Budds Creek

While serious business takes place a half hour away in Washington, D.C., the area around Budds Creek is pure relaxation. The nearby Chesapeake Bay draws travelers of all kinds, and perfect summer weather sets the National date as the right time to explore the area.

But while the track itself looks like pure fun, it gets brutally serious at the top level of the Pro Motocross Championship. Perhaps fitting for a track so close to the nation’s capital, Budds Creek offers classic American motocross, with the perfect combination of hills, jumps, off-camber corners, and deep, tacky soil. The racing usually stays close, as passes come down to who can brake a little harder into a turn, or scrub a little harder over a jump. Its got a little of everything, as if some of the best components of the other 11 National tracks were dropped into a valley to produce an all-around marvel. From the right spots atop the hillsides, you can see it all, as well.

Make a weekend out of this one so you can check out D.C. and the beautiful Maryland countryside, and then sit back for some of the most intense motocross action anywhere. This place is part business, part fun, and all American.