By Tim Kessel

History, tragedy, intrigue and adventure may sound like the elements of a Shakespearean drama, but for our purposes here, they are the elements one will experience on a loop ride circumnavigating rugged Central Arizona mountains and the impressive Colorado River basin.

Yes, just riding is enough. We all know that. But, when a great ride is dotted with fascinating highlights, it can take a superior trip to the level of sublime. That is exactly what I experienced on this tour.

Prescott, Ariz., is the beginning and ending point of this nearly 500-mile adventure. I start my ride along Prescott’s infamous Whiskey Row. Traveling south on Montezuma Street, historic saloons and hotels rise up with impressive facades. Across the street is Prescott’s beautiful central park surrounding Yavapai County Courthouse. This former Arizona Territory capital exudes an Old West charm that is enhanced by its raucous history. Clearly, if these streets and saloons could talk, the stories would make a calloused cowboy blush.

Just south of Prescott, in the Bradshaw Mountains, the real riding excitement begins. This early stretch of state Highway 89, which carves a path through the pine trees of Prescott National Forest, is a serpentine delight. The sweepers and hairpins spark a heightened heart rate and an indelible grin. The tarmac changes hue from light gray to red and to black as it undulates through the evergreens.

At the small town of Wilholt, the road uncoils, and I have a chance to relax my shoulders as the big BMW R 1200 GS picks up speed on the straight run. I roll through the beautiful ranchland of Peeples Valley before slowing as I enter Yarnell. If that name sounds familiar, it is likely due to the national media coverage that resulted from an unimaginable tragedy that occurred in 2013. In June of that year, 19 firefighting “hotshots” lost their lives in a wildfire.

As I roll into the newly completed Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park, I am greeted by a bronze statue that pays homage to the bravery of the fallen heroes. I spend time reading the signs and considering their sacrifice. It is a powerful experience.

The rest of the road winding below the memorial is as entertaining a stretch of blacktop as you will experience on two wheels. The views are spectacular, and first gear is the rule of the day on the foot-peg grinding turns. At the bottom, the road straightens near Congress, as the high-desert horizon unfolds.

I ride through a number of “don’t blink” towns, headed southwest toward the Colorado River. After gassing up in Quartzsite, I make my way to my lodging.

I had reserved a cabin on the Colorado River in the little town of Ehrenberg. After stopping by the office of the Arizona Oasis RV Resort to pick up my key, I motor down and park next to the cabin, which seems barely bigger than my BMW. After watching the sunset over the mighty Colorado River with a glass of good bourbon, I spend the night in that comfortable little abode.

Back on the road the next morning, I ride over the deep blue waters of the Colorado into California. Passing through Blythe, I head north toward an ancient mystery. I leave U.S. Highway 95 and take a very short dirt road leading to the Blythe Intaglios—a series of huge, stylized figures inscribed in the desert landscape. The geoglyphs were first discovered in 1931 by an Army Air Corps pilot. The reason for the six clustered figures is unknown, but a study by the University of California, Berkeley, has dated them to around 900 AD.

After spending some time contemplating the ancients, I head north on U.S. 95. It is a fun, sweeping ride through the arid desert, flanking the mighty Colorado River. I cross back over the river into Arizona and head north toward Lake Havasu City.

The ride becomes strikingly beautiful, as crimson rock cliffs line the desert waterway. Many stretches of the road give elevated views of the blue-green flow. I pass by a vibrant wetlands area as I roll through a portion of the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge.

Entering the city, I motor toward Lake Havasu’s impressive and incongruous centerpiece—the London Bridge. Yes, the historic London Bridge was bought by city founder Robert P. McCulloch Sr. of chainsaw industry fame. The bridge was dismantled and shipped to Arizona, where it was rebuilt in the early 1970s to span a portion of Lake Havasu.

Back on U.S. 95, I climb into the red-hued desert hills before merging onto one of the very short stretches of interstate on this route. Interstate 40 takes me due west toward the Colorado River. Just before reaching another bridge connecting Arizona and California, I take the off ramp for the Oatman Highway.

This route takes me away from the cool waters of the Colorado and into the mountains. The road starts smooth and straight, with the Black Mountains on the horizon. Just as the road becomes curvy, I am welcomed to the outskirts of the historic mining town of Oatman by a number of abandoned mining structures and excavated earth.

The town’s main street is lined with a cluster of Old West buildings, dating to a gold find at the beginning of the 20th century. Tourists mingle with some of the town’s few permanent residents—burros. The whole scene is a somewhat surreal mix of cargo-shorted tourists, locals in period garb and “wild” equine scavengers. Traffics stops dead—no pun intended—for intermittent daily gunfight reenactments that spill off the sidewalks and into the street. Despite its quirky commercialism, Oatman has a charm about it and is worth a stop.

Above Oatman, more fun ensues. The narrow blacktop ribbon clings to the rocky escarpments of the Black Mountains as it winds toward Kingman. This is a road that demands attention. The road crests and then straightens out as it cuts toward Kingman, Ariz.

I stop in Kingman before riding a short eastern stint on I-40. I exit onto U.S. 93, which begins my southeastern route to Prescott. The open-throttle highway is a stark contrast to the hairpins of the Oatman Highway.

The last stretch of this fantastic tour is County Road 10, which takes me west through a series of long, sweeping turns into Prescott. In the end, this big loop ride is as diverse as any you will find. The road types are varied, the spectrum of environments is wide, and the road-side attractions are like a connect-the-dots exercise in entertainment.

While planning this ride, gear selection is vital. The elevation ranges from more than a mile high in Prescott to barely above sea level on the lower Colorado River. This route is best ridden in spring and fall. Plan accordingly and enjoy the ride!

Tim Kessel is an AMA member from Clarkdale, Ariz.