CMA HeartBeat November 2024 | Page 10

RECOMMENDED RIDES

RECOMMENDED RIDES

By MARK Heid
10βŽͺNOVEMBER 2024βŽͺwww . cmausa . org
Distance : 200
Ride Time : 5.0 + Attractions :
Shell Falls Interpretive Center
Bighorn Mountains Granite Pass Powder River Pass
Restaurants : Lisa ’ s , Greybull Bear Lodge , Dayton

ASK

someone to describe their favorite motorcycle ride and they will tell you about beautiful vistas , wildly varying scenery , sweeping curves , switchbacks , wide open spaces , mountain passes , small towns , minimal traffic , waterfalls , river bottoms , oneof-a-kind restaurants , and the motorcyclists you meet along the way . Well , I have a ride for you that includes all of those and much more . I might be slightly biased as it is right in my backyard .
The Bighorn Mountain Loop travels through Sheridan , Buffalo , Ten Sleep , and Greybull , Wyoming . It crosses two
mountain passes and portions of the Bighorn and Powder River Basins . The 250-mile trip takes about five hours to complete .
You can start this ride anywhere along the route , but I ' ll start there since Sheridan is where I call home . Take a short 15-mile run up Interstate 90 to Exit 9 , where you will catch Highway 14 West traveling through the towns of Ranchester and Dayton . Once you pass through Dayton , the road gets interesting . Prepare for curves , switchbacks , and scenic overlooks of the Powder River Basin . Watch for wildlife as you encounter deer , elk , moose , bear , or smaller critters .
Burgess Junction is 25 miles above Dayton and has several dining options at either of the three lodges within a few miles of the intersection . Continue on Highway 14 ( not 14A ) to cross Granite Pass at 9,045 feet and descend down the Bighorn Mountains ' western side . The Shell Falls Interpretive Site and rest area are well worth the stop and a short walk to the waterfall .
Continuing to drop elevation , you will follow Shell Creek , ride through the small town of Shell , and on into Greybull . As you enter Greybull , Lisa ' s Restaurant is another excellent dining option on the right-hand side .
In Greybull , turn left on US Hwy 16 / 20 to Worland and then take another left to stay on Hwy 16 and continue to the small western town of Ten Sleep . From here , you head back into the mountains and across Buffalo . This