Northern Arizona Motorcycle Ride: Old Route 66

Arizona offers motorcyclists some of the most diverse and majestic scenery in the entire United States with blue skies, red rocks, lush forests, magnificent canyons, rivers, and even mountains. There is more to Northern Arizona than Flagstaff, Sedona and the Grand Canyon. There are other beautiful and majestic places for motorcyclists to experience spectacular scenery amid saguaro cactus deserts and alpine meadows.

You might like the old Route 66 south of Kingman in the northwestern part of the state. Your ride is about 50 miles long and will take you through the Black Mountains to see the rock formations along the way, and from the overlook you can see California and Nevada. Much of this route has been designated by the Bureau of Land Management as a Type I secondary route, traversing remote country on paved roads but providing solitude and scenery as it soars through the desert.

There are some old historic structures along Route 66, such as a gas station and an actual ghost town that was once a mining town called Gold Road Townsite. One of the few gold rush towns in the area is a town called Oatman, where Clark Gable honeymooned. The Oatman Hotel has been transformed into a museum, and is said by some to be haunted by the spirits of Gable, his then-girlfriend Carole Lombard and others, including an Irish miner and merry salon attendees. The good thing is that the spirits are jovial and fun, but they like to disturb the visitors from time to time.

Look out for the wild burros that pass through the streets of Oatman. If you continue south to Lake Havasu City, you will see the London Bridge. Yes, this is the “real” London Bridge, one of the biggest attractions in Arizona. In the late 1960s, chainsaw magnate Robert McCullough bought the bridge in London, tore it down, and shipped the bricks to the United States, where his team reassembled the bridge in Lake Havasu City.

How do you get to this fascinating motorcycle ride? Easy: The trail starts in Kingman, about 70 miles SE of Las Vegas. From Kingman, you will see signs for old Route 66 and head towards Oatman. From Oatman you will continue south to Topock where you will be at the end of the route.

Bring your camera on this trip and you just might capture a spirit you didn’t think existed!