GMRW Ride Map #7

Some motorcycle roads are beautiful. Others are unforgettable. The Mount St. Helens Run is both. Twisting through deep valleys, across soaring bridges, and into the heart of Washington's most famous blast zone, this ride carries you through a landscape unlike any other in America. Forty-six years after the eruption of May 18, 1980, the mountain still bears the scars of that violent morning, while rivers, forests, and wildflowers slowly reclaim the land. Along the way, riders are treated to sweeping curves, breathtaking viewpoints, and a front-row seat to one of the greatest geological stories ever witnessed by modern man. From the quiet forests near Castle Rock to the shattered slopes surrounding the volcano itself, every mile reveals another chapter in a story still being written. Stand where Harry Truman made his final stand above Spirit Lake, gaze across valleys carved by mudflows and volcanic ash, and witness firsthand the remarkable recovery of a landscape that refused to stay broken. This is more than a motorcycle ride—it is a journey through destruction, resilience, and renewal, set against one of the most awe-inspiring backdrops in the Pacific Northwest.

The Columbia Gorge is one of those rare places where the journey feels larger than the destination. Following State Route 14 along the Washington shore, riders trace the path of the mighty Columbia River through a landscape shaped by fire, water, wind, and time. Towering basalt cliffs rise from the river’s edge, their layers revealing the volcanic forces that helped create the Pacific Northwest millions of years ago. Along the way, the road repeatedly disappears into tunnels blasted through the rock, only to emerge moments later into sweeping vistas of blue water, rugged canyon walls, and distant horizons. What makes this ride truly unforgettable is the transformation. In just a few miles, the deep green forests of Western Washington give way to the golden hills and open skies of the east, with no mountain pass marking the transition. It feels as though you are crossing between two different worlds. Every tunnel, every curve, and every overlook reveals another chapter in the story of the Gorge. This is not simply a ride beside a river—it is a ride through the geological history of Washington itself, where the road, the river, and the landscape combine to create one of the most unique and memorable motorcycle journeys in the Pacific Northwest.

The Yakima Canyon Run follows one of Washington's most underrated motorcycle roads, tracing the course of the Yakima River through a canyon carved over millions of years from ancient volcanic rock. Between Ellensburg and Selah, State Route 821 winds for roughly 25 miles alongside the river, where towering basalt cliffs rise more than 2,000 feet above the canyon floor and golden hills roll away toward the horizon. This is a road built for riders—not because of extreme curves or dramatic elevation changes, but because of its effortless rhythm. The river bends, the road follows, and mile after mile the canyon unfolds in a steady flow of sweepers, cliffs, cottonwoods, and open sky. Keep an eye on the ridgelines and you may spot bighorn sheep standing watch above the highway, while hawks, eagles, and falcons circle the thermals overhead in one of Washington's richest wildlife corridors. Once the main route between Yakima and Ellensburg, this historic canyon road remains a welcome escape from the interstate, offering a slower pace and a deeper connection to the landscape. Here, water has spent ages carving its way through layers of volcanic stone, creating a ride that feels less like a destination and more like a conversation between river, road, and canyon.

The Klickitat Canyon Loop is one of those rides that reminds you Washington still has empty country left. From Lyle and Bingen up through White Salmon, BZ Corner, Glenwood, and Klickitat, the road climbs out of the Columbia Gorge and into a world of ranch land, pine breaks, volcanic cliffs, and wide-open sky. The Klickitat River is one of Washington’s longest free-flowing rivers, cutting through a basalt landscape thousands of feet thick, while Mount Adams rises above the route like a snow-covered giant watching over the whole ride. The magic is in the variety: one minute you are riding tight canyon country, the next you are rolling through high meadows near Glenwood where Adams feels close enough to hit with a spitwad, and then suddenly you are standing at an overlook with the Klickitat Canyon spread out below you like the earth cracked open just for motorcycles. Klickitat County sits in that strange and beautiful transition zone where the wet side gives way to the dry side, often described as “the land where the sun meets the rain,” and this loop lets riders feel that change mile by mile. It is not just a scenic road; it is a full Washington experience packed into one loop: river, canyon, volcano, ranch country, old towns, sweeping curves, and views that stay with you long after the engine cools.