Loretta Lynn's Ranch
Loretta Lynn's Ranch at a glance
- Location
- Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
- Type
- motocross
- Surface
- natural terrain
- Opened
- 1982
- Owner
- Lynn family (Loretta Lynn's Ranch)
- Address
- 44 Hurricane Mills Rd
- Website
- lorettalynn.com
Track map and layout
The motocross track at Loretta Lynn's Ranch is built new each year on part of the family's 6,000-acre working horse and dairy ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, rather than existing as a permanent, unchanging circuit. MX Sports Pro Racing reshapes and grooms the layout annually for the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, so exact lengths, turn counts and jump layouts vary somewhat year to year, though the track keeps the same general natural-terrain character of rolling Tennessee farmland cut with berms, jump sections and start straights wide enough to launch fields of more than 40 riders per moto. Because the event is amateur racing rather than a pro national, there is no single famous named section the way RedBud has LaRocco's Leap; the identity of the venue is built around the week-long event itself and the ranch setting rather than one signature obstacle.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Amateur National track | — | Rebuilt annually for the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship |
Events and race weekends
Loretta Lynn's Ranch hosts the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, a six-day event held the first week of August, widely regarded as the most prestigious amateur motocross race in the world. Riders must qualify through a season of area and regional qualifiers to earn one of 42 invitations per class across 37 (recently reported as 36) national classes, and the event has launched the professional careers of riders including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, Jeremy McGrath and Travis Pastrana. Outside of National week the ranch also hosts other tourism and country-music-history activities tied to Loretta Lynn's legacy.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship | AMA Amateur Motocross | August | Six-day event, first week of August; the world's largest amateur motocross race |
Getting there and parking
Hurricane Mills sits in rural Humphreys County, roughly an hour west of Nashville, whose international airport is the practical fly-in gateway for most Amateur National visitors and teams.
- Nashville International Airport (BNA) · about 65 min drive
Book camping and travel well ahead of National week in early August; the event draws thousands of riders, families and teams to a rural property with limited nearby lodging.
Hotels and camping near Loretta Lynn's Ranch
Camping on the ranch itself is the dominant way people stay for National week, since Hurricane Mills is a small rural community with few hotels; overflow visitors typically stay in Waverly, Dickson or the greater Nashville area and drive in.
Where to look
Waverly and Dickson, Tennessee, are the closest towns with hotel options; Nashville, about an hour east, offers a much larger selection for those willing to commute.
Camping
The ranch has room for roughly 300 camp sites used by riders, families and teams during National week, with the track itself rebuilt annually on the property.
RV
RV camping is available on-site as part of the same camping areas; specific hookup details are set by the event operator (MX Sports Pro Racing) each year and are not independently confirmed.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Loretta Lynn's Ranch is not a public pay-to-ride motocross park; the track exists as a purpose-built amateur race facility that is constructed and groomed specifically for the annual Amateur National and is not open for general public riding outside that event.
Spectator guide
Because the track is rebuilt on open ranch land each year, spectators generally watch from natural grass hillsides and trackside rope lines rather than fixed grandstands, with the working ranch and its country-music history adding a distinctive backdrop found nowhere else on the amateur circuit. Early August in Tennessee is hot and humid, and shade is limited on much of the open property, so sun protection and hydration matter for a full week on-site.
Seating
Primarily natural-terrain hillside and trackside viewing; no permanent grandstand structures comparable to a professional national.
Best places to watch
Elevated hillside areas around the start straight and main jump sections give the widest view of the annually-rebuilt layout.
Weather
- Aug: hot and humid Tennessee summer conditions, highs commonly in the upper 80s to low 90s°F
History of Loretta Lynn's Ranch
A promoter's idea and a country star's ranch
The idea for a national amateur motocross championship held away from riders' home tracks was proposed in the early 1980s by promoter Dave Coombs, who wanted a neutral proving ground where the best amateur racers from across the country could compete on equal footing. Country music star Loretta Lynn and her husband Oliver 'Mooney' Lynn agreed to host the event on their 6,000-acre working ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, and the inaugural race ran in 1982, marking the start of what would become the sport's most prestigious amateur championship.
Growth into 'the world's largest amateur motocross race'
Over the following decades the event grew from a modest gathering into a six-day, 37-class national championship drawing more than a thousand qualified riders each August, all of whom had to earn one of a limited number of invitations per class through a season of regional qualifiers. The ranch became a launching pad for professional careers, with past Loretta Lynn's champions including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac and Jason Anderson, giving the event a reputation as the last major proving ground before riders turn pro.
Present day
Loretta Lynn passed away in October 2022, and the motocross community widely credited her family's ranch with providing the stage for the sport's amateur talent pipeline for four decades running. The event, now sponsored as the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, continues to be held the first week of August on the same Hurricane Mills property, with the track rebuilt from scratch on ranch land each year and roughly 300 camp sites hosting riders, families and teams for what remains widely regarded as the biggest and most important amateur motocross race in the world.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Loretta Lynn's Ranch motocross track located?+
On Loretta Lynn's family ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, roughly an hour west of Nashville.
What event is held at Loretta Lynn's Ranch?+
The Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, a six-day event held the first week of August and widely regarded as the world's largest and most prestigious amateur motocross race.
Is the track at Loretta Lynn's Ranch permanent?+
No. The track is rebuilt and reshaped on the ranch property each year specifically for National week rather than existing as a fixed year-round circuit.
Who has won at Loretta Lynn's Ranch?+
Past champions include Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac, among many other future professional stars.
Can you camp at Loretta Lynn's Ranch during National week?+
Yes, the ranch has room for roughly 300 camp sites used by riders, families and teams during the Amateur National, since the surrounding area of Hurricane Mills has very limited hotel capacity.
When did Loretta Lynn's Amateur National start?+
The first event was held in 1982, after promoter Dave Coombs proposed a national amateur race away from riders' home tracks and Loretta Lynn agreed to host it on her family ranch.
Other tracks nearby
- Nashville Street Circuit (Music City Grand Prix) · 54 mi · street circuit
- Nashville Superspeedway · 73 mi · oval
- NCM Motorsports Park (National Corvette Museum) · 100 mi · road course
- Barber Motorsports Park · 181 mi · road course
- Talladega Superspeedway · 192 mi · oval
- World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) · 226 mi · oval
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.