Cheyenne is home to more than a few motorcycle lovers, and every year even more motorcycle riders cruise through town on their way to destinations like Sturgis. From biker clubs to casual riders, many come through Paris of the West, but are you hitting the best motorcycle routes in Cheyenne while you’re here?
5 Best Scenic Motorcycle Routes near Cheyenne
For this article, Visit Cheyenne went to the experts at Cheyenne Motorsports to talk about some of the best motorcycle routes in the area, They gave us some great feedback - some of it a bit more involved than we need to be for the purpose of this article. But we have some great feedback - and we're here to give it all to you!
1. Happy Jack Road
This is most likely the shortest motorcycle route on the list. If you are only taking Happy Jack from Cheyenne, it will be an out-and-back ride - though you can use I-80 to turn it into a loop. Happy Jack road is a great way to have a shorter motorcycle ride while seeing beautiful scenery.
Round trip for this one will take you a little less than an hour and a half, making it ideal for those who want a scenic motorcycle ride with limited time.
Happy Jack Motorcycle Route Highlights
“Happy Jack is fascinating more than anything,” says Nick Dodgeson, the owner of Cheyenne Motorsports and an avid rider, “You go from prairie, hit all that green as you get close to (Curt Gowdy State Park) and then you get up the hill and suddenly you’re in the mountains.”
Nick adds that while Happy Jack has a typical speed limit of 65 mph, you don’t want to go fast on this fun motorcycle trip - there’s too much to see!
Spots to see and stop at on the Happy Jack motorcycle route include the always fun and delicious Bunkhouse Bar and Grill, Curt Gowdy State Park and Pole Mountain (more on this one later!), and the Lincoln Memorial Monument.
2. US-85 and The Albin Loop
US-85 in Laramie County runs from Denver, Colorado to Lusk, Wyoming. This highway runs through Cheyenne, and then to the Northeast to Goshen County. Known as one of the best motorcycle rides near Cheyenne, this highway is a direct route into the heart of farm and ranch country in Eastern Wyoming, and part of a route to the Dakotas.
US-85 Motorcycle Route Highlights
Using US-85 for a joy ride could be a great way to explore Laramie County and southeastern Wyoming. One possible route is, of course, an out-and-back style ride - going from Cheyenne to Torrington and back.
Another possibility is what we are calling “The Albin Loop” taking US-85 to the small town of Albin, then using paved county roads to loop south to Pine Bluffs and then back to Cheyenne. Whatever you decide, US-85 can be an excellent jumping off point for more exploration on your motorcycle ride! The map above shows The Albin Loop, and uses Highway 30 to return to Cheyenne from Pine Bluffs.
4. Horse Creek Road
In a total rookie move, our initial list didn’t include Horse Creek Road and we were rightly chastised for it. One of the best and most scenic motorcycle rides near Cheyenne, Horse Creek Road offers a mostly paved road that can take you from just north of Cheyenne to the small town of Chugwater without ever setting wheel on an interstate.
Horse Creek Motorcycle Route Highlights
This scenic motorcycle route would involve taking Horse Creek Road from Cheyenne to Chugwater and back. In total, that would be around three hours, though you can shave some time off by taking I-25 back to Cheyenne.
On Horse Creek Road you will pass over vast ranch land, several creeks including the Horse and Chugwater. You’ll also be given a full, beautiful view of the Laramie Range and their foothills.
One thing of note, the last 20 miles of Horse Creek Road going into Chugwater are made of well-packed dirt. However, folks at Cheyenne Motorsports say this very doable with a street bike or cruiser as long as the road is dry.
5. Highway 30
Going from Cheyenne to Pine Bluffs is a great day trip on your motorcycle, with chances to hike the bluffs, visit Pine Bluffs Distillery and visit with the local folks at the local diner, Sadie’s Cafe.
Getting there, however, has two basic routes - take the short and straight path of I-80, or ride the old Highway 30. Many riders would recommend the latter!
Highway 30 Motorcycle Route Highlights
Highway 30, also known as the I-80 Service Road, offers a slower speed limit, less traffic and easy riding from Cheyenne to Pine Bluffs. The highway switches to the south side of I-80 at the Burns exit, and has a short detour into farm country further south before switching back to the north side just outside Pine Bluffs.
A fun part of Highway 30 is all the detours you can take on county roads and the places you can visit, making this one of the best motorcycle rides you can take near Cheyenne. Spots to stop at include the town of Burns, or heading south on Road 154 and visit Pine Ranch for a homesteading experience (you will want to call ahead on that one, of course).
Many county roads are dirt roads kept in pretty good shape, but there are also plenty of paved roads as well.
6. Vedauwoo
If dual sport, adventure bikes or dirt bikes are your thing, this is a great place to visit. Being able to take a bike off-road and have a fun adventure is a great way to spend an afternoon, and Vedauwoo offers one of the best ways to do it.
Offroading Adventures Highlights
Local riders and off-road enthusiasts, Eldon and Terry Hongo (who also own and run The Bunkhouse off Happy Jack Road) say this is one of their favorites. You can access Vedauwoo from Vedauwoo Glen Road off I-80.
You can also take the scenic route on your motorcycle via Happy Jack Road and access the Pole Mountain area. The Hongos recommend unpaved roads like the various 701 roads (A, B, C, etc.) and Telephone Roads as great places for off-road adventures.
While you’re there make sure to check out the various beaver ponds, and hiking trails that can be accessed. As a whole, this area offers beautiful scenery, plenty of chances for adventure, and incredible granite stone formations unlike anything else on earth.
7. The Dodgson Loop
Before we get to our bonus round, let’s talk about some big, winding trips you can take without venturing too far from Cheyenne. These motorcycle routes are typically loops, and take you through a diverse mix of terrains and scenery.
Fair warning, this is a longer route, but according to Nick Dodgson it’s worth every minute. Nick isn’t the only person who rides this loop, but he is the first to tell us about it. So for the time being, we dub this route “The Dodgson Loop!”
The Laramie County Sampler
Nick says this is a long route that is beginner-friendly for motorcycles while giving the rider a variety of riding conditions and scenery. It all starts with the route we talked about with Horse Creek Road going to Chugwater.
From Chugwater, you’ll take Lone Tree Road (WY-313) East all the way to US-85 just south of Hawk Springs. Heading South on US-85 you will turn East on WY-151 to the town of La Grange. From La Grange, it’s a turn south on County Road 162 south through the town of Albin and on to Pine Bluffs. Finally, from Pine Bluffs, you can take your choice of I-80 of the old Highway 30 back into Cheyenne.
In total, this motorcycle trip takes about 3 and a half hours, but it takes you all over Laramie County - a sampler of scenery and roads. From the Laramie Range on Horse Creek Road to the creeks and bluffs of Chugwater to the plains and farmland Americana of Albin, this is a beautiful cruising route for motorcycles, especially in the summer.
Best of all, thanks to most of the motorcycle route being paved and the speed limits being below 70 mph, this is a trip that can be taken on a beginner-friendly bike as easily as it could be on a big cruiser.
Bonus: Medicine Bow
While Medicine Bow National Forest is farther than other routes we’ve listed, its easily accessible beauty as a U.S. motorcycle route cannot be ignored. This is one of the best rides for adventure bikers looking for a bit of off-road fun, or road bikers looking for some mountain beauty and fun “twisties”.
Medicine Bow Motorcycle Route Highlights
The primary motorcycle routes through Medicine Bow are Highway 130 in the north and 230 to the south. While 230 is a great ride, 130 travels through the entirety of the forest from East to West and can lead you to other great stops in Carbon County.
How you get there from Cheyenne is up to you. I-80 is the quickest way as you hit 130 in Laramie. You can also take Happy Jack Road for a scenic motorcycle route or, for your adventure riders, try out Fisher Canyon Road, which runs from Horse Creek Road to Laramie.
It should also be noted that these roads are either closed or potentially dangerous during the winter, so riders would be wise to stick to late spring, summer, and early to mid-fall for rides in the forest. Spring and Summer rides can be utterly beautiful, and mid-fall offers a splash of gold as the aspen tree leaves change color.