The 10 BEST Road Trips In The US

The US has some of the most beautiful sceneries on Earth, and what would be better to experience these than on a road trip? 

Today, you’ll learn about some of the best road trips in the United States. From one-day trips in Hawaii to cross-country trips, from historic drives to routes through several National Parks.

Let’s start right with…

10. The Loneliest Road

In 1986, the Nevada portion of U.S. Route 50, also known as one of the best road trips in the US, was named “The Loneliest Road” by “Life” magazine due to its large desolate areas traversed by the route.

However, today’s first road trip encompasses the entire US 50, which stretches over 3.000 miles across the United States.

Technically, US 50 starts in Sacramento, but for a more historic route, begin your trip in San Francisco. This is where US 50 originally started until 1972, before Interstate Highways took over west of California’s capital city.

This trip will take you through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington DC, and it ends in Ocean City, Maryland.

The drive will take you about 45 hours driving nonstop. 

Must see stops include Lake Tahoe, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, and the Arlington National Cemetery.

9. The Grand Circle

This is the most famous US National Park road trip for a reason.

Its journey of almost 1,000 miles takes you through six breathtaking National Parks in Utah and Arizona. These include Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Grand Canyon National Parks.

The trip can be done in around 2 weeks, but take as much time as possible so you can enjoy all the natural beauty of the parks!

While many people start this road trip in Las Vegas, you can also easily start in Salt Lake City or Phoenix.

At the end of this trip, you could even extend it and explore one of the many National Parks in California!

The next trip is a very different experience: Much shorter, can be done in a day, but is still a trip on a road and definitely deserves to be in this list:

8. Going-to-the-Sun Road

The panoramic Going-to-the-Sun Road is just about 50 miles long and the only road traversing the Glacier National Park in Montana.

Its highest point, Logan Point, is at an elevation of 6,646 feet, and the visitor center up there is one of the best stops when driving the road. 

Other must see stops include Lake McDonald and its Lodge, Avalanche Creek, and Jackson Glacier Overlook.

Number 7 is the second and last one-day trip in this video:

7. Road to Hana

This 65-mile highway along the northern shore of Maui, Hawaii, links Kahului to Hana on a long, curvy road.

You’ll experience breathtaking cliffs and panoramic waterfalls, you’ll cross more than 50 bridges, and you’ll see some black sand beaches. 

Be sure to stop at Ho’okipa Beach park and Maui’s Garden of Eden! Also the Keanae Peninsula and the Pua’a Ka’a Falls (which features a great swimming hole) are worth exploring.

Other great activities along Road to Hana are to hike in the lush green forest, to take as many photos as possible, and to enjoy the great view. 

I know, 65 miles sounds like a short drive, but you’ll probably need at least a whole day to do this road justice. 

6. New York to Key West

This almost 2.000 miles long road trip along the Atlantic Coast won’t disappoint. Starting in New York, it also takes you through New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. 

The best thing about this trip is its diversification: You’ll visit beach resort areas as well as old fishing villages, wetlands and woodlands, huge areas of spotless coastal wilderness and, of course, miles and miles of sandy beaches.

No wonder it’s include in this list of the best road trips in the US!

Not to forget one of the highlights of this trip: The 113 miles long Overseas Highway, which links the mainland to the 1.700 islands of the Florida Keys.

Must see stops before you reach the Overseas Highway include Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, and Miami and Biscayne National Park in Florida. 

5. The Great Northern on U.S. Route 2

This is one of the longest road trips presented in this list.

U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 spans 2.5 thousand miles across the northern continental United States and consists of a western and an eastern segment that are connected by roadways in southern Canada. 

The western segment takes you through Washington State, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. You’ll enter the US again in New York State, before you’ll drive through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. 

The Great Northern features more panoramic variety than any other road trip in the US. Some example on this drive are Glacier National Park, the Columbia Plateau, and Acadia National Park. 

Other must see stops are Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin and Mackinac Island in Michigan. 

As always, take your time: Theoretically, you could do the whole trip in about 70 hours. Will you see a lot and enjoy the drive? Probably not. 

4. Olympic Peninsula Loop

This 330 mile loop goes through most of the more than 3.500 square miles of the Olympic National Park in Washington State.

It’s another great example for the nature’s diversity in this country. Lush rainforests, the snow-covered mountains of the Cascade Range, the picturesque Pacific Coast: You’ll see all of that in a single day. 

Take your time and don’t just stop to take pictures. Take advantage of the hiking trails, explore the coastline, or swim in Lake Crescent, which is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the United States. 

Other places you should stop at include Dungeness Spit, Hoh Rain Forest, Ruby Beach, and Shi Shi Beach. 

3. Blue Ridge Parkway

This scenic drive is 469 miles long. It connects Virginias Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. You can expect to experience lots of beautiful nature on this trip.

The banning of commercial traffic and billboards make this drive even more special and pristine. 

While my own favorite time to drive Blue Ridge Parkway is in Fall, when the trees are most colorful, you can definitely enjoy it at any time of the year. You can see countless beautiful wildflowers in late spring, for example.

With must-see stops like the Natural Bridge, Linville Falls, and Chimney Rock State Park, this drive is the most visited single unit in the U.S. National Park System for a reason. 

While driving straight through takes about 10 to 12 hours, allow 3 to 7 days to explore the whole parkway.

The next trip in this list of the best road trips in the US? The legendary king of American road trips:

2. Route 66

This world-famous 2.448 mile drive takes you through no fewer than 8 states.

You’ll start in Chicago, Illinois. After that, you’ll drive through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, where you’ll end your trip in Santa Monica.

Unfortunately, the entirety of Route 66 no longer exists, so parts of your trip will be broken up by interstates.

Stops along this route include Cadillac Ranch in Texas and the Painted Desert in Arizona. Also the Gateway Arch in Missouri and the Gemini Giant in Illinois are worth visiting. Finally, the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway in New Mexico and and the Mojave National Preserve in California are great spots!

If you’re not tired from all that driving, a one hour detour in Arizona will take you to the photographic Grand Canyon National Park.

So turn on some Chuck Berry and get your kicks on route 66.

Before we end this list with the best road trip in the US, please tell me in the comments: What is your favorite road trip in the USA? Maybe you’ll find a more detailed post about it on this website in the future!

I already did that with the best road trip in the US. If you like this list so far, you’ll love reading about the following road trip!

Number 1. The Pacific Coast Highway

This trip is most famous for its California coastal section through Big Sur. In reality though, it can take you from Seattle all the way to San Diego.

Driving down the entire West Coast would take about 5 days with minimal stops.