Vegas to Memphis

[I'mAllIn]

I'll be riding to Vegas in early June for a meeting and need some road advice for my return trip (I'll be slabbing it going west for the sake of time). I'll have (5) days to return.

So help me plan a nice route coming back thru Utah, Colorado and such. Keep me going east-west and share you "must-ride" roads.

Thanks.

 

[ponyfool]

Slab it to SE Utah, then spend days and days in Colorado, then slab it home! Colorado is amazing.

I know this doesn't give you any detailed routes, but those more familiar with Colorado/Utah will chime in shortly to fill in the gaps.

 

[fjrb0]

You're going to go crazy slabbing I-40 from Memphrica to Vegas, trust me. But when you leave Vegas,,,,oh, man!!!

I highly recommend taking I-15 up to St. George, then taking 9 thru Zion NP. If time allows, drop south then thru Fredonia down to Jacob Lake, and hit the north rim of the Grand Canyon. If you can't then just hit UT 12, but if you go to the North rim, head back north to UT 12, one of the best roads in the nation. Red Canyon SP, Bryce Canyon, Escalante Canyon, Capitol Reef NP... the hits just keep on coming. When you get to Henryville, turn south on 95 and run the White Canyon (kinda boring the first 20 miles or so, but then gets pretty). From there, you're in the Four Corners area. You can jump up to Cortez and catch Mesa Verde, then over thru Durango and east on 160. You can then drop south at Pagosa Springs down thru Chama and catch 64 east.

Or, you can drop down thru Monument Valley (I wasn't that impressed, pretty in a cowboy sort of way), then cut across northern New Mexico. Lots of good roads across the mountains, but 64 east makes the most sense.

Whichever route you take, try to exit the mountains east of Taos on US. 64 thru Cimmaron Canyon. If you drop any further south, you're back on I-40. But you're pretty much screwed any way after Cimarron Canyon, as you start across the plains...but you can hang on 64-412 east thru Tulsa, then get into some good twisties back in the Ozarks across northern Ark.

Either of those routes would be a good five day ride or so, depending on how much stopping you do, and how far you ride in a day, but better plan on 400 to 500 mile days...

I think that's the route I would ride, even above the option of going north at Henryville and going thru Moab, UT or Grand Junction and catching some other high country roads. Be advised, it can be very cold in the mountains in early June. Be prepared!

 

[worldbound4now]

Keep me going east-west and share you "must-ride" roads.
Thanks.

Head west out of Vegas through Pahrump, shoshone, and Death Valley and off to Lone Pine. Pick your passion heading furhter west until you hit the pacific. Head south to LA and hook up with a merchant marine and have a ball. Good luck getting around the world in 5 days.

 

[fjrb0]

Keep me going east-west and share you "must-ride" roads.
Thanks.

Head west out of Vegas through Pahrump, shoshone, and Death Valley and off to Lone Pine. Pick your passion heading furhter west until you hit the pacific. Head south to LA and hook up with a merchant marine and have a ball. Good luck getting around the world in 5 days.

 

[I'mAllIn]

Keep me going east-west and share you "must-ride" roads.
Thanks.

Head west out of Vegas through Pahrump, shoshone, and Death Valley and off to Lone Pine. Pick your passion heading furhter west until you hit the pacific. Head south to LA and hook up with a merchant marine and have a ball. Good luck getting around the world in 5 days.

:glare: :glare: :glare:

Very funny...! I need to freshen-up on the whole compass thingy. Let's try West-East. Ha, much better. I'm actually pretty set on my routes. I'll camp in the Durango arear for (3) days and ride from there.

 

[atxrider]

I highly recommend taking I-15 up to St. George, then taking 9 thru Zion NP. If time allows, drop south then thru Fredonia down to Jacob Lake, and hit the north rim of the Grand Canyon. If you can't then just hit UT 12, but if you go to the North rim, head back north to UT 12, one of the best roads in the nation. Red Canyon SP, Bryce Canyon, Escalante Canyon, Capitol Reef NP... the hits just keep on coming. When you get to Henryville, turn south on 95 and run the White Canyon (kinda boring the first 20 miles or so, but then gets pretty). From there, you're in the Four Corners area. You can jump up to Cortez and catch Mesa Verde, then over thru Durango and east on 160. You can then drop south at Pagosa Springs down thru Chama and catch 64 east.
Whichever route you take, try to exit the mountains east of Taos on US. 64 thru Cimmaron Canyon. If you drop any further south, you're back on I-40. But you're pretty much screwed any way after Cimarron Canyon, as you start across the plains...but you can hang on 64-412 east thru Tulsa, then get into some good twisties back in the Ozarks across northern Ark.

I rode this basic route about a month ago. Amazing. My only change would be to do a loop on the San Juan Skyway in Colorado. From Cortez, take 145 north, which hits 62 and go up to Montrose. From there, you can go to Hwy 92 and run the Black Canyon of the Gunnison north rim and then come back down the million dollar highway to Durango. You can take 160 to Pagosa Springs and then 84 to NM 64 through the San Juan Mountains.

If you want pictures of what you will be missing if you don't ride this route...here is my ride report. I would not do it any other way.

Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico

You have an awesome trip ahead of you. Enjoy it.

Regards,

Davy