BEST MOTORCYCLE RIDES IN SOUTH CAROLINA

ROUTE: Hwy 28
DISTANCE: 17 miles
TIME: 30 mins

Highway 28 is a fantastic motorcycle road in South Carolina with great curves, beautiful scenery & not a lot of traffic. You’ll ride through long, sweeping curves as well as some fast, flat segments in the valley. Continue north for some more great riding through Georgia and into Highlands, North Carolina. The quality of the pavement is very good as well. Gorgeous rural and mountain state park scenery and smooth rolling sweepers will make this a thoroughly enjoyable motorcycle road. For a longer loop ride, check out SC-107 north through NC to US-64, and back down Hwy 28 for a great 55 mile tri-state motorcycle route.


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ROUTE: SC-11
DISTANCE: 194 miles
TIME: 4 hours

The Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy is a SC motorcycle ride that will take you through the northwest portion of South Carolina’s high country. It’s packed with views of mountains, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, forests and wildlife. Check out the open rockface of Table Rock State Park that overlooks the rolling mountains and dense forests of the Blue Ridge Escarpment region. While there’s not much by the way of curves and twisting turns, (it’s probably one of the more straight scenic byways you could take) you will ride along gently rolling hills and beautiful parks. It’s a great way to explore the northern portion of the state, and it connects many of the state’s best motorcycle rides on this list such as Hwy 28 and US-276.


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ROUTE: US-276
DISTANCE: 16 miles
TIME: 30 mins

If you’re looking for a twisting mountain road with epic overlook scenery, this is the road for you! US-276 splits from the above mentioned Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, and can be started in Cleveland, SC. Most of this South Carolina motorcycle road will take you through Caesar’s Head State Park and offers stunning panoramic views at the lookout area along the way. It’s a quick ascent up the mountain, as you navigate the heavily wooded, tree-lined curves. This ride is recommended in all four seasons, but the fall foliage arguably makes autumn the ideal time to travel this route.
(photo: ctx1300forum.com)


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ROUTE: Hwy 28, SC-81
DISTANCE: 84 miles
TIME: 2 hours

Looking for a peaceful, relaxing motorcycle ride in South Carolina? This is the route for you. Start this route in Clarks Hill on Hwy 28, and ride up alongside the states border on SC-81. You’ll be riding through sections of the Sumpter National Forest with some beautiful wooded scenery, and nice gentle sweepers. This route follows near the Savannah River up to the Anderson, SC area. Its an easy ride, smooth, isolated, yet fun – all with minimal traffic.


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ROUTE: SC-61
DISTANCE: 51 miles
TIME: 1 hour

This great motorcycle ride in South Carolina, is also known as the Ashley River Road National Scenic Byway, and considered a national treasure by many. While a shorter ride, it encapsulates the history of the state of South Carolina like no other. The four-lane road becomes two lanes when it enters the Ashley River Historic District. The Ashley River Road runs through a National Register Historic District lined with oaks and hickory trees that arch over the roadway. There’s also a few state parks that are worth the stop to check out along the way. The road travels through orchards and small villages; crosses Lake Keowee and runs by Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and Middleton Place Plantation.


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ROUTE: US-178
DISTANCE: 43 miles
TIME: 1 hour

This is a great ride from Anderson, SC all the way past the North Carolina border to the Brevard area. The northern portion of this road is through beautiful wooded areas that rises and falls down through the countryside. While there’s no steep inclines, there are some switchbacks with a speed limit of 5 mph. This twisting, turning road will test your riding skills and keep your attention focused. There are numerous side trips available to various waterfall locations throughout this route. Autumn is perhaps the best season to ride this portion of US-178, as the fall colors really showcase this time of year. Combine this with US-276 in the northern part of this route to make a great loop ride in some of South Carolina’s finest motorcycle roads!


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ROUTE: River Rd, Longtown Rd
DISTANCE: 38 miles
TIME: 1 hour

For a beautiful ride just northeast of Columbia, check out this S Carolina motorcycle route which traces the shore of Lake Wateree. There’s a lot of twists and turns along River Rd, which will take the motorcycle rider through Lake Wateree State Park. Connect onto Longtown Road and continue east to US-601 into Camden, South Carolina. For a longer loop ride, you can navigate around the northern part of the lake on Hwy 97. The road condition is not as good, but it would make for great longer day ride.


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GreatMotorcycleRoads.com is the place to find the best motorcycle roads and rides near South Carolina and the Southeast United States. Discover more great motorcycle roads in the Southeast with our detailed route descriptions and Google Maps links!