Best route to tour thru the Grand Canyon on a streetbike?

Hello guyz,

I am going to be traveling thru the states in septembre(Montreal to Denver to Portland to SF to LA to SanDiego: then eastbound) on my faux-adv bike and was wondering wich route would be the best to travel thru the grand Canyon.

Going to be traveling easbound overall but a detour dont bether me none as long as the ride doesnt loop^back to the starting point. I could manage a few dirt roads, as a way to get to a cool spot for the views or a camp spot. Ill have decent ground clearance on the Versys but will be on street tires so I I have to keep it mild.

jfman, you may have a misconception of the Grand Canyon. You cannot, as far as I know, travel "through" the Grand Canyon unless you are on a raft. The best you can do is ride to one of the rims and enjoy the magnificent views. Personally, I prefer accessing the north rim, but you really can't make a bad choice if you've never seen the Canyon before. It'll take your breath away.

Thank tripletreat: I meant the Grand Canyon area.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=906554



maybe this will help

After the Grand Canyon..Go out to Tuba City (near 89 and 160 junction) and pick up Rte 264 east to 191 and go north to Chinle. Visit Canyon de Chelly. There's a campground there right near the park entrance. If you have time, take the guided trip down into the canyon itself. If not..check out the visitor center then ride around the north rim on Indian Rt 64 over to Indian Rt 12.. then North up to Lukachakai. At Lukachakai, take Indian Rt 13 over to Shiprock, New Mexico.

All those routes are paved, but definitely the "road less traveled". Canyon de Chelly is very interesting, and Indian Rt 13 is really scenic, going through a narrow red rock canyon up and over a ridge to some good views of Western New Mexico.

Thank a bunch for this

This. But don't tell everyone please.

South rim is a drive by, north rim can be a double back to your start.
South rim is perhaps more easily accessible.

Campground at Canyon De Chelly is Cottonwood, most every camp is called Cottonwood!

East Rim Drive of Grand Canyon South Rim. From North 89 at Cameron, runs West to the park, then along the rim for 25 miles. My favorite view is from Navajo Point. Unless you wanna hike, you can leave your bike unlocked, most of the points are just a few parking places along the rim. Just East of Grandview Point is a Forest road running South. If you can make it 400 yards you're legal to camp. The climb from Cameron up out of the Painted Desert is great.

South Rim Village sucks, I think, no where to park a Moto safely. From the Village, you can run South to Williams, or down 180 to Flagstaff. 180 is pretty, with a few nice corners. If you are looping North from Flagstaff to get to the Canyon, go through Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments. Best pavement we have around here, nice views, and really interesting Native ruins.

Both of these in a day might be rushed. About 180 miles round trip from Flag just to do the South Rim (worked up there, never want to do that commute again).

Enjoy, and don't shop and Flag Motorsports unless you are totally without other options.....

Give a shout when you get started. Maybe some of us can hook up for parts of your ride.

That would be awesome! I am on a tight traveling schedule however as I only have 3 weeks and I also plan to stop in SF an LA to visit a bit.

If some of you guyz want to tag along, LMK and I will let you know when I am rolling thru the part to the trip you are interested. Forewaring: Lot of miles each day and The pace will be sporty on the good roads. And Ill be a fair weather camper. If it rains I check into a hotel more than likely.

Just bought a Spot so I'ill try to get a map up on the site whn I can.

Nothing is set in stone but it looks like I would be coming in from Durango Colorado.

Once in the north rim, I would need to find a way thru out and west. I am very open to suggestions. Where would you go from here?

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<small>Agrandir le plan</small>


Click here to see the colorado leg of the trip: http://goo.gl/maps/MqMq9











Sorry dunno how to delete this below.. ignore

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So you're going to do Grand Cyn on your way Westbound rather than Eastbound?

One direction or the other you should probably try to fit Monument Valley in the mix. Worth a ride-through at least. You can see lots from the paved routs.

The north rim entrance to Grand Cyn is an "in and out" if you want to stay on pavement. So you'll have to double back on route 67 to 89A. So you might as well go through Zion Nat'l park.

If you are going to SF first.. then head up to Cedar City, Utah after Zion. Then go West over through Tonopah, Nv. via the "Extraterrestrial highway". You'll get a good taste of Nevada desert. You'll go through the town of Caliente, Nv. BUY GAS. Next gas will be in Tonopah, 190 miles away (there are a couple of possible resources if you can't make 190 miles on a tank). Once out of Tonopah, go up to the town of Lee Vining at Mono Lake. Several choices of places to stay/camp in the area, including Benton Hot Springs at the intersection of Hwy 6 and 120, just East of Lee Vining.

We have a huge fire burning in the Yosemite area. It may dictate whether you ride through the park or not. If you can't go over Tioga Pass (Hwy 120) and through Yosemite.. then go North to pick up either Hwy 108 or Hwy 4 to cross the Sierra. Either will be great riding. Thence across California's Great Central Valley to the Frisco area.

I was gonn ago thru this eastward after visiting the west coast but I think this is the best way for me to plan my trip. I dont want to miss the Canyon if I get unexpected delays on other parts of the trip. I only have 23 days off and I got back surgery done in January so donnu how my body is gonna cope.

Wich route/road is this?

I would not mind some dirt roads. Feel free to propose alternative routes.

Another way I had planned leaving Colorado was to head North thru utha and ride these roads (hells canyon and others) LINK: http://goo.gl/maps/FEQAC

but I think I may not have the time to circle back down San Diego and still ride the canyon on my way back to Canada

I dont know how/if I can incorporate this into my route??? I have never been to the west coast so I wanna ride the pacific coast as well. I needed 6 weeks off ans 4 more Gs in the bank



So here below is the route I have planned for now.

I planned them using tips I got from message boards and traveling websites.

Montreal to Durango Colorado
http://goo.gl/maps/jwswk

Durango to San Diego

http://goo.gl/maps/49eUj

San Diego to San Francisco

http://goo.gl/maps/aFZW3


Then this route Northward out of Frsico

http://goo.gl/maps/J6QGp
Comments?

I'd think of taking 3 from 36 to Fort Jones, not a whole lot of services in that area, unless your set on seeing Red Bluff, Redding and Hoopa.

I dont mind the lack if services unless I am running out of fuel but i will consier cuting thru ther to save some time if I am pressed.

For Monument Valley.. (should not be missed if you're in the area, IMHO) :

From Durango go West to Cortez, then drop south on Hwy 491 to Route 162 and go Northwest up to Bluff on Hwy 191 in Utah, then South on 191 back into Arizona to 160. That will give you a good flavor of what Monument Valley is all about. There's a ton of stuff to see out there.. and you could spend many days rolling around.. but the above route will at least give you the "drive-by" version. Then you could go south down to Chinle and Cyn deChelly if desired.

Sorry on the mis-cue regarding the Yosemite area. I was still going on the idea that you were doing San Francisco first. .

Like this? Thats not a bad detour. The more I approach, the more I realize... I need MOAR TOIME! :eek1

http://goo.gl/maps/Z2lH2

yes. Monument Valley is really quite impressive.

Although now that I think about it.. I gave you less than ideal route. If you could to this, you'd see more of the "good stuff";

when you get to Bluff, Utah just stay on Hwy 163 and go down to Kayenta, then take Indian Rt 59 over to Chinle. I haven't been on IR 59 in a long time, but that last time I rode it was paved.

Then you could go Hwy 264 up to Tuba City, 160 to89, then south on 89 to 64 and West to the Grand Canyon North Rim entrance. Wow.. if you could pull all that off, you'd really get in some great USA SouthWest riding

Not really a time saver but nice roads,