Martin's various riding Tours

Flying into Fayetteville, the regional NW AR airport ist easy but usually requires a connection. I rented from Eaglerider which here is "Pig Tail Harley Davidson". Friendly staff got me on the bike in no time. with my first stop "Eureka Springs" where I had booked a B&B for two nights, knowing there are 4 different trails you can take from there, each of them amazing.

Day 1 is really the arrival day so it was only a short day left by the time I arrived in Eureka Springs. 

There is a short loop ride around the north end of town which takes you along a twisty scenic path for under one hour

GPS Plug Ins:

 From Eureka Springs put in “Beaver Dam Dive Shop” as your destination and add “Beaver” as another stop then Eureka Springs again. Beautiful 50min ride with lots of twisties and great scenery. In Beaver you will be coming over a single lane bridge. Something unique. 

  is a nice 5-hour day ride with some nice stops along the way. It is decent paced with lots of curves that you can take at mid speed with also some sharper turns. It leaves a nice flow with scenic views and lots of farmland and rolling hills. Not uncommon here to see deer on the road even during the middle of the day. From “Harmony” the GPS will try to take you onto I40, stay on AR352 till you get to AR23 (The Pigs Tail) and from there ride the Pigs Tail north to Eureka Springs.  

 is a destination ride. From Eureka Springs to Mountain Home.
This ride takes you into Missouri and through the famous vacation town of Branson. Beautiful scenery along the lake/dam and certainly touristy. Keep riding and within minutes you are back in rural farm areas riding over the rolling hills back into Arkansas. In these smaller towns you can find some great spots to grab a bike. In Norfork you find a good brewery for a glass if you like. Past that is easy riding. The road you do not want to miss on this trip is not necessarily the Pigs Tail but AR341 “Push Mountain Road”. An amazing ride with brand new paved road some 20 miles long takes you through the low mountains on a wide road with nobody in sight. On the 20 or so mile stretch there were a total of 4 cars that came towards me. It is a blast with fast and slow-paced sections. Great scenery and lots of wildlife.
If you want to modify this route a little between Big Flat and Mountain Home add Norfolk as a stop and then head south of AR5 to Calico Rock then AR223 to Pineville then AR177 to Jordan and then Mountain Home. Adds a little to the trip and is a nice easy ride at the end of a day. 

 takes you back from Mountain Home to Eureka Springs. Since this was my last full day before flying home I wanted to get back closer to Rogers in case of weather on my return day.
This ride takes you again through the mountains. I opted for extended rides but wanted to do Push Mountain Road again in the way back and yet again enjoyed that the other way around as well. Careful though deer at all hours of the day. I almost hit one.
On fast paces road head towards Viola and then head south to Calico Rock, back up to Norfolk (that is the same stretch you did the day before if you opted for the extended Route 2) then get on Push Mountain road and put in direction Big Flat. When you get to the end of AR341 don’t make a right into Big Flat but cancel the stop and make a left towards Mountain View. Try to make a point of stopping in Mountain View. A quaint little town with a beautiful town center. Right hwere you hit Main Street is Old Town Espresso and Ice Cream. Get an Espresso, they are really good. From there head towards Clinton. When you get towards Clinton cancel your GPS otherwise it will try to take you into town. Fill up your tank. From here gas becomes few in between. You will be riding through beautiful nature with great up and down elevations, nothing extreme giving you a great flow throughout the entire ride. Small towns in between with populations of 100-200 residents. This is mostly farmland on rolling hills. All the way to AR23 and then ride the Pigs Tail back up to Eureka Springs.  

Heading back towards Rogers to drop off the bike I had the whole morning to kill. While some of these roads I had done the days before they are so much fun I did not mind doing them again. There are two options based on how much time you have.

Past Barryville head towards “Rule” then “Osage” then “Boxley”. Your next coordinate is “Pettigrew” and “Brashears”. This is where you will have to decide how much time you have.
The Long way: From here you can take The Pigs Tail south (the fun part) into Ozark. Then stay on US64 to Alma (The GPS wants you to get on the Interstate, just keep going on 64) From there head towards Rogers. Here again the GPS will try to get you to I48, stay on  

based out of Denver on this trip but worth every road you take. You can of course alter this into staying along the road if you have no destination. I had to be back in Denver each evening.

 Independence Pass

About 370miles, 8-9 hours minimum

GPS Points to set:
 

Sedalia
Sprucewood Inn Restaurant

Deckers

Pine

Independence Pass

Breckenridge

Keystone Resort

Loveland Pass
Big Easy Trailhead

Golden

Denver

From Denver head to Sedalia, here you start into the mountains. The road to Sprucewood Inn is beautiful and well paved. Great twists and turns, easy riding. Once you arrive at Sprucewood Inn you have two options. Left takes a little longer, right is a little faster. Both roads are packed gravel and require you to go slow. Both easy to manage even with a big touring bike. Just take your time. This is the slowest you will go on this trip. Once you get off the packed gravel road head along the river to Decker. And then direction to Pine. Awesome road here and lots of fun. From Pine GPS to Independence pass. Here again great roads, once in Buena Vista you are riding a bit on a highway like road till you turn for Independence Pass. The drive up to the pass is incredible. You can find wildlife along the road. Mountain Goat and others. Snowball fight on top of the pass. There are a few severe bumps in the road up to the pass. Be mindful when riding fast. Especially in early summer when the ice and snow have damaged the roads a little you can find pot holes.

Head back the pass road and stop in Twin Lakes for fuel. Premium is octane free and cheap. The store is adorable and the owner super friendly.

Direction Breckenridge. If you want to bypass Breckenridge you can by plugging in Keystone Resort when you get off the highway before getting into Breckenridge. However Breckenridge is a nice stop. Touristy but still a good stop for a drink or a bite to eat.
Keystone Resort is a marker point to get you the right way to Loveland Pass. The road again is well paved and a ton of fun to ride. Loveland pass is only a few feet lower than Independence Pass. So you hit 12,000 twice this trip.
From here you have the choice to head back to Denver the fast way by I70 or plug in “Big easy Trailhead” as your next destination. Also a marker point to get you on the right track. Then Golden from there. This road takes you through the mountain down into Denver. Nice little added twists and turns.
 

This trip has severe altitude changes. Bring proper clothing.  

Tips:

Always check your GPS for road closures. Especially after it had rained the night before. Frequent wash-outs requiring road closures. At any turn you have to expect that rocks have come off the sides and are on the turn in your way. Drive accordingly. Sand and light gravel is also common especially after rains. You will not have WiFi or cell service for parts of this trip. Pre-load your GPS with the points above. 

Echo Mountain

About 240miles, 6 hours minimum

GPS Points to set:
 

Sedalia
Decker

Foxton

Evergreen
Echo Mountain Ski Area

Idaho Springs

Central City

Nederland

Two options here:
Last Stand Saloon or Golden

Denver

From Denver head to Sedalia. Small little town at the foothills of the Rockys. From there you are heading into the mountains. The road will eventually get narrower. Lots of nice turns. You will eventually come to an intersection where you can make a right or left. The GPS will tell you right but you can just as well turn left for a little longer route.
This part of the road is usually gravel packed. It is well maintained and can be managed even with a big touring bike (I did it on a Road Glide, both ways). Go slow and get your bearing. My advise make a right, it is shorter and will give you more to ride along the river on the bottom.
Once you arrive on the bottom make a left and head towards Decker. Don’t go right, the pavements ends shortly after and the road is rough.
Follow your GPS to Foxton. The road is in excellent condition and has some awesome turns and twists. At the intersection to Foxton the road becomes a little rougher but is still very much manageable. Once past Foxton the road heads up the mountain and is in excellent condition.
Past Conifer the road turns into a two lane highway and you can let it rip up the mountain. In Evergreen follow the GPS out. Nice place to stop for lunch as well.
Follow the highway to the intersection where you will turn into some nice twisty roads again. Up the mountain, one of my all time favorites. Smell the pines along the way. Temperatures will drop even in summer to want a long sleeve shirt at least.
!!Careful here, the GPS will want you to turn on Little Bear Road, DON’T!. Keep going left and head towards Echo Mountain Ski area. This part is stunning with views and sights.
In Idaho Springs, in fact just before you get into the town, go East on I70 towards Denver for two exists to Central City. Nice ride up the mountain and down. Central City is a nice beautiful old mining town if you want to stop for a moment. Head towards Nederland. Beautiful road with nice scenery. In Nederland you have two options to come down the mountain towards Denver. The short one is plug in Denver or Golden. It will take you along the lake east towards Denver. The longer plug in Last Stand Saloon and it will take you back on the road you just came for a few miles then take you a different way down the mountain.
 

This is a nice paced trip that does not scrub too many miles but has tons of turns. Don’t be fooled by the miles vs time. You need a good 5 hours for this trip. Calculate for 6 to be safe. 

Tips:

Always check your GPS for road closures. Especially after it had rained the night before. Frequent wash-outs requiring road closures. At any turn you have to expect that rocks have come off the sides and are on the turn in your way. Drive accordingly. Sand and light gravel is also common especially after rains. You will not have WiFi or cell service for parts of this trip. Pre-load your GPS with the points above. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

About 260miles, 7-8 hours minimum)

GPS Points to set:
 

Golden

Clear Creek Canyon Park

Empire

Grand Lake

Estes Park
Lyons

Ward

Nederland
Three options here: Boulder, Last Stand Saloon or Idaho Springs

Denver

From Denver head to Golden. In Golden plug in Clear Creek Canyon Park but make sure it takes you on the long route not back on I70. When you reach the top you will have a stretch on I70 to the “Empire” exit. From there head into the mountains, nice switchbacks with lots of fast to slow cornering. Mostly 2-lane uphill, downhill you have to pass every now and then. Set your GPS to GrandLake, a small touristy town but nice people and food along a beautiful lake.
From there set your sights on Estes Park. You will have to go through Rocky Mountain National Park and now you do need reservations if you arrive before 2pm. They will not let you in before. Go to the National Parks website and make your reservation. This road is excellent kept but you pay the park fee. Stunning views as you climb up the mountain. Wildlife and views. Take your time. The roads are a blast to ride but be aware this is the only place where I really encountered Park Rangers. So watch out for those guys. They don’t like you riding 70mph through the 35mph roads. Arrive in Estes Park and set your GPS to Lyons. Nice downhill road but usually has traffic. In Lyons set your GPS to Ward. This road is currently under construction (read below). Next stop Nederland. From there you have three options. Plug in Boulder or Last Stand Saloon or Idaho Springs. Three ways to get off the mountain and all are fun. Next stop Denver.
 

This trip has severe altitude changes. Bring proper clothing.  

Tips:

Always check your GPS for road closures. Especially after it had rained the night before. Frequent wash-outs requiring road closures. At any turn you have to expect that rocks have come off the sides and are on the turn in your way. Drive accordingly. Sand and light gravel is also common especially after rains. You will not have WiFi or cell service for parts of this trip. Pre-load your GPS with the points above.