Sibillini Mountains Motorcycle Tour: Routes, Passes and Tips

Sibillini Mountains motorcycle tour: what to know

The Grande Via del Parco is the most complete route. It starts and ends in Visso and is divided into four stages: Visso-Fiastra, Fiastra-Amandola, Amandola-Arquata del Tronto and Arquata del Tronto-Visso. It is signposted in one direction only, clockwise, and circles the entire mountain range. Linked to the Grande Via are 6 loop routes, which together form a 450 km network on existing roads, all signposted.

Two of the loops have a set length. The Anello della Sibilla is 36.4 km, while the 38 km Anello delle Guaite runs through the upper Nera valley and returns to Visso via the Sanctuary of Macereto. The last stage of the Grande Via, from Arquata del Tronto to Visso, is 80.5 km long; it enters Umbria via the Santa Scolastica plain, with Norcia, and ends along the Valle Castoriana toward the Valnerina.

For those with a single day, the ride most often mentioned by motorcyclists is the one around Castelluccio. From Norcia the road climbs to the Castelluccio pass, reaches the high plateau, descends toward Visso and returns to Norcia via Campi: a loop of about 80 km, with less than two hours of actual riding. Castelluccio di Norcia lies at 1,452 m, in the municipality of Norcia, in the province of Perugia. From Norcia to Castelluccio is about 28 km.

Forca di Presta is the pass most closely tied to motorcycle touring in the Sibillini. It lies at 1,536 m and is one of the main access points to the Piana di Castelluccio, with well-designed curves and generally good asphalt. In the final section it offers views of the Sibillini Mountains and the plain below. It can be combined with the Passo del Galluccio, at 1,170 m, considered the gateway to the park from Montegallo.

For a longer loop, there is a route of about 200 km. It starts from the turnoff on the Via Salaria for Forca Canapine, near Arquata del Tronto, and passes Forca di Presta, Montegallo, Montemonaco, Montefortino, Bolognola, Acquacanina, Fiastra, Ussita, Visso, Castelsantangelo sul Nera, Castelluccio and Pretare. Along the way there are detours toward Foce di Montemonaco, the starting point of hiking routes to Lago di Pilato, and toward the Gole dell'Infernaccio, near Montefortino. The route also passes Lago di Fiastra, reached before continuing toward Ussita and Visso.

Other routes start from the coast or from Ascoli Piceno. A 124 km route links Civitanova Marche to Norcia, with a surface that is good in places and rough in others. A 172 km loop starting and ending in Ascoli Piceno has a good surface and an easy gravel section. From Montemonaco the road climbs toward Castelluccio with continuous hairpin bends up to the Piano Grande.

For those combining the motorcycle with other activities, the page on things to do in the Sibillini Mountains collects the alternatives, while for anyone thinking of a bicycle there is mountain biking and e-bikes in the Sibillini Mountains.

Sibillini Mountains motorcycle tour: when to go

The best period runs from April to October. At the start of the season, however, the high sections can be snow-covered: on a trip made in April, a 30 km gravel section was impassable because of snow. For the bloom, that account recommended early June.

The bloom on the Piana di Castelluccio is the main reason to choose spring. The bloom runs from late May to mid-July and, according to the Park, the peak usually falls in the last week of June; in the weeks before and after, the color patterns are different. The timing changes from year to year, however, depending on the weather. So it is best to check how the season is going before leaving.

Road conditions also need to be considered, as they can vary with the seasons. Some roads are open only in summer or are affected by maintenance work. For this reason summer and early fall, through October, are the period with the least risk of surprises on the passes.

Sibillini Mountains motorcycle tour: practical tips

The first check concerns the roads. The effects of the 2016-2017 earthquakes are still visible in the Park: some historic centers are partly accessible or closed, also because of reconstruction, and some roads may be closed by ordinances. After the earthquake several roads were closed to traffic because of damage to the roadway or the risk of landslides and rockfall. On the Grande Via del Parco page, a green symbol marks the usable sections and loops, yellow the partly usable ones, and red those currently not usable. Red zones and access restrictions on towns, roads and trails are shown on a map available on the Park's website.

For information on site safety, snow and roads, contact the Park's Coordinamento Territoriale Carabinieri per l'Ambiente (the Carabinieri environmental command).

Riding calls for caution. Many roads cross remote natural areas, where encountering wild animals is not unusual: it is important to respect the recommended speed limits and ride carefully. The surface is not always even, as the route descriptions with rough or gravel sections show, and on the hairpins of the passes it is best to keep a cautious pace.

For planning a multi-day trip, a printed guide is useful. The Guida alla Grande Via del Parco is sold at the Case del Parco (Park visitor centers) and at local bookstores. It contains maps, detailed route descriptions and notes on museums and attractions along the way.

Those who travel on two wheels but are considering a different vehicle can also read the guide on the Sibillini Mountains by camper van: stopover areas.