Head Out on the Highway With These Texas Motorcycle Trips

Many motorcyclists begin to view the roads they travel very differently than people driving cars. The experience of riding in the open air on a good road is very different than taking the same route in a car. Somehow the world seems to open up more, rather than being distanced by the effect of being insulated inside the cab of an automobile.

When I’ve gotten outside of the city and stumbled across an area where the roads are good and the scenery is nice, I almost invariably think about how it would make a cool area to ride my motorcycle. So I started doing some research to find a few great places around the Lone Star State to ride, and unsurprisingly there are quite a few areas all over Texas that come highly recommended for a motorcycle road trip.

Photos by John Perser, Kolin Toney, Steve, David, Roy Luck, Bobby Ketchum, Adrian Delgado2012, Colin J. McMechan, Andy, Josh Henderson and uhltank.

Here are a few motorcycle rides worth checking out.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): About 100 miles northwest of San Antonio is a series of roads widely considered to be the best Texas has to offer for experienced motorcyclists looking for a scenic road trip.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): The Three Sisters ride is a 100 mile loop of curves and twistys along Ranch Roads 335, 336 and 337.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): It is possible to take a journey beginning and ending in the town of Leakey – a trek full of twisting roads through beautiful and rustic Central Texas landscape.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): The trip consists of panoramic views, through canyons and hills, and is not recommended for inexperienced riders.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): There are a handful of stops along the way that motorcyclists will find interesting, including a motorcycle museum, making the trip ideal for riders with a decent amount of riding experience under their belts.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, a nice stop on the Three Sisters route.
Three Sisters (or The 100 Mile Loop): The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, a nice stop on the Three Sisters route.
Willow City Loop: A few miles outside of Fredricksburg in Central Texas is the Willow City Loop, a beautifully scenic 20 mile ride starting in the tiny town of Willow City.
Willow City Loop: The loop will take riders up and around beautiful hills, and the trip is a destination for people who enjoy wildflowers, as they are particularly noteworthy in the area.
Willow City Loop: There are a couple of bars catering to motorcyclists in the area, and the trip is a pretty one.
Willow City Loop: Riders should watch out for cattle guards and other potential road hazards.
Willow City Loop: Riders are cautioned to watch out for cattle on the road.
Willow City Loop: Riders should be aware that sightseers in cars will sometimes jam up the area.
Farm to Market Road 149
Farm to Market Road 149: Just west of Montgomery is about 30 miles of twisting road that cuts through the edges of Sam Houston National Forest, providing motorcyclists with a scenic ride through some beautiful pines.
Farm to Market Road 149: The journey gives way to hilly fields, which are great for seeing wild flowers when they’re in bloom.
Farm to Market Road 149: There are enough places to stop to eat or stretch one’s legs along the ride to make it a pleasant one for a motorcyclist with an intermediate level of skill.
Sam Houston National Forest Trails
Sam Houston National Forest Trails: Owners of dirt bikes can also enjoy the natural beauty of the Sam Houston National Forest, as there are 85 miles of marked trails open for their use near the northeastern and northwestern areas of Lake Conroe.
Sam Houston National Forest Trails: The trails go through the lush forested park and over many bridges, making for a fun day on two wheels, and only costs $5 per person per day to ride them.
Sam Houston National Forest Trails: Most of the rides on this list are for road bikes, but the Sam Houston National Forest is beautiful, and makes for a great ride for any owner of a dirt bike.
Farm Market Road 170 Presidio County: Starting in the tiny far western community of Candelaria is Farm Road 170, a highway which offers adventurous motorcyclists the opportunity to travel a little over one hundred miles along the Texas border.
Farm Market Road 170 Presidio County: 170 is also known to locals as “The River Road,” because part of it skirts along the U.S. Side of the Rio Grande River.
Farm Market Road 170 Presidio County: The road winds its way through some scenic areas of West Texas, including ghost towns and a portion of Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Farm Market Road 170 Presidio County: The latter part of the journey is through a more mountainous area which includes steep inclines and sharp turns.
Farm Market Road 170 Presidio County: This trip is considered by some to be one of the cooler motorcycle routes in Texas.
Farm Market Road 170 Presidio County: , Pretty impressive considering just how many great ones there are here in Texas.
Galveston Seawall Through Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge: Adventurous riders can ride their motorcycles down I-45 all the way to Galveston Island and cruise along the Seawall for a nice break from Houston. I won’t lie and say that the freeway trip out of Houston is a lot of fun, but once a person gets on the road out of Houston, things change quickly.
Galveston Seawall Through Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge: There’s always been something magical to me about the fact that our city is located so closely to the ocean, and my mood always changes for the better when I get to the coast for the day.
Galveston Seawall Through Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge: In my opinion, there’s no better way to travel along that coastline than on a motorcycle, on a nice day.
Galveston Seawall Through Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge: With a little planning, a person can make their way from the Seawall until they find County Road 227, which will lead them through the coastal prairies and marshes of the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge.
Galveston Seawall Through Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge: They can then get back to 45 and head back to the Houston area, creating a large loop from the trip.