Seattle, WA – Arrival
Distance: 0 mi / km
Start your journey in one of the most beautiful cities in the United States, Seattle. Enjoy a long leisurely stroll down the famed Seattle waterfront, take a ferry ride on Elliot Bay, visit the Space Needle, or try your hand at salmon throwing at the world-famous Pike Place Market. Tonight, you’ll meet your guide and fellow riders for dinner at a local landmark restaurant.
Seattle, WA – Winthrop, WA
Distance: 235 mi / 376 km
Say goodbye to Seattle and get a feel for your new bike on some of the most beautiful backroads in the state of Washington. Highway 9 is a north-west treasure that winds through carnation and tulip fields on its way north towards Mt Baker and North Cascades National Park. It’s quickly followed by some equally epic riding along the North Cascades Highway through some of the most stunning scenery south of the Canadian Rockies. Your stop for the night will be the small town of Winthrop, where you can reflect on an incredible first day of riding with an ice-cold beer or cool glass of wine by the river.
Winthrop, WA – Kamloops, BC
Distance: 317 mi / 507 km
Heading north, you’ll soon cross the border into the heart of Canada’s wine country, near Oliver in British Columbia. Ride scenic roads past vineyards and fruit stands and lunch along the shores of Canada’s beautiful Lake Okanogan. From here you’ll head north-west, riding through majestic mountains to Kamloops for your first true taste of Canadian hospitality.
Kamloops, BC – Jasper, AB
Distance: 292 mi / 467 km
Today you head to Alberta and the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The ride will take you along the beautiful Yellowhead Highway, where there’s a good chance of spotting eagles, deer and moose. You’ll stop at some stunning waterfalls near Clearwater before entering Mt Robson Provincial Park for picture-perfect views of the famous Emperor Face, a prized line for alpinists heading up the north-west flank of the Rockies’ highest peak, imposing Mt Robson. From here it’s on to Jasper, gateway to one of the finest roads in motorcycling history.
Jasper. AB – Banff, AB
Distance: 217 mi / 347 km
Today you’ll ride the breathtaking Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Banff through some of the most exceptional landscapes in North America. Giving you up-close views of the kind of scenery normally inaccessible by road, the parkway runs along the Continental Divide, the backbone of the Rockies. Craggy, ice-clad peaks, many rising to over 11,000 feet, tower above crystalline lakes, subalpine meadows splashed with wildflowers, and treeless tundra dusted with snow even in mid-summer. The road also passes along the fringe of the 30-square-mile Columbia Icefields, the largest subpolar glacial area in North America, and stops at Lake Louise, whose otherworldly jade-green waters are the product of mineral-rich silt washing down from the surrounding glaciers. It all culminates in the idyllically situated mountain town of Banff.
Banff, AB – Waterton Lakes, AB
Distance: 240 mi / 384 km
Start with a ride over the stunning Kananaskis Pass where big horn sheep are known to wander in the road. Lunch at the small pioneer town of Pincher Creek, then head south to Waterton Lakes National Park for the night, another of the most visually arresting parks in North America.
Waterton Lakes, AB – Whitefish, MT
Distance: 146 mi / 234 km
What better way to return to the United States than with a breathtaking ride through Glacier National Park in Montana? The park is known for its deep glacial valleys and rugged peaks, but also for the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road, an historic mountain road that’s a pure joy to ride. Tonight, explore the markets, bars and live music venues of the Montana town of Whitefish.
Whitefish, MT – Anaconda, MT
Distance: 240 mi / 384 km
After leaving Glacier National Park, you’ll soon discover why Montana is known as the Big Sky State. Sticking to two-lane roads, you’ll pass lakeshores and ride through the vast open cattle country for which the state is famous. Stop for lunch in the small pioneering town of Ovando, then ride through lands that for thousands of years were the hunting grounds of Native American tribes. End the day with a well-earned soak in the naturally heated waters of the Fairmont Hot Springs resort.
Anaconda, MT – Red Lodge, MT
Distance: 322 mi / 515 km
Today you’ll continue to explore the pioneering history of Montana, stopping in the historical gold-mining towns of Virginia and Nevada. This afternoon you’ll ride through the city of Bozeman, eventually turning off onto smaller roads to climb towards the mountain town of Red Lodge. Be sure to get some sleep as tomorrow is a day that you’ll want to remember.
Red Lodge, MT – Cody, WY
Distance: 114 mi / 182 km
Today boasts not one but two of the best motorcycle roads in North America: the dramatic, mountainous Chief Joseph Pass and the jaw-dropping Beartooth Highway that links Red Lodge to Yellowstone via a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks. You’ll cruise at a nice easy speed, stopping regularly to take photos and watch the wildlife. You’ll stay tonight in the classic western town of Cody, Wyoming, once home to Buffalo Bill Cody. After dinner, why not head to the nightly rodeo to watch cowboys on bulls and bucking broncos? This is the Wild West after all!
Cody, WY – Free day
Distance: 0 mi / km
Today you’re free to do as much or as little as you like with your free day in Cody. Cody revels in its frontier image, a legacy that started with its founder, William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody, who spent years touring the world with his Wild West extravaganza. Hear the full story at the town’s world-class complex of six museums, which covers all things ‘western’ from firearms and buffalo hunts to a brilliant exploration of Yellowstone’s rich ecosystem.
Cody, WY – West Yellowstone, MT
Distance: 178 mi / 285 km
Today will be spent winding your way through the world’s oldest national park, Yellowstone. Founded in 1872, the park is best known for its spurting geysers, bubbling mud pools, hissing fumaroles and steaming hot springs. But geothermal curiosities aren’t all it has to offer. Today you’ll pass the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, 24 miles long and up to 1,200 feet deep; Yellowstone Falls, which cascade 308 feet (nearly twice as high as Niagara) into the river below; Mammoth Hot Springs, one of the geothermal highlights; and Hayden Valley, the park’s largest meadowland, home to bear, bison, elk, moose and even Rocky Mountain wolves. Spend the night in West Yellowstone on the edge of the park.
West Yellowstone, MT – Jackson Hole, WY
Distance: 128 mi / 205 km
Today you’ll ride through the Upper Geyser Basin in the southern half of the park to see its headline attraction, Old Faithful, which, like clockwork, sends a rush of scalding water up to 184 feet in the air every 68 to 98 minutes. It may only be one of Yellowstone’s 300 geysers, but it’s by far the most beloved. From there you’ll make your way along Jackson Lake through Grand Teton National Park to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the US.
Jackson, WY – Ogden, UT
Distance: 256 mi / 410 km
Start the day by descending through the twisty Snake River Gorge out of Teton National Park into the gentle landscapes of Idaho and Utah. Lunch is along the shores of the impossibly blue Bear Lake, followed by a ride across the Wasatch Mountains through Logan River Canyon. This evening is spent in Ogden, Utah, exploring the bars and restaurants of Historic 25th Street. This notorious street was once home to brothels, thugs, thieves and card sharks, but today is a mecca for travellers, art collectors, foodies and adventurers.
Ogden, UT – Salt Lake City, UT
Distance: 100 mi / 160 km
Your last day of riding will take you through more of the Wasatch Mountains, enjoying spellbinding views of its lakes, foothills and snow-capped rocky peaks. Tonight you’ll toast the completion of the ride at EagleRider’s legendary farewell party, held at one of Salt Lake City’s famous brew pubs.
Salt Lake City, UT – Tour ends
Distance: 0 mi / km
The tour with EagleRider officially ends this morning but let us know if you’d like us to arrange any additional nights for you in Salt Lake City or elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains region.