There’s a particular kind of silence that only shows up when the highway drops away and the landscape suddenly opens.
Ocean to your left, cliffs to your right, or a canyon that looks like someone carved it with a knife. That’s the territory a proper American road trip aims for.
The U.S. is built for it. Vast, diverse, and laced with highways that feel designed for long stretches of radio static and roadside coffee.
There are hundreds of beautiful drives, but the focus here is on ten routes that combine scenery, reliable infrastructure, and enough stops to fill a long weekend or more.
Below is a quick overview before diving deeper into each route.
#
Route
Region
Approx. Distance
Standout Features
1
Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1)
California
400–500 miles commonly driven
Ocean cliffs, Big Sur, coastal towns
2
Blue Ridge Parkway
VA / NC
469 miles
Appalachian ridgeline, overlooks, hiking access
3
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Montana
~50 miles
Glacier National Park, high passes, tight curves
4
Route 66 (classic sections)
IL to CA
Surviving segments of 2,400+ miles
Americana, diners, small towns
5
Overseas Highway
Florida Keys
About 110 miles
Turquoise water, bridges, island culture
6
Utah Scenic Byway 12
Southern Utah
124 miles
Red rock, high plateaus, national parks
7
Skyline Drive
Virginia
105 miles
Shenandoah NP, ridge-top views, wildlife
8
Acadia All-American Road
Maine
About 40 miles
Granite coast, lighthouses, coastal forest
9
Great River Road
Upper Midwest to Gulf
Roughly 3,000 miles
River towns, farmland, levees
10
Hana Highway (Road to Hana)
Maui, Hawaii
~64 miles
Rainforest, waterfalls, ocean cliffs
1. Pacific Coast Highway, California
Highway 1 is the poster child for American road trips. Magazines and tourism campaigns can’t stop printing the same shot of Bixby Bridge over fog-draped cliffs, and for good reason.
Route Basics
Most people frame the trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco, following Highway 1 wherever it hugs the ocean. The Big Sur section, between San Simeon and Carmel, is the centerpiece.
Storms and landslides have repeatedly closed sections over the years. A full reopening of the Big Sur area is scheduled for 2026, but major stretches are still open from both ends.
Always check Caltrans before committing.
Why It Belongs On Your List
The road itself twists tightly, often without guardrails, which makes it both thrilling and slow.
Practical Tips
- Best season: Late spring or early fall to dodge fog and crowds
- Time needed: Two to three days from LA to SF
- Driving note: Avoid rushing. Photo stops and slow locals will eat up time
2. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina
A 469-mile corridor connecting Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway runs like a slow heartbeat along the Appalachian spine.
Route Basics
Run by the National Park Service, the parkway bans commercial traffic, limits speed, and offers scenic overlooks roughly every mile. The weather can change three times in a day as you climb and drop through elevation zones.
Why It Belongs On Your List
October is a spectacle of color, but even May or June deliver peaceful wildflower scenes without the traffic.
Practical Tips
- Best season: Fall for color, spring for quiet
- Pacing: Three to five days if you plan to hike and stop often
- Weather: Expect fog and cooler temps at altitude
3. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana
If any road feels engineered purely for awe, it’s this one. Going-to-the-Sun Road climbs from forest to alpine tundra in 50 winding miles.
Route Basics
The road’s high section around Logan Pass typically opens in early July, depending on snow removal. A timed-entry reservation system controls access on the western side, so spontaneity doesn’t work here in peak months.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Short hikes like Hidden Lake Overlook reward quick detours without derailing the day.
Practical Tips
- Season: July through early September only
- Driving time: Two hours nonstop, but plan half a day
- Vehicle limits: Oversized RVs are banned on the Alpine section
4. Route 66, Illinois to California
View this post on Instagram
The “Mother Road” may have lost its official highway status, but its cultural grip never faded. What’s left is a fragmented patchwork of old pavement, small towns, and nostalgia that’s pure Americana.
Route Basics
Running from Chicago to Santa Monica, the route stretches over 2,400 miles, though most travelers now tackle shorter, iconic sections. Arizona and New Mexico are particularly photogenic.
Before starting the western leg through Arizona and New Mexico, drivers often check state-specific costs, such as the cheapest car insurance in Colorado, to budget for long mileage and rentals.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Strategy: Focus on 3–7 day regional segments
- Season: Spring and fall for tolerable desert heat
- Logistics: Call ahead for vintage motels or roadside attractions, as many close seasonally
5. Overseas Highway, Florida Keys
Few roads feel more improbable than U.S. 1 jumping from island to island through the Florida Keys. It’s 110 miles of turquoise water, palm trees, and long bridges that feel like they float.
Route Basics
Starting around Florida City and ending in Key West, the route crosses 42 bridges, including the famous Seven Mile Bridge. It’s partly built on the old Overseas Railroad foundation, wrecked by the 1935 hurricane.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Best season: December through April for mild weather
- Driving time: Four hours end-to-end, but two days is more enjoyable
- Storm watch: June through November is hurricane season
6. Utah Scenic Byway 12, Southern Utah
@linkedhd Exploring Scenic Byway 12: Utah’s Most Beautiful Drive #byway12 #utah #scenicdrive #roadtrip #travel ♬ Chilling smooth Jazz music at Jazz lounge, jazz club or nice cafe(1379705) – ricca
An All-American Road that slices through canyon country, Scenic Byway 12 is 124 miles of pure visual overload: red rocks, mesas, and alpine forest in one continuous loop.
Route Basics
It links Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks, passing Escalante and Boulder along the way. Elevation peaks near 9,000 feet on Boulder Mountain, where cool air meets sweeping views.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Best season: Late spring and early fall
- Supplies: Gas up early; services are scarce
- Driving: Exposed ridges with steep drops, fine for confident drivers, unnerving for others
7. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Skyline Drive is the quiet sibling of the Blue Ridge Parkway, running 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park. It’s made for unhurried driving and deer spotting.
Route Basics
The route starts in Front Royal and ends at Rockfish Gap, linking directly to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s ideal for those who want an approachable taste of mountain driving without major logistics.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Speed: Strict limits around 35 mph
- Season: Fall dominates, but spring is underrated
- Weather: Occasional winter closures for snow and ice
8. Acadia All-American Road, Maine
Maine’s granite coast gets the spotlight on this 40-mile loop through Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.
Route Basics
Starting near Trenton, the route crosses onto Mount Desert Island, looping through Bar Harbor and Park Loop Road. It’s compact but loaded with scenery.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Best season: Late September through early October for color and thinner crowds
- Traffic: Avoid cruise-ship mornings
- Parking: Use park shuttles when popular lots fill early
9. Great River Road, Mississippi River States
Stretching 3,000 miles from Minnesota to Louisiana, the Great River Road is less about speed and more about tracing the backbone of the country.
Route Basics
Marked by a green steamboat logo, it follows state and local roads through 10 states and countless river towns. Some portions, like Illinois’ Great Rivers Scenic Byway, have seen fresh upgrades and visitor centers.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Segment approach: Focus on sections, say, Minneapolis to St. Louis or Memphis to New Orleans
- Season: Spring and fall are comfortable; summer brings heat and humidity
- Hazards: Flooding can cause detours in spring
10. Hana Highway (Road to Hana), Maui, Hawaii
View this post on Instagram
If you measure road trips by sensory overload, the Road to Hana might top the list. Every few miles, another waterfall, bamboo forest, or roadside fruit stand appears out of the greenery.
Route Basics
The classic route runs from Kahului to Hana, around 64 miles, but it’s slow going. There are roughly 600 curves and dozens of one-lane bridges, each forcing cooperation between locals and tourists.
Why It Belongs On Your List
Practical Tips
- Driving: Demands focus more than skill; fatigue is real
- Weather: Heavy rains can cause rockfalls
- Etiquette: Always let locals pass; it’s their daily route
How to Choose the Right Route
Each of these drives earns its reputation, but they aren’t interchangeable. The best choice depends on your time, tolerance for crowds, and scenery preferences.
- For iconic coastlines: Pacific Coast Highway and Overseas Highway deliver two extremes – cold cliffs versus tropical waters.
- For mountain drama: Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, and Utah Scenic Byway 12 are strong picks.
- For classic Americana: Route 66 and the Great River Road win for nostalgia and cultural texture.
- For concentrated national park grandeur: Going-to-the-Sun Road and Acadia’s loop deliver peak scenery in short mileage.
- For raw beauty in a condensed form: The Hana Highway packs more sights per mile than almost any other route in the U.S.
Whatever you pick, plan loosely. Weather shifts, roadwork happens, and the best moments often come from the unplanned pullout you didn’t know existed until it appeared around a bend.
The formula is simple: tank full, snacks loaded, and an open stretch of American asphalt waiting to show you why the country still defines the long drive better than anywhere else on Earth.
I’m Annabel, and traveling has always been my passion. My idea of fun? A lot of biking and hiking. From the Himalayas to the local hills, if there’s a path (or not), I’ve probably been there or it’s on my list.
