Loretta Lynn's Ranch

Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee hosts the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship every August, the most prestigious amateur motocross race in the world. The week-long event has been held on country singer Loretta Lynn's 6,000-acre ranch since the early 1980s, and qualifying for it is the lifetime goal of nearly every American amateur motocross racer. A Loretta's number plate carries weight at any race the rest of the year, and a Loretta's class win can launch a factory amateur deal. The track itself is built fresh each summer specifically for the championship, designed by professional track builders working from a clean canvas of Tennessee farmland. The layout changes year to year, but the format is consistent. Riders qualify through Area Qualifiers held at tracks like NCMP, Aonia Pass, MTF, Cycle Ranch, Echeconnee, Orlando MX, and dozens more across the country, plus Regional Championships, before earning a spot in the National. The qualifier path takes most riders months to complete, and the percentage of riders who qualify out of the field that starts the process is small enough that just making the gate is an accomplishment. The Loretta's experience is more than a race. It is a seven-day camping festival with 300-plus campsites, factory pits, vendor row, and the kind of family atmosphere that has produced multiple generations of pro racers. Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, Adam Cianciarulo, every modern American motocross star came through Loretta's. The amateur racing on Wednesday through Saturday culminates in the championship motos, and the awards ceremony lineup looks like the future Pro Motocross podium for the next decade. The 2026 dates are August 3 through 8. The ranch sits 75 miles west of Nashville, 1.5 hours from Memphis, off Interstate 40 Exit 143. The Hurricane Mills area is rural and the lodging inventory is built around the ranch, so most families plan to camp on the property or stay in Waverly or Nashville for the week. Outside of the August event, the property primarily operates as Loretta Lynn's working ranch (museum, dude ranch, country music attractions). The motocross track is closed to public riding the rest of the year. For anyone searching for motocross tracks in Tennessee, the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship venue, or the most prestigious amateur race in American motocross, Loretta Lynn's Ranch is the answer that has no equal. For amateur riders chasing the dream, the path runs through Loretta Lynn's. For motocross fans wanting to witness the deepest amateur talent in the country, the August week in Hurricane Mills is essential.