If you are interested in a guided tour that covers many of the best motorcycling roads in Colorado, you should check out American Motorcyclist Association's Rule the Rockies tour. Here are some of the details from the AMA web site:

"If you like the idea of riding twisty, high elevation roadways, but don't necessarily want to travel to Switzerland to do it, Rule the Rockies allows you to discover our own "American Alps" without ever leaving the State of Colorado. During this spectacular tour, you'll never be less than a mile above sea level, and at times you'll ride as high as 14,000 feet in elevation. You'll traverse a meandering loop that begins and ends in Colorado Springs. The itinerary includes legendary motorcycling routes such as Trail Ridge Road, the Million Dollar Highway, the San Juan Skyway, Independence Pass, the Mount Evans Summit Highway, the Peak to Peak Highway, and the Silver Thread Scenic Byway. These roads will bring the tour group through places like Rocky Mountain National Park, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Grand Mesa, the Royal Gorge, and Colorado National Monument, to name a few. Join us this summer and go Rule the Rockies!"

All motorcyclists should be members of AMA. Are you? If not, check their web site or call 1-800-AMA-JOIN. Thanks.

(Click on thumbnails for full-sized maps of the approximate route.)

Day 1, 230 miles. Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods, Deckers, Mt. Evans, Peak to Peak Highway, Estes Park.

Day 2, 160 miles. Estes Park, Trail Ridge Road, Willow Creek Pass, Rabbit Ears Pass, Steamboat Springs.

Day 3, 215 miles. Steamboat Springs, Gore Pass, Tennesee Pass, Leadville, Independence Pass, Aspen.

Day 4, 210 miles. Aspen, roadside hot spring, Marble, Grand Mesa, Grand Junction.

Day 5, 265 miles. Grand Junction, UT-128, Moab, Arches National Park, Grand Junction.

Day 6, 180 miles. Grand Junction, Unaweep Canyon, Ouray.

Day 7, 260 miles. Free day, option A. Ouray, Telluride, Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Silverton, Million Dollar Highway.

Day 7, 230 miles. Free day, option B. Ouray, CO-92 along the north rim of the Black Canyon, Black Canyon National Park.

Day 8, 130 miles. Ouray, Million Dollar Highway, Durango, Pagosa Springs.

Day 9, 200 miles. Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek Pass, Slumgullion Pass, Lake City, Crested Butte.

Day 10, 210 miles. Crested Butte, Monarch Pass, Royal Gorge, Colorado Springs.

CO-67 south of Deckers

Along C-103 near Echo Lake

Trail Ridge Road

CO-125 heading for Willow Creek Pass

CO-82, east side of Independence Pass

CO-133, McClure Pass.

CO-65 on Grand Mesa

CO-92, near Blue Mesa Dam

CO-92, along Black Canyon

CO-92, along Black Canyon

US-50, west side of Monarch Pass

US-50, west side of Monarch Pass