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posted: March 12, 2025
tl;dr: Four fun rides from Scottsdale that feature great roads, scenery, and biker-friendly restaurants...
Arizona Bike Week is an annual celebration of motorcycle riding and culture that happens in early April. It’s centered in Scottsdale. Here are four great rides of varying duration that take into account the time of year, as it may be too early to do longer rides in the northern mountains. All maps leave from Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale (HDOS), which also has a lot going on during Bike Week. Click on the map image to open the map on maps.harley-davidson.com.
Tortilla Flat
This first ride features two great sections: the Bush Highway past Saguaro Lake (stop off at the Water Recreation Area), and then the Apache Highway up to Tortilla Flat. Have a meal at the Tortilla Flat Saloon, and be sure to try the prickly pear lemonade. The Apache Highway ends shortly after Tortilla Flat, I recommend turning around at the saloon and gift shop area. It used to go through to Roosevelt Lake but part of it got washed away and hasn’t been rebuilt (it’s a long story).
Bartlett Lake and Cave Creek
This next ride heads on the fun access road to Bartlett Lake and then returns to Cave Creek, which has lots of biker hangouts. Check out the famous Hideaway or the Roadhouse. There will be lots of bikes and people there during Bike Week, Cave Creek is a must see.
South Mountain
If you want a great view of Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun that you can ride to, you can't beat South Mountain. Unfortunately there’s no way to avoid city streets getting there. This route tries to make it a bit interesting by going past the airport to the Visitor Center, where you can stop off, take a rest, and talk to a ranger. Beware of Silent Sunday: the road from the visitor center is closed on the fourth Sunday of every month (this shouldn’t be an issue during Bike Week).
The fun part is the very twisty road up the mountain. Take it slow, especially if you’ve never done it before. Be sure to stop off at all three parking areas to enjoy the views. The Gila Valley lookout off TV Road provides fantastic views to the south, Dobbins provides great views of Phoenix and the valley to the north, and Buena Vista lookout is also interesting and less crowded, although the parking area is sloped and small. Skip Buena Vista if you only have time for two. If you want to grab a traditional Mexican meal, try Poncho's on Central Ave just to the north of the park. For barbeque, head on some more city streets to Frasher’s Smokehouse on Indian School Road.
Yarnell and Bagdad
For a longer ride head to the mining town of Bagdad. The fun parts are the twisties up the mountain to Yarnell, where you can cut the ride short by stopping at Gilligan's be sure to try the meatballs. Or continue on more mountain roads all the way to the copper mining town of Bagdad, where the Copper Country Bar & Grill is a good place to eat.
Enjoy!