ARIZONA & NEVADA MOTORCYCLE ROAD TRIPS
MOTORCYCLE DAY TRIPS FROM LAS VEGAS & LAUGHLIN
All are road trips you can do either in one or two days from these cities.
Los Angeles is only a four-hour car ride from Las Vegas. If we are on the motorcycle it is a six-hour ride after all the gas station stops. I never get tired of riding the motorcycle in California with all it’s scenic and natural beauty. For a change, we often take off for Las Vegas via Hwy 15 or now that we live in Palm Desert we have three different routes we can take to Las Vegas. The three main places I’d recommend renting a bike from is the Las Vegas Harley Davidson Dealership, EagleRider and Ridershare.com.
This list is a combination of my favorite road trips and the information I collected from other websites. Let’s start with the two biggies – Las Vegas & Laughlin both in Nevada. It is only 1.5 or 2 hours from Las Vegas to Laughlin depending upon which route you take. Either the 95 Highway through Searchlight (I love this little casino where I always win) or the 93 Highway which is the longer way. If you go the long way Helmets are NOT required in Arizona.
It is only 1.5 or 2 hours from Las Vegas to Laughlin depending upon which route you take. Either the 95 Highway through Searchlight (I love this little casino where I always win) or the 93 Highway which is the longer way. If you go the long way Helmets are NOT required in Arizona.
We also like to ride the 10 Highway East out to Mesquite and stop at the casinos in this little town and if you ride it a little bit further and say you’ve been to Utah you can ride to St. George. The motorcycle route is through the most beautiful gorges. This is a nice short scenic ride that I will remember forever. My only problem with Utah is that it is illegal to gamble there. That means I don’t get to gamble at the end of our motorcycle day ride.
Las Vegas, Nevada 
It is not really fun to ride a motorcycle on the strip with all the lights and traffic. However, if you have a day to ride there are a few day road trips I want to recommend to you. Remember even though I’ve been on the back of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle for all these trips they are still just as fun in a car better yet a convertible car. It’s almost as freeing as on the motorcycle with the wind blowing in your face. 
Red Rock Canyon, Spring Mountain State Ranch Park & Bonnie Springs Ranch
There is a 100-mile round trip loop taking you from Las Vegas to Red Rock Canyon and then onto Bonnie Springs Ranch. In Red Rock Canyon make sure to ride through the 13-mile scenic drive with views of the rocks that are unbelievable. We have done this ride many times and it is a lot of fun with good motorcycle roads. The restaurant at Bonnie Springs Ranch can be considered a biker bar that we always stop at for lunch. If you have time you can include Mount Charleston in your motorcycle ride. To get more details about all three of these cool rides I’d recommend checking out the article at
We have done this ride many times and it is a lot of fun with good motorcycle roads. The restaurant at Bonnie Springs Ranch can be considered a biker bar that we always stop at for lunch. If you have time you can include Mount Charleston in your motorcycle ride. To get more details about all three of these cool rides I’d recommend checking out the article at Motorcycletouringtips.com or at REDROCK MAP.
Mt. Charleston 
This ride is about one hour outside of Las Vegas but once you get there you have a very scenic mountain road. Just take the 95 North to the SR 157 and then ride along with it until the SR 159/ SR 158 and take the SR 158 for another 15 miles approximately of the scenic ride. You can catch Highway 95 back to Las Vegas by taking SR 156 off SR 158. If it is not too cold I love this twisty mountainous motorcycle ride when we are in Las Vegas.
Valley of Fire
My first time in this park was when we participated in the Las Vegas Bike Fest poker run Las Vegas Bike Fest. Wow is really all I can say. I don’t think I have ever seen such beautiful rock formations in my life. I would suggest checking out Eaglerider’s blog for tips on visiting the Valley of Fire and more motorcycle touring ideas around the Las Vegas area.
Hoover Dam
Riders Share https://www.riders-share.com/blog/the-best-motorcycle-routes-in-las-vegas-2019 blog provides directions for a 70 mile round trip from Las Vegas to the Hoover Dam and Tillman Bridge. Go see Hoover dam and this new architectural piece of work called a bridge if you never have been there. I think this would be my first choice for a day ride from Las Vegas if I only had one day to ride. Las Vegas Harley Davidson dealership calls this the “Ride of a Lifetime.”
Zion National Park, Utah
Zion National Park is another hour past St. George. I love riding through this National Park and we once stayed on a horse ranch right outside the park where we could see the is a 2.5-hour ride from Las Vegas so if you start really early you could make it into a very worthwhile day trip.
Death Valley 
Death Valley 2.5 hours from Las Vegas going west on Highway 95 back towards California. Just make sure it is not too hot or too cold when you go. The artist loop is a magnificent experience although it is a very short loop. They have a lovely hotel formerly called the Furnace Creek Resort but was renamed to The Oasis Death Valley I never stayed here but David loved the little cabins he stayed in. So if you are not into camping like me and want to stay in Death Valley go for it. On the way, you can hit Pahrump which is known for its fireworks. They even have a place to go and legally set them off.
You can also check out some of the reviews on Death Valley by going to motorcycleroads.com website.
Laughlin, Arizona
It’s a tiny gambling town compared to Las Vegas. I love that it is on the Colorado River. We usually stay at Harrah’s Laughlin LINK and take the boat taxi ($4.00 per person) to the Riverside Hotel where David plays Live Poker and I sit at the bar playing video poker or stare out at the Colorado River. All the hotels sit right on the Colorado River and during the warm months (10 months out of the year) you can rent jet skis or take a boat tour trip to Lake Havasu. Did I mention all the hotels are Casinos? We try to go every year for the Laughlin Ride Run…. link… I love coming down the mountain towards the Colorado River. Just be careful of the weather. We have hit a lot of heat (over 100 degrees) a lot of wind (45-55 mph gusts) and lighting storms. Not that fun to ride in so check the weather. Once you are staying in Laughlin there are some fabulous day rides.
Oatman, Arizona – My Favorite
This is a little town 45 minutes outside of Laughlin, Nevada and about a 3-4 hour motorcycle ride from Las Vegas. It is so worth it and so fun and beautiful! Check out my video at the surprise I received when we first reached Oatman. There is also a back way to get out of Oatman but all I remember about this road was the twists and turns and how slow David was driving! Always an experience on the motorcycle. In the town, you can feed the burrows that come down every day from the hills and grab a bite to eat at Oatman Hotel Restaurant & Saloon.
Arriving at Oatman, Arizona Video… Watch my surprise!
Kingman/Seligman
Get your kicks on Route 66 through Peach Springs and then if you want can loop around back on Route 40. Seligman is where Highway 40 and Route 66 intersect each other, If you continue on Highway 40 East your next big stop in Flagstaff, Arizona that is gorgeous but it is high up so cold and snowy during the winter.
Grand Canyon West
This was a trip of a lifetime when we stated at the Hualapai Ranch. The only negative was there is a 2-mile road that was all rocks and torn up and the entire time David was cursing me out as he tried to navigate the Harley Davidson Touring Motorcycle on it. I think I remember it as a rental so if there was any damage I don’t know! I look back and laugh at how mad David was at me for not knowing it wasn’t a paved road. The Ranch itself was the most relaxing, spiritual vacation I have ever experienced. You can even horseback along the rim of the Grand Canyon. I was too chicken to do it but my husband David loved it. The Skywalk where you can walk out onto glass and look straight down at the Grand Canyon is also here on the West Side. Usually, when you hear people talk about the Grand Canyon they are referring to the Eastside that is a much further road trip from Las Vegas or Laughlin. From Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon East is at least a 4.5-hour ride.
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu City is 2.5 hours from Las Vegas. I highly recommend that you stay around the London Bridge if you are doing an overnight trip. What we always do is take a boat ferry to the Havasu Landing Casino for dinner and some gambling fun!
The ride from Las Vegas or Laughlin to the Grand Canyon South Rim is a post in of itself and one that I will have to share my multiple experiences with you later. If you can’t wait I’d go directly to the National Park Service to plan your next travel experience at the Grand Canyon South Rim.
The following are some of the resources I used in this article besides my own personal Harley Experiences:
- https://www.lasvegasharleydavidson.com/rides-of-a-lifetime/ The Las Vegas Harley Dealership has a great article on rides of a lifetime that include the following motorcycle touring rides: Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, Valley of Fire State Park, Zion National Park, Death Valley National Park, Grand Canyon.
- https://www.riders-share.com/blog/the-best-motorcycle-routes-in-las-vegas-2019 Riders share recommends Oatman, Arizona (my favorite), Hoover Dam, Red Rock and Mount Charleston day riding trips. You can also rent a bike from their site!
- Death Valley, Hoover Dam, and Mt. Charleston are recommended by https://www.thelostadventure.com/great-day-rides-from-las-vegas/ who can get you competitive rates from Eaglerider.
- The best motorcycle blog I’ve read (besides mine) is from the Las Vegas Eaglerider https://www.eaglerider.com/motorcycle-touring/what-to-do-and-see-in-las-vegas-on-a-motorcycle They tell you about six Las Vegas rides with the best roads to take. I will also say from personal experience Eaglerider is a very good company if you want to rent a motorcycle or even buy one. I know we all have our favorite Harley Davidson dealerships. I’m not telling you mine yet! For motorcycle and motorcycle touring bike rentals, I would recommend trying Eaglerider first.
- I found another website by a local who gives you 11 rides only the locals know about. https://www.motorcycletouringtips.com/motorcycle-rides-las-vegas/ It was very informative with the most details for each ride. Earl really gives you some great tips and tricks from his own motorcycle touring experiences. He even tells you how much each park charges for entrance plus has a few additional road trip ideas in his blog. Check him out at https://www.motorcycletouringtips.com/motorcycle-rides-las-vegas/
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