A cross-country road trip is the ultimate bucket-list experience, but finding the right route is key. Don’t have time to plan or take the ideal long-haul road trip? Don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of the roads and trip routes in every state with views that will take your breath away. Whether one of these is right down your street, a quick jaunt away, or a destination to be set thousands of miles from your home, all of them are worth exploring. Click through to see a scenic drive from every state in the U.S.A.
Alabama
When you’re making your way through Alabama, the Dauphin Island Bridge on Route 193 offers views of the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay.
Alaska
Fair warning: Local wildlife can bring traffic to a standstill on Parks Highway 3 while you’re driving through Denali National Park. Then again, that is part of this road’s allure.
Arizona
Use Scenic Byway 163 to make your way through Monument Valley and marvel at the sandstone buttes set against the backdrop of blue skies off in the distance.
Arkansas
If you time your fall road trip just right, you could catch the full splendor of the leaves changing colors along Highway 74 and across the Buffalo River Bridge.
California
Park Boulevard is one of the prettier detours from Highway 62 that you can take to get a better view of Joshua Tree National Park.
Colorado
Vistas just don’t come as striking as Loveland Pass on U.S. Highway 6. In fact, we’d suggest driving there and then stopping your car, getting out, and taking a minute just to look around and appreciate the surroundings.
Connecticut
Even if you have no business in Danbury, find a reason to take a drive down Ohehyahtah Place in autumn. Between the towering trees lining the street and the upscale homes beyond them, you’ll want to move in.
Delaware
Get a dose of small-town charm by driving down Barley Mill Road in Hockessin. The picturesque Ashland Covered Bridge has been there since 1860, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Florida
Take State Road A1A through Hutchinson Island for gorgeous ocean views.
Georgia
The oak trees lining Skidaway Road in Savannah make it not only a Wormsloe Historic Site but a must-add to your travel list. The way the trees arc over the road makes it a great spot for an epic car photo, too.
Hawaii
Let’s be real; no matter where you drive in Hawaii, chances are the scenery will be beautiful. But if we must be more specific, know that you can really get the full scope of Kauai’s landscape by taking a ride on Waimea Canyon Drive.
Idaho
You’ll think you’re looking at a fake movie backdrop while making your way down Idaho State Highway 75, otherwise known as Sawtooth Scenic Byway-that’s how pristine the place is.
Illinois
Pull over on Peoria’s Grandview Drive and have a picnic. You’ll be able to eat while taking in views of Lake Peoria.
Indiana
In the spring and summer, a drive through Brown County State Park in Indiana will overwhelm you with greenness. There is so much greenery, in fact, that it’ll feel as though you’re wearing tinted sunglasses. As an aside, the roads nearby are excellent-so much so that we used some of them during a compact-car comparison test in 2016. Too bad we visited during the winter months, missing the State Park’s lushness by a season.
Iowa
Explore the Iowa River Valley via the 77-mile stretch of land known as the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway. The ride is bracketed at each end by Iowa’s only Native American community and an area settled by Germans in the mid-1800s, and both sites offer immersive historical experiences.
Kansas
Dig wildflowers? They litter the Gypsum Hills along U.S. 160.
Kentucky
Just about every town has a Main Street, but few can match the quaintness of the street with the ubiquitous name that runs through Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.
Louisiana
Atchafalaya Basin Bridge gives you a tongue twister to try, as well as water running its length between each direction of traffic and treetops lining both elevated roadways. Needless to say, this is the worst place to be caught up in traffic.
Maine
A trip to New England just wouldn’t be complete without a leisurely drive on Loop Road through Acadia National Park. If you’re into low-key, traditional waterside activities, it’s worth pulling off the road to skip a stone on Beaver Dam Pond.
Maryland
Step back in time with a drive through Antietam National Battlefield. Several roads in the park will guide you through the area where the famous Civil War battle of the same name took place.
Massachusetts
Head to North Adams by way of McAuley Road to see what remains of a former marble quarry in Natural Bridge State Park.
Michigan
Follow the Lake Michigan shoreline up Highway 22 and try not to let northern Michigan’s natural beauty distract you from the curvy roads. As an added bonus, just north of 22 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula runs the similar Highway 2, which also hugs sandy beaches along Lake Michigan. Try both.
Minnesota
Wilderness Drive in Itasca State Park is the ultimate escape from the freeways and urban highways you might be used to. It’s out there.
Mississippi
History buffs should definitely add Vicksburg National Military Park to their road-trip itinerary. The park has a 16-mile drive route commemorating the Civil War’s Battle of Vicksburg.
Missouri
The hills (of Rolla) are alive with the sound of cars rushing past. Mostly, this is because whether you’re traveling on Route 66 or Interstate 44, you can see one from the other: The two highways run parallel to each other and are draped over southern Missouri’s topography.
Montana
For a majestic view, make your way to the Saint Regis–Paradise Scenic Byway in Montana’s Lolo National Forest, which runs between I-90 and the 200.
Nebraska
Heading down Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway, you’ll transition from prairie land to sandhills. This is a drive you can enjoy for a longer period than most-it’s a 197-mile haul along Highway 20.
Nevada
Feeling chilly? Check out the Valley of Fire State Park, which is best experienced via the White Domes Scenic Byway. The brightly colored sandstone formations are sights to behold.
New Hampshire
If you’re making your way through New Hampshire, map your journey to get to the White Mountains. There are a few major roads to choose from, but we recommend cutting through the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, a 30-some-mile section of Route 112 that, like most scenic runs in the Northeast, puts on its best show during the fall season.
New Jersey
If you’re a morning person, catch the sunrise over the Stone Harbor Bridge. This daily occurrence is nearly better than coffee.
New Mexico
The views-plural!- from the Jemez Mountain Trail Scenic Byway are some of Mother Nature’s best work. Along the 132-mile drive loop consisting of State Road 4 and the 550, you can see the Valles Caldera volcanic crater and the Soda Dam and visit the Jemez Falls waterfall.
New York
The Big Apple isn’t the only thing New York has to offer. Take Route 3 into the Adirondacks, and you’ll see what we mean. To beat the Northeast’s drum yet again, rural New York is most visually stunning in autumn.
North Carolina
The Blue Ridge Parkway gives you spectacular scenery no matter the season. Icy roads in the winter mean slower speeds-and more time to soak it all in.
North Dakota
Highway 57 is a convenient and visually appealing way to get across North Dakota. Check out nearby Devil’s Lake while you’re in the area.
Ohio
Bask in the Amish Country Byway’s pastoral glory. Be advised: you’ll be sharing the road with horse-led buggies.
Oklahoma
Don’t let the fog cloud your assessment of one of Oklahoma’s scenic routes; the Talimena Scenic Byway is absolutely worth your time. This 54-mile stretch runs between Mena, Arkansas, and Talihina, Oklahoma (hence the name Talimena), and is so packed with things to do that the Talimena National Scenic Byway Association has an interactive map to help you plan your trip.
Oregon
The West Cascades National Scenic Byway is just a quick (just kidding) 220-mile cruise offering a tour through the Cascade Mountain region that is as thorough as it is long.
Pennsylvania
Get lost in the Susquehanna River Valley’s lush landscape by way of Route 120. No, literally, get lost here-there is no shortage of things to do and see, from historic Revolutionary War sites to antique shops.
Rhode Island
Stick to Ocean Avenue and the other coastal roads in Newport for million-dollar views on your way to see the island’s historic mansions.
South Carolina
The trees lining Botany Bay Road on Edisto Island create a tunnel-like effect similar to those we showed you on Skidaway Road in Savannah, Georgia. Visit it for the obligatory Instagram photo.
South Dakota
Travel Highway 240 during your time in Badlands National Park. The geologic formations poking up from the landscape are incredible, with layered deposits that are up to 75 million years old.
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is worth visiting in and of itself, but the Newfound Gap at its center is worth the trip because of U.S. 441, the road that takes you there. Whether you’re heading into Tennessee or North Carolina by way of the Newfound Gap, be sure to shoot the gap. Not literally, of course.
Texas
Route 67 spans several states, but the section running through Texas provides surreal views of the state’s flatlands as far as the eye can see.
Utah
Scenic Byway 12 runs for more than 112 miles, but make it to the road’s summit and you’ll find yourself 9000 feet up with the world at your toes. From the peak’s vantage point, one can see Grand Staircase-Escalante, the Henry Mountains, and Capitol Reef National Park’s red rocks.
Vermont
Explore Vermont’s Green Mountains by taking the Scenic Route 100 Byway. There are plenty of little New England towns to scope out along the way. Can you guess which time of year we suggest visiting Route 100?
Virginia
You’ll feel like you’re floating atop the Chesapeake Bay as you make your way to Fisherman’s Island via the 23-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel. The original bridge opened in 1952, while its parallel twin was added in 1973.
Washington
Hit up Heather Meadows and Artist Point by way of the 58-mile Mount Baker Scenic Byway, known formally as State Route 504. You can watch bald eagles munching on salmon in the Nooksack River from the road. What does your commute offer? No bald eagles snacking on fish? We thought not.
West Virginia
People with a fear of heights might want to avoid the New River Gorge Bridge, which at its tallest point sits nearly 900 feet above the New River. Everyone else, go ahead and savor all 3030 feet of its length and the rich views it affords of the Appalachian Mountains.
Wisconsin
The curvaceous Jens Jensen Winding Road in Door County is fun to drive. That its woodsy setting qualifies as scenic is icing on the cake.
Wyoming
Heading to Yellowstone National Park? Be sure to visit Highway 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Over its 47-mile length, you’ll leap the Absaroka Mountains on your way through the Shoshone National Forest.
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