Route 66 West — Touring Rally 2026

About the Route 66 West Touring Rally

The Route 66 West Touring Rally follows the western stretch of America's most iconic highway -- the section from Amarillo, Texas through New Mexico and Arizona to the Californian border. This is the most dramatic and scenically varied portion of the Mother Road, passing through the Texas Panhandle flatlands, the red-rock canyon country of New Mexico, the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest of Arizona, and the approach to the Mojave Desert at the California state line.

Harley-Davidson riders have been drawn to Route 66 since the highway opened in 1926. The rallies that run its length today follow in a tradition of cross-country American riding that connects towns, diners, gas stations and roadside attractions that have barely changed in half a century. Key stops on the western route include Santa Fe, Albuquerque's Old Town, Gallup, Winslow (made famous by the Eagles), Flagstaff, and the Route 66 Museum in Kingman.

The Grand Canyon is a natural detour from Flagstaff on this route -- a 90-minute ride north on US-180 brings riders to the South Rim. Williams, Arizona, bills itself as the gateway to the Grand Canyon and is a Route 66 town worth a night's stay. Global Rider members attending this rally can use the platform to find fellow riders and coordinate convoy sections along the route.

Best riding conditions on the western Route 66 run from April to June and September to October, avoiding the extreme summer heat of the Arizona desert where temperatures above 40C are common in July and August.

Accommodation along the western Route 66 corridor ranges from historic motor courts that have operated since the highway's heyday to modern chain hotels at the larger centres. Riders typically plan fuel stops carefully through the more remote sections of New Mexico and Arizona, where petrol stations can be 60 to 80 miles apart on the original alignment. Global Rider members can use the platform to connect with chapter members in Albuquerque, Flagstaff and other rally-adjacent cities for local knowledge and ride-day coordination.