The Best Scenic Rides
from Lancaster, PA

This is the locals' favorite. You drop south out of Lancaster toward the Susquehanna River and follow it through some of the most dramatic gorge scenery in the county. The road narrows, the tree canopy closes in, and by the time you reach Holtwood Dam you've left the city behind completely.

The Holtwood section runs along the river on River Road — a twisting, tree-lined stretch that hugs the bank of the Susquehanna. There are overlooks, a nature preserve, and almost no traffic mid-week. Coming back north through Safe Harbor and Columbia closes the loop on a high note: the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge over the river is one of the most iconic crossings in Central PA.

This ride is best done in the late morning to catch the light on the river. Pack a stop at the Holtwood overlook — it's one of the best views in Lancaster County.

Route 340 — "Old Philadelphia Pike" — is the spine of Lancaster County's Amish Country. It runs east-west through the heart of the county connecting Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, and Smoketown. Horse-drawn buggies share the road on weekends, so this one is more about the scenery and pace than the speed.

The best version of this loop adds the Columbia River Road portion on the way back: head west toward Columbia on PA-462, then drop down to the river for a stretch before completing the loop. You get farmland going out, river coming back — two completely different landscapes in under 50 miles.

Stop at one of the farm stands along Route 340 for fresh produce and baked goods. The Intercourse area has multiple stands and a market — good midpoint break before you continue west.

The Conestoga Run is a local gem — a ride that follows the Conestoga River south and west from Lancaster through some of the county's most wooded and rural terrain. It's a route that locals do on motorcycles and rarely gets the attention it deserves from visiting riders.

The road hugs the creek for much of the run, alternating between tight tree-lined stretches and open river flats. The southern section toward Martic Forge and Pequea is particularly good — forested, quiet, and completely off the tourist circuit. This is the anti-Route 340: fewer buggies, fewer cars, and more road to yourself.

This one pairs well with the Holtwood loop — start with the Conestoga Run heading south, then swing east along the river to Holtwood for a longer half-day combination ride.

This route crosses the Susquehanna into York County, giving you a real taste of two counties in a single ride. Head west from Lancaster along the river road to Columbia, cross the bridge into Wrightsville, then explore the back roads of eastern York County before looping back.

York County's eastern townships — Hellam, Wrightsville, York Haven — are almost entirely devoid of tourist traffic and have excellent riding roads. Rolling hills, farm fields, and small river towns that haven't changed much in 50 years. The ride back across the Susquehanna at dusk is one of the better views in Central PA.

This is a great route if you want to extend your ride beyond Lancaster County without committing to a multi-hour highway run. It keeps you on two-lane roads the whole way.

This is the big one — a full loop around Lancaster County that hits every terrain type: northern farmland, eastern Amish Country, southern river gorge, and western river towns. At 110 miles, it uses about a sixth of your 600-mile allowance and takes the better part of a day.

Starting north through Ephrata and Akron, you pass through some of the most productive farmland in the county before swinging east toward Parkesburg. The southern leg drops into the Susquehanna gorge near Holtwood. Then you follow the river north through Marietta — one of the most well-preserved river towns in PA — and back into Lancaster to close the loop.

Plan for lunch in Marietta or along the river. This is the best full-day ride from Lancaster — and it rarely disappoints in any season. Fall color in October makes this route exceptional.

Lancaster County has more covered bridges than any other county in Pennsylvania — 29 at last count. The Northern Loop concentrates the highest density of them in a 45-mile circuit through Lititz, Rothsville, and the back roads of northern Lancaster County.

Lititz itself is worth a stop — it consistently ranks as one of Pennsylvania's coolest small towns. The downtown has a craft brewery, the world's only pretzel museum, and Sturgis Pretzel House (the oldest in America). From Lititz, the route continues north and east through covered bridge country on smaller township roads.

The bridges on this route include the Pinetown, Bucher's Mill, and Hunsecker Mill covered bridges — all single-lane wooden structures that date back to the 1800s. Some are open to traffic, some are pedestrian-only. The roads connecting them are the real reward: quiet, tree-shaded, and empty.