Mississippi road guide
The best motorcycle roads in Mississippi
The best motorcycle roads in Mississippi are rides for rhythm and history, not switchbacks. The Natchez Trace Parkway carries you across the state with no trucks and no stoplights. US 61, the Blues Highway, runs through the Delta to Clarksdale, the river towns of Natchez and Vicksburg sit on the bluffs, and US 90 follows the Gulf. Here are 11 classics with why each is worth it, what to watch for and the best season.
- Roads listed
- 11
- Natchez Trace in MS
- 300+ of 444 miles
- Highest point
- Woodall Mountain, 806 ft
- Check before you go
- MDOT Traffic, NPS
Before you pick
How to use this list of the best motorcycle roads in Mississippi
Mississippi tops out at Woodall Mountain near Iuka, just 806 feet. So the roads here aren't about elevation. They're about long, quiet miles, shade, river bluffs and stops worth making: Indian mounds, battlefields, juke joints, antebellum towns and Gulf seafood. Pick a road by what you want to see.
Check conditions before you go. The Natchez Trace is run by the National Park Service, and sections can close for repairs or storm damage, so check the Natchez Trace Parkway site first. For state highways, use MDOT Traffic. The best time to ride a motorcycle in Mississippi has the season by region, and the Mississippi motorcycle rides hub has the overview.
The Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace Parkway, stage by stage
More than 300 of the parkway's 444 miles are in Mississippi. The speed limit tops out at 50 mph and drops lower in places, there are no gas stations on it, and commercial trucks aren't allowed. Ride it in stages:
- 1. Natchez to Port GibsonWhy: The southern end starts near Natchez and passes Emerald Mound, one of the largest ceremonial mounds in the country, then Mount Locust, an old inn from the days of the original trace. Stop at the Sunken Trace, where centuries of travelers wore the path deep into the soil. Watch for: Deer at dawn and dusk and the low limit. Best season: March to May, October to November.
- 2. Port Gibson to JacksonWhy: Rolling hardwood forest past Rocky Springs, the site of a vanished town, then the big open water of the reservoir as you near Ridgeland. Watch for: Bicycles on the parkway, and fuel: exit to Port Gibson or the Jackson area to fill up. Best season: March to May, October to November.
- 3. Jackson to TupeloWhy: The longest stage, past the Cypress Swamp boardwalk, the historic village at French Camp and the overlook at Jeff Busby, to the parkway visitor center in Tupelo. Elvis Presley's birthplace is in town. Watch for: Long gaps between exits, wildlife and summer storms. Best season: April to May, October.
- 4. Tupelo to TishomingoWhy: North past Pharr Mounds and Bear Creek Mound into the hills at Tishomingo State Park, with rock outcrops and a swinging bridge over Bear Creek. Woodall Mountain, the state high point, is nearby. Watch for: Deer, fog in the low spots on cool mornings and cyclists. Best season: April to May, mid-October to early November.
River towns
Natchez, Port Gibson and Vicksburg
- 5. US 61, Natchez to VicksburgWhy: The highway alternative to the Trace through wooded hills and Port Gibson, a town famous for being spared in the Civil War. Detour on MS 552 to Windsor Ruins, the columns left from a mansion that burned in 1890; check access before you go. Ride the Trace one way and US 61 back. Watch for: Truck traffic, since US 61 carries what the parkway doesn't. Best season: October to May.
- 6. Vicksburg National Military ParkWhy: The park's tour road loops about 16 miles over the siege lines, with state monuments at nearly every turn and the raised Union gunboat USS Cairo on display. Slow, quiet and moving. Watch for: People on foot, low limits and the park entrance fee. Best season: October to May.
The Delta
Blues Highway and the Delta
- 7. US 61, the Blues HighwayWhy: North from Vicksburg through Leland, home of a Highway 61 blues museum, to Clarksdale, where the Crossroads marks the meeting of US 61 and US 49 and the Delta Blues Museum tells the story. Mississippi Blues Trail markers line the way. Watch for: Crosswinds across open fields, farm equipment and crop dusters working low. Best season: October to May.
- 8. US 49 into the DeltaWhy: From Jackson to Yazoo City, where the hills drop into the flat Delta, then north as US 49 splits into 49E and 49W before rejoining near Tutwiler. Belzoni, on 49W, calls itself the catfish capital of the world. Watch for: Slow farm traffic, long gaps between towns and summer heat. Best season: October to May.
- 9. MS 1, the Great River RoadWhy: A quiet two-lane through the western Delta near the Mississippi, through small towns like Rosedale, home of Great River Road State Park. Big sky and very little traffic. Watch for: Farm trucks, gravel at field entrances and sparse fuel. Best season: October to May.
The Gulf coast
Mississippi Gulf coast roads
- 10. US 90, Bay St. Louis to Ocean SpringsWhy: Right along the beach from Old Town Bay St. Louis through Pass Christian, Long Beach and Gulfport to Biloxi, where the Biloxi Lighthouse stands in the highway median, then over the Biloxi Bay Bridge to Ocean Springs and its arts district. Watch for: Drivers pulling in and out of casino lots, sand drifting onto the lanes and heavy crowds during Cruisin' the Coast in October. Best season: October to May.
- 11. Scenic Drive, Pass ChristianWhy: A short parallel road a block off US 90, under old oaks facing the water and past grand homes. A slow, pretty detour. Watch for: Low limits, residents backing out and cyclists. Best season: October to May.
Summary
Mississippi motorcycle roads at a glance
| Road | Region | Best season |
|---|---|---|
| Trace: Natchez to Port Gibson | Southwest | Spring and fall |
| Trace: Port Gibson to Jackson | Central | Spring and fall |
| Trace: Jackson to Tupelo | Central to northeast | Apr to May, Oct |
| Trace: Tupelo to Tishomingo | Northeast | Spring and fall |
| US 61, Natchez to Vicksburg | River towns | Oct to May |
| Vicksburg National Military Park | River towns | Oct to May |
| US 61, the Blues Highway | Delta | Oct to May |
| US 49 into the Delta | Delta | Oct to May |
| MS 1, Great River Road | Delta | Oct to May |
| US 90, Gulf coast | Coast | Oct to May |
| Scenic Drive, Pass Christian | Coast | Oct to May |
In the app
Put Mississippi's roads on the Rippin' map
Mississippi is about as open as the Rippin' map gets. Ride one of these roads with Rippin' recording, then open Segments and tap Create a Segment: drop a start gate and a finish gate and trace the line. A person on our team checks it, it goes live with your name on it, and every rider who rides through it after that lands on its board. Read how roads get added.
Rippin' never rewards speed on public roads, and on the Trace that's doubly true. A board is about who owns the road and who rides it. Ride the Trace north and US 61 back and the loop closes, so the land inside becomes your turf, and every town on the way adds a passport stamp. Below is what's on the Mississippi map in the app right now.
Live from the app
Mississippi on Rippin' right now.
12 upcoming events and 0 rider-added roads in Mississippi on the map today. This list updates whenever the site is rebuilt; the app always has the latest.
- Mon Nov 2Riding the Sip - for a SoldierShubuta
- Thu Nov 5Rumble on the GulfBay St. Louis
- Sat Nov 7Cossar State Park Motorcycle ShowOakland
- Sat Nov 7Veterans Day Poker RunMeridian
- Sat Nov 7Southern Thunder HD Hometown HeroesSouthaven
- Sat Nov 21Southern Thunder Harley Holiday Kick-Off & Food DriveSouthaven
- Tue Nov 24Bike Night at Southern MS PowersportGulfport
- Thu Nov 26Rumble on the GulfBay St. Louis
- Thu Dec 10Rumble on the GulfBay St. Louis
- Sat Dec 12Confederation of Leathernecks TOYS FOR TYKES IIPicayune
- Sat Dec 19A Harley HolidaySouthaven
- Sat Apr 17National Veteran Business Expo & Motorcycle Poker RunPearl
No Mississippi roads are in the app yet. Add the one you love from Segments and a person on our team checks it before it goes live. How roads get added.
FAQ
Questions riders ask.
What is the best motorcycle road in Mississippi?
The Natchez Trace Parkway, a calm, truck-free ride from Natchez to the Alabama line. The Natchez to Port Gibson and Tupelo to Tishomingo stages are the prettiest.
How long does it take to ride the Natchez Trace in Mississippi?
The Mississippi section is more than 300 miles with a top limit of 50 mph, so plan at least a full day, and two days if you want to stop at the sites.
Are there gas stations on the Natchez Trace?
No. Exit to nearby towns like Port Gibson, Kosciusko and Tupelo to fill up, and plan your stops before long stretches.
What is the Blues Highway?
US 61 through the Mississippi Delta, from Vicksburg north to Clarksdale and on toward Memphis, lined with Mississippi Blues Trail markers.
Are there any curvy roads in Mississippi?
Not many. The best are in the northeast hills around Tishomingo and in the wooded hills between Natchez and Vicksburg. The Trace has gentle sweepers more than tight corners.
Can I add a Mississippi road to Rippin'?
Yes. Any rider can add a road with Create a Segment. A person on the Rippin' team checks it before it goes live, and your name stays on it.
Put a Mississippi road on the map.
Download Rippin' free, ride one of these roads with it recording and add it. Your name stays on it.
Free on iPhone and Android. How Rippin' works
