Branson Motorcycle Tour - Self Drive Motorcycle Tour

Day 1: Branson Arrival

Arrive in Branson – an exciting place for folks of all ages - and transfer to your hotel. It almost feels like being in a “mini-Nashville” – you can enjoy a huge variety of shows in the entertainment capital of Ozark Mountain Country. Overnight.

Day 2: Branson - Mountain View

This morning you pick up your bike at Eagle Rider’s Branson location and are off into a ride through the infamous Ozarks. You head south into Arkansas, and ride via Mountain Home, along the Ozark National Forest into Mountain View. One of the Ozarks’ most active crossroads, Mountain View’s lively cultural heritage is evident in its community events. Enjoy the quaint and charming historic downtown square with great shops and food. Overnight.

Day 3: Mountain View - Eureka Springs

This morning you might want to visit Blanchard Caverns (a stunning place to cool off in the summer) – just a few miles outside Mountain View – pick up Hwy 66, cruise the valley floor and climb up to big panoramas. At Leslie you pick up Hwy 65 to Harrison, the “Crossroads of the Ozarks”, certainly one of the most scenic sections! Continue through Boxley Valley, where the elk herds are visible most days. After being hunted to extinction in Arkansas earlier in the twentieth century, elk were re-introduced to the Wilderness areas of the Buffalo River in the 1980’s. You ride past old farm houses nestled in forests clinging to 2100 feet tall mountains and continue west to pick up Hwy 23 North, the “Pig Trail National Byway”, which will take you all the way into Eureka Springs, the famous spa resort town, which is your stop for tonight.

Day 4: Eureka Springs - Springfield

You are leaving the beautiful Ozark Mountain scenery for a short while and head back into Missouri, riding the southwest corner up to Joplin, an old railroad center, and a stop en route the Old Mother Road. From here you will pick up Route 66 and enjoy a ride down “Memory Lane” all the way into Springfield, the birthplace of Old Route 66. En route you might want to stop in Carthage to see the beautiful old courthouse. Springfield’s past is evident in the historic houses and buildings along Walnut Street and in the Midtown district. Overnight.

Day 5: Springfield - Rolla

Today you stick with the Old Mother Road and head east. Your ride will take you via the well-known towns of Conway and Lebanon, originally named after the Wyota Indians. In the late 1800’s residents discovered that the city’s water contained magnetic properties and people flocked to the Gasconade Hotel to bathe in the water that was said to contain healing qualities. You continue along scenic Mark Twain National Forest and will arrive in Rolla, founded in 1855. A group of railroad contractors built an office and a few warehouses near the farm of John Webber. The prospect of the railroad attracted 600 people within the following six months, and in 1857 a search for a town name began. Overnight.

Day 6: Rolla - West Plains

From Rolla you take Hwy 19 and can enjoy the incredible scenery of the Ozarks, one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. You ride along the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which embrace portions of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers. Land along both sides of the rivers is protected. Forests with many varieties of trees, shrubs and wildflowers cover three-fourths of the riverways. The area is noted for its many springs, and you might want to experience a flashlight tour of Round Spring Cavern near Round Spring. Stick with Hwy 19 all the way down to Thayer, the Grand Gulf State Park – many times referred to as the “little Grand Canyon”. The 130-foot deep chasm was left when nearly three- quarters of a mile of cavern roof collapsed. Ride over to West Plains, your stop for this night. Overnight.

Day 7: West Plains - Branson

Leaving West Plains on Hwy 160, it’s a straight shot back into Branson. Your ride will take you via the northern tip of Bull Shoals Lake, a rural resort area offering fishing, camping, boating, picnicking and other recreational opportunities. Once you arrive back in Branson, it will be time to return your motorcycle at Eagle Rider’s Branson store and transfer back to your hotel. Overnight.

Day 8: Branson Departure

Today your most wonderful adventure will come to and end with your departure flight back home.