Want to drive over the ocean? Then try driving HWY 1. The highway will take you between Miami and Key West providing your drive stunning views.
2. HANA HIGHWAY (HWY 360)
Where: Maui, Hawaii, 38 miles between Pauwela and Hana
Hana Highway will take you to the island paradise of Maui. But even before reaching Maui, Hana Highway will treat you with a gorgeous driving landscapes. Along the coastal drive in the highway, drivers can see and stop by waterfalls and other attractions such as ‘Ohe’o Gulch and the “Seven Sacred Pools.”
3. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY (HWY 1)
Where: California, 332 miles between San Francisco and Santa Barbara, California
One of the famous drives on the West Coast, PCH starts at San Francisco. PCH follows the coastline overlooking the Pacific Ocean. With the stunning beauty of the ocean on the left, travelers are also treated with the sight of giant redwood trees on the right. PCH is definitely one of the most gorgeous driving landscapes in United States.
4. ROUTE 66
Where: 300 miles between Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri
Route 66 is the “Mother Road” or “Main Street of America” because it is one of the original highways built for the U.S. Highway System. The most iconic drives of the country, Route 66 will treat travelers with magnificent sceneries and a number of roadside attractions.
5. TURQUOISE TRAIL (HWY 14)
Where: New Mexico, 45 miles between Albuquerque and Santa Fe
The Turquoise Trail or HWY 14 in New Mexico is one of the most historic driving landscapes in USA. Started as a trading route since 2000 B.C. or earlier, the drive is scenic. With the stunning desert scenery that travelers can feast their eyes on, the Turquoise Trail also have many attractions. One of these is the Tinkertown which opened in 1983.
6. COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY (HWY 30)
Where: Oregon, 74 miles between Troutdale and The Dalles
Completed in 1915, the Colombia River Highway is the first paved highway in the Northwest. Famed as being a part of the Oregon Trail and final leg of Lewis and Clark expedition, Hwy 30 is really historic. During spring time, drivers can stop and rest the many gorgeous sites along the Hwy 30. Drivers can visit the waterfalls or enjoy the wildflowers growing along the drive.
7. PIG TRAIL SCENIC BYWAY (HWY 23)
Where: Arkansas, 80 miles between Ozark and Eureka Springs
Located in Middle America, the highway features landscapes lined with lilies and Echinacea. The drive features steep hills and hairpin turns making it famous among car enthusiasts. The highway will also take you to the Ozark National Forest.
8. DELMARVA PENINSULA (HWYS 13 AND 50)
Where: 210 miles between Annapolis, Maryland and Virginia Beach, Virginia
The route takes travelers through the gorgeous landscapes of Maryland and Virginia Eastern Shore. Drivers will pass through a number of wetlands with numerous water-side views. Dining won’t be a problem along Delmarva Peninsula because a number of Chesapeake Bay and seaside towns serve the best seafood in this part of USA.
9. BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Where: 469 miles between the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks
Featuring the best views of both the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway is really a beautiful place to ride thru. During spring and early summer, wildflowers will dot the highway while in fall, the color of the tree leaves will take travelers’ breathe away.
10. GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD
Where: 52 miles in Glacier National Park
Going-to-the-Sun Road is located in Montana. The road crosses the Glacier National Park. The drive will treat travelers with stunning view of glaciers, snowy peaks, and gorges that carve out the glacial canyons. Travelers are advised to travel along Going-to-the-Sun Road between June and October after the snow thawed.
11. ALL AMERICAN BYWAY 12 (US HWY 89)
Where: 120 miles on Hwy 89 in Utah
All American Byway 12 will take drivers along the Bryce Canyon. Although, not famous as the Grand Canyon, the Bryce Canyon offers amazing scenic views. Driving along the Byway 12, travelers will see orange rocks, pine forests, green aspens and other gorgeous sites along the way.
12. SAN JUAN SKYWAY
Where: 233 miles of roadway in the San Juan National Forest, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest
A 233 mile loop in the southwest corner of Colorado, the San Juan Skyway takes drivers along scenic places. Drivers will be treated with the stunning views of the San Juan National Forest, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and the Gunnison National Forest. Travelers will also see Pueblo Indian ruins and beautiful mountains along the Skyway.
13. BRANDYWINE VALLEY BIWAY
Where: 12-24 miles in Pennsylvania and Delaware along the Brandywine Valley
The Biway will take you to a scenic drive around the beautiful Brandywine Valley. Drivers will also admire the numerous green pastures and colonial era mansions that are along the highway. The Battle of Brandywine during the American Revolution also happened along the highway making Brandywine Valley Biway not only scenic but also a historic driveway.
14. HILO-HAMAKUA HERITAGE COASTLINE DRIVE
Where: 45 miles around the island of Hawaii
The Hilo-Hamakua Heritage Coastline Drive treats travelers with views of turquoise waters, emerald green cliffs and dense foliage. Great for motorcycle drivers because all the many twists and turns, if you are a first time visitor you must be careful because the Drive is not built for speed. Scenic detours are also located along the long drive so visitors should be ready for hiking or swimming along side the numerous beaches. This highway for sure make visitors appreciate the beauty of Hawaii.
15. Utah’s Patchwork, take it to Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Utah’s Route 143, known as Patchwork Parkway, connects Heritage Highway 89 and Scenic Byway 12. Route is 51 miles and takes over two hours to drive. With historic pioneer communities all the way, you can drive through this route that once traveled by Native Americans and American Pioneers when they hunted and gathered. Officials named the road after the pioneers who back than used to lay quilts on top of the snow to protect their feet from the freezing cold as they traversed the area. The drive features overlooks and pullover areas where you can admire various peaks and plateaus, lava fields, lake and canyons. At Cedar Breaks National Monument Route 143 reaches an elevation of 10,567 feet, making it one of the highest roads in Utah.
As with most of Utah, the view on Patchwork Parkway is breathtaking. Mother Nature puts on a show with brilliant red canyons and orange, silt cliffs and plateaus covered with forests of pine, fir and spruce. The plateaus in particular offer amazing stargazing opportunities.
16. The Hawaii Belt – Big Island, Hawaii
On the “Big Island” of Hawaii, three state routes — 11, 19 and 190 — form a circle around the perimeter. Locals call it the “Hawaii Belt.” Driving around the Hawaii Belt, you’ll see deserts of lava, lush jungles, farmland, active lava flows, snow-white beaches, mountains and valleys.
The Big Island gets its name from the fact that it’s bigger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined. The complete route around the island is about 300 miles (483 kilometers) long. Most people making this drive will split the journey across several days, in order to enjoy the local scenery and attractions.
Travel experts suggest you begin your trip in Kailua-Kona, a town bordered by hardened lava flows. You’ll also find the famed Kona coffee in this region. As you wind your way around the Big Island, you’ll climb up to 3,000 feet (914 meters) in elevation and dip into lovely valleys. You’ll discover dozens of towns and parks — don’t forget to stop and enjoy the local colors and flavors.
17. Hill Country Highways, Texas
At roughly the geographical center of the Lone Star state, the sparsely populated Hill Country region mixes sagebrush plateaus with deep canyons and fast-flowing rivers. And just outside the idyllic hamlet of Utopia, a series of winding roads—Highways 335, 336, and 337—offer an intense taste of the rugged topography. Climbing up and down canyons and twisting along angular rock walls, these roads offer an adrenaline blast for anyone brave enough to open up the throttle.
Good place to Stop: The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum outside Vanderpool has dozens of vintage motorcycles, plus a good diner, the Ace Café.
18. Kancamagus National Scenic Byway, New Hampshire
NewEngland has many miles of great drives, but nothing beats “The Kanc” the 26.5-mile drive along Route 112, between the towns of Conway and Lincoln. Often rated as the best fall color drive in the U.S., this road is a commerce-free climb past colonial farmhouses, scenic covered bridges, and miles of hardwood and evergreen forest.
Where to Stop: Sabbaday Falls. Just east of the crest, and a quick 15-minute stroll south of the highway, the splashing cascades have been a popular picnic spot since frontier times.
19. Bayou Cruise, Louisiana
West of New Orleans, the low-lying lands of the lower Mississippi River are known for languid country lanes winding past lazy bayous. Garlands of moody Spanish moss dangle from mighty oaks and cypress trees, while alligators and herons splash about in the swampy lagoons. The best road to drive is Highway 31, which winds along Bayou Teche from New Iberia to Breaux Bridge.
Where to Stop: Breaux Bridge. Get your Cajun fix at the self-proclaimed crawfish capital of the world. On Saturday mornings, head to the Café des Amis for the music-filled Zydeco Breakfast.
20. Great River Road, Minnesota to Louisiana
You may expect small-town charm driving alongside the Mississippi River. You might not expect the rugged “Driftless Region” on the road’s more northern stretches—an area that escaped being flattened by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Enjoy roller-coaster hills and steep canyons in Iowa, from Dubuque to the prehistoric Effigy Mounds.
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