Traveling the Scenic Roads and Byways of America
 On U.S. 163 headed to the Monument Valley in Utah |
We've traveled thousands of miles over hundreds of roads in virtually every state in the United States and several provinces in Canada.
Our journeys have taken us from Key West to Maine, from New York to California, from Arizona to Oregon, and Texas to Banff and Lake Louise. And many byways and back roads in between!
It's hard to pick the best, the most scenic, the one with the least traffic, or the most historic ... but here is a list of our favorites ... they might be the perfect road trip for you!
Popular Byways and Parkways Across America
Listed below are some of the more popular road trips we have taken, and that our viewers have said they enjoyed.
U.S. Route 66
"The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south through Illinois and Missouri. From there U.S. Route 66 turned in a more westward direction through Oklahoma and Texas, with the final stretches in New Mexico and Arizona before its termination point in Los Angeles. Read more about Historic Route 66 ... Route 66: The Mother Road - Introduction
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Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North CarolinaThe Blue Ridge Parkway offers a slow-paced and relaxing drive revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The Parkway meanders for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, protecting a diversity of plants, ecosystems and wildlife, and offering endless outdoor recreational opportunities. Read more about Blue Ridge Parkway |
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Going to the Sun RoadThis winding road traverses Glacier National Park in Montana from east to west, from St. Mary to Agpar, a distance of about 50 miles. Portions of Going to the Sun Road remain open all year and provide access to many locations and activities. The opening of the alpine portion varies, based on snowfall and plowing progress. There is no set date for the road to open; many years it is only open from late June to late September. Read more about Going to the Sun Road |
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Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park in ColoradoTrail Ridge Road is a paved, 48 mile long scenic highway which connects the park entrances in Grand Lake and Estes Park. It features switchbacks and hairpin curves, and rises to a height of 12,183 feet above sea level. The road is open seasonally in non-winter months. Leaving from either side of the park, the road climbs 4,000 feet in a matter of minutes. Numerous pull-outs and vistas are provided for visitors. The road is the highest continuously paved highway in the United States. Read more about Trail Ridge Road |
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Loneliest Road in America: U.S. 50 Across NevadaUS 50 crosses the central portion of Nevada, from the west side of the state near Lake Tahoe to the east side near Great Basin National Park. The Nevada portion of U.S. 50 was named "The Loneliest Road in America" by Life magazine in July 1986. Read more about Loneliest Road in America |
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Beartooth Highway in Montana and WyomingThe Beartooth Highway, U.S. Highway 212 is considered one of the most scenic drives in the United States. It includes views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, and open high alpine plateaus. The road features glacial lakes, forests, valleys, waterfalls and a variety of wildlife. The highway is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming and Montana, and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies. It traverses a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks along the Montana-Wyoming border to the 10,947 ft high Beartooth Pass. The Beartooth closes each winter because of heavy snow and adverse winter conditions; it usually reopens in May of each year. Read more about Beartooth Highway |
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Utah Scenic Byway 12Scenic Byway 12 spans a route of 123 miles in southern Utah, and travels through some of the most diverse, remote and ruggedly beautiful landscapes in the country. It has been designed an "All-American Road". Highway 12 passes through Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and over Boulder Mountain in the Dixie National Forest to its termination in Torrey near the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. Read more about Utah Scenic Byway 12 |
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Tioga RoadState Route 120, the Tioga Road, crosses Yosemite National Park east to west, a distance of about 66 miles. This road is open when weather allows, as the Tioga Pass at 9,943 feet makes it the highest elevation served by CalTrans. The road usually opens by Memorial Day and often stays open as late as Thanksgiving. Read more about Tioga Road and Yosemite |
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Monument Valley Scenic RoadThis is a 17-mile dirt road, at Monument Valley, in the Four Corners area on the Utah-Arizona border. Visitors may explore the scenic drive through the park in private vehicles or book a half-day or full-day jeep tour to explore the area's backroads and sacred lands with the help of a local guide. The road passes many notable features, including the Mitten Buttes, Three Sisters, Yei-bi-chai, North Window, and the famous Totem Pole. Passenger cars can drive the road, although care must be taken in loose sand and rocky areas. Read more about Monument Valley |
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Burr Trail from Boulder to Bullfrog, UtahThe Burr Trail, which ends (or begins) at Boulder, Utah, is one of our favorite back roads in the country. We have driven it several times, sometimes in a 4x4 Jeep, other times in a 2WD Toyota 4Runner. It is typically quiet, with little or no traffic. In earlier years the entire length of the road was dirt; today parts are paved. The drive and views are stunning! The switchbacks are breathtaking! Read more about the Burr Trail Scenic Backway |
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More Travel and Vacation Options
Road Trip Ideas and Destinations by State
Do you need more road trip ideas? We have personally driven most of the following roads ... reviews and photos coming soon!
| State | Scenic Highway or Byway |
| Alaska | Seward Highway |
| Arizona | Globe to Show Low |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Highway 7 |
| Arkansas & Oklahoma | Talimena Scenic Byway |
| California to Illinois | Route 66: The Mother Road |
| California | Pacific Coast Highway |
| California | Rim of the World Scenic Byway |
| California | 17-Mile Drive |
| California | Tioga Road |
| Colorado | San Juan Skyway |
| Colorado | Trail Ridge Road |
| Florida | Overseas Highway - U.S. Highway 1 - Miami to Key West |
| Florida | Tamiami Trail in the Everglades |
| Hawaii | Road to Hana |
| Idaho | Salmon River Scenic Route |
| Mississippi to Tennessee | Natchez Trace Parkway |
| Montana | Going to the Sun Road |
| Montana & Wyoming | Beartooth Highway |
| Nevada | Red Rock Canyon Loop Drive |
| Nevada | U.S. Highway 50: Loneliest Road in America |
| North Carolina & Virginia | Blue Ridge Parkway |
| New Mexico | High Road to Taos |
| New Mexico | Turquoise Trail |
| North to South in the U.S. | Road to Nowhere - U.S. 83 |
| North to South in the U.S. | Great River Road |
| Ohio | Covered Bridge Scenic Highway |
| Oregon | Columbia River Gorge Drive |
| Rhode Island | Ocean Drive in Newport |
| Utah | Burr Trail Scenic Backway |
| Utah | Colorado River Scenic Byway |
| Utah | Cottonwood Canyon Road |
| Utah | Moki Dugway |
| Utah | Monument Valley 17-Mile Road |
| Utah | Utah Scenic Byway 12 |
| Virginia | George Washington Memorial Parkway |
| Virginia | Skyline Drive |
Popular National Parks in America
Yosemite National Park in California
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in NC and TN
Scenic lake on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona
Olympic National Park in Washington
Banff National Park in Alberta
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
Glacier National Park in Montana
Death Valley National Park in California
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah
Saguaro National Park in Arizona
Mount Rainier National Park in Washington
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Utah - in the Four Corners area, on the Utah-Arizona border. Operated by the Navajo Nation
Popular Travel Destinations in America
Stone figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln carved in the rock on Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore Memorial in South Dakota
Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park in Maine
Ocracoke in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
San Juan Capistrano in California
Other Popular Road Trips in America ... from TripAdvisor
Pacific Coast Highway in California
Great River Road from Minnesota to Louisiana
New England US Highway 1 Coastal Trip from Massachusetts to Maine
Atlantic Coast Road Trip from Massachusetts to Florida
Photo Highlights from Favorite Road Trips Across America
Dozens of bison grazing on the grasslands at Yellowstone National Park
Montana's Beartooth Highway, overlooking a scenic valley
Driving the dirt and gravel section of the Burr Trail in Utah, experiencing some washboarding, on the way to the switchbacks
Dust storm winds send sand blowing across the road in Death Valley National Park in California
Steep incline along the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park
Tunnel along one of our favorite travel destinations, the Blue Ridge Parkway
Those magical red roads at Zion National Park in southern Utah
Overlooking the 17-mile dirt road at Monument Valley in Utah
Quiet country road north of Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country
Abandoned railroad in a field of yellow flowers near Big Bend National Park in Texas
Scenic Highway 12 in southern Utah near Boulder and Escalante
Pacific Coast Highway along the Pacific Ocean in California
Custer State Park Road in South Dakota
Road Travel Tips & Inspiriations ... from TripAdvisor
Historic Route 66 right-of-way in Glenrio, Texas
Sitgreaves Pass on Route 66, elevation 3,550 feet, between Cool Springs and Oatman, Arizona
