available in the time.