Article Overview: Best Road Trips USA
If you’re planning a good old-fashioned American road trip, then you’ve come to the right place. When someone asks me if I’ve driven through a particular scenic area in the USA I’m reminded of the Geoff Mack song I’ve Been Everywhere and his response to the truck driver giving him a lift, “Listen, I’ve traveled every road in this here land”.
Sure there are some left for us to do, but we really have covered nearly every US road trip imaginable… Which means we have some extensive knowledge and great recommendations built on our own experiences.
There is no better way to see the beauty of the great USA than through a road trip. In this article I’ll roll through 15 epic road trip ideas to help inspire your next drive across the USA.
America Road Trip – Table of Contents
USA Road Trip: Best Scenic Drives in America
- Best Road Trips USA
- Top 15 Best Road Trips in America
- 1. Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip
- 2. Historic Route 66
- 3. Pacific Coast Highway 1
- 4. Blue Ridge Parkway
- 5. The Road to Hana
- 6. Going to the Sun Road
- 7. Olympic Peninsula Loop
- 8. Nevada Route 50 (The Loneliest Road in America)
- 9. Avenue of the Giants (Redwoods)
- 10. Kancamagus Highway
- 11. Route 100
- 12. Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway
- 13. John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
- 14. Natchez Trace Parkway
- 15. Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway
- Planning Your USA Road Trip
- Deciding Where to Go & What to See
- Mapping Out Your USA Road Trip (Creating a Road Trip Map)
- How Long Will the Road Trip Take & How Much Time Do I Need?
- Choosing a Starting Point for this US Road Trip
- Camping on a US Road Trip
- Road Trip Food Planning
- Fueling Up
- Planning a USA Road Trip Budget
- Helpful Related Articles
- Top 15 Best Road Trips in America
Best Road Trips USA
Top 15 Best Road Trips in America
1. Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip
- Location: Utah, USA
- Distance: Approximately 1200 miles (1931 km)
- Suggested Time: 7 days
- Minimum Time: 3 days
- Best Time of Year: March – October
A road trip through Utah’s Mighty Five national parks is an unforgettable journey through some of the most stunning landscapes in the American Southwest. The drive offers a kaleidoscope of breathtaking vistas, with towering sandstone cliffs, vibrant red rock formations, and expansive desert views.
The Utah National Parks Road Trip is great in any season. Sure summer is hot, and winter can be cool but all in all the route stays driveable pretty much year-round and offers sunny and warm escapes even when it’s cold in much of the rest of the country.
Of course there are also quite a few parks, forests, and trails on this trip. If you’re going in the summer expect crowds just about everywhere and skip Zion, it’s not worth it. If this epic road trip sounds like it’s right for you check out our complete guide on it below.
Be sure to check out our article with everything you need to know about the Utah national parks road trip.
2. Historic Route 66
- Location: Illinois to California
- Distance: 2,400 miles
- Suggested Time: 3 weeks
- Minimum Time: 2 weeks
- Best Time of Year: May – October
Historic Route 66 Road Trip Description
As *the* place to “get your kicks”, the Route 66 road trip has long been somewhat of an American road trip right of passage.
I recall my first time on route 66 as an 18 year old the summer I graduated high school feeling alive with hot desert air on my face and not a care in the world.
While the official start of route 66 road trip is in Illinois and the official end of route 66 is near Santa Monica, California, most people drive the iconic stretches out west rather than tackling the whole thing which can take weeks.
The highlights of this trip for me are the sections in Arizona & New Mexico with tumbleweeds rolling by the vast desert landscapes.
If you’re interested in this road I recommend checking out our articles on Arizona’s 24 National Parks & New Mexico’s National Parks.
3. Pacific Coast Highway 1
- Location: California, USA
- Distance: 655 miles (1,055 km)
- Suggested Time: 7 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: April – October
Driving the Highway 1 Road Trip
California’s Highway 1, or Pacific Coast Highway, is without a doubt one of the most scenic drives in the world. With breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean on one side and sunny California landscapes on the other, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most dreamed-about roadtrips the world over.
The official start just south of Los Angeles and ends just north of San Francisco (but south of the mightiest groves of Redwoods).
If you’re interested in this road I recommend checking out our article on the California National Parks.
4. Blue Ridge Parkway
- Location: Virginia to North Carolina, USA
- Distance: 469 miles
- Suggested Time: 5 days
- Minimum Time: 1 days
- Best Time of Year: October (Fall foliage)
Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip
Some folks say that the Blue Ridge Parkway is the best road trip in America for fall foliage. I’m not inclined to disagree with them. Having driven the Blue Ridge Parkway in October during peak fall foliage, I have to say it’s spectacularly beautiful.
It’s also a great drive any time of year. In the spring you’ll see wildflowers blooming along the hillsides and and throughout the many waterfall hikes you can take from the road. In the summer the sunsets seem to last forever and cast the most beautiful light on the rolling mountains in distance of every overlook.
Check out our award-winning film featuring the parkway which goes through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is both a National Parkway and All-American Road meaning it’s a must see.
While you’re on the Blue Ridge Parkway you have to be sure to stop off in America’s most visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains.
5. The Road to Hana
- Location: Maui, USA
- Distance: 64 miles (103km)
- Suggested Time: 2 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: May – October (when the fruit stands are open)
Driving the Road to Hana
We’re taking this list of the best road trips in the USA tropical. Haleakalā National Park and the island of Maui is home to the world famous Road to Hāna (pictured below).
This famous road follows the Northeastern coast of Maui and is one of the most scenic and precarious in the world.
Yes I mean that both because of the wild ride and the stunning views it has to offer. Wildlife, vivid rain forests, lush meadows, sweeping views of the Pacific, and did I mention the waterfalls? Lots of waterfalls. Buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life!
The entire road is one lane and offers little room for error as one navigates the twists, turns, rock slides and floods that are so common along the route. It’s common for major traffic pileups in the summer as tourists in rented cars try to navigate the road and have to back up for hundreds of yards to make way for passing traffic along the blind turns and narrow bends.
Those who brave the Road to Hāna are rewarded with unparalleled views of the island’s natural splendor and awe-inspiring vistas of the Pacific.
The Road to Hāna will take you along Maui’s southeastern coast and provides access to Oheo Gulch, the Pools of ʻOheʻo, Waimoku Falls, the Pīpīwai Trail, as well as Kīpahulu Campground on the coast.
If you’re looking for more things to do around the Road to Hana, check out the Haleakala National Park! We’ve written about the best things to do in Haleakala as well.
6. Going to the Sun Road
- Location: Montana, USA
- Distance: 50 miles (80km)
- Suggested Time: 2 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: July – October
Driving Going to the Sun Road
Can you hear the haunting music from The Shining playing in your head already? This is one of the most famous roads in the world for it’s scenic beauty. It’s also been hailed as an engineering marvel, which you’ll appreciate as you wind your way up. You might also remember it from the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Shining.
You know when a road is the most highly sought after attraction in a park as beautiful and epic as Glacier, it must really be something. It is. Going to the Sun Road is approximately 50 miles long and will take about 2 hours to drive (depending on traffic conditions). The road itself spans the width of Glacier National Park.
In the summer traffic on this road can get pretty bad as everyone wants to soak in the views. It also doesn’t help that the road is very narrow and there are numerous opportunities for accidents and wildlife encounters.
I typically like to minimize my time inside the car in national parks but Going to the Sun Road is a notable exception to this rule. This is a rare drive you never want to end.
If you’re looking for more of the best things to do in Glacier National Park we’ve written about those as well!
7. Olympic Peninsula Loop
- Location: Washington, USA
- Distance: 329 miles (531 km)
- Suggested Time: 5 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: July – September
Driving the Olympic Peninsula Loop Road Trip
The Olympic Peninsula Loop Drive is probably one of the most underrated scenic drives in America. That’s not to say it never gets any visitors, Olympic National Park is very popular, but the road that surrounds the park is typically considered a means to an end rather than a destination unto itself.
Check out our award-winning film on Olympic National Park below to get excited for this spectacular area.
Olympic National Park is the most diverse national park in America, hands down. This park has everything from lowland forests, glaciated mountain ranges, pristine alpine lakes, sparkling rivers, temperate rain forests (the largest in North America), iconic wildlife, and over 50 miles of rugged wilderness coastline!
You can see it all from the Olympic Peninsula Loop Drive. If you’re interested in visiting this road, I recommend checking out our guide on Olympic National Park.
8. Nevada Route 50 (The Loneliest Road in America)
- Location: Nevada, USA
- Distance: 408 miles (657 km)
- Suggested Time: 2 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Time of Year: October – May
Driving Nevada Route 50
Known as the “loneliest road in America”, Nevada’s Route 50 is a sight to behold and one of the eeriest road trips in America. Seemingly endless stretches of road unspool into the arid Great Basin for miles and miles. Each time you reach a rise another long stretch appears before you.
Route 50 is part of the Lincoln Highway, which dates back to 1913. The route begins in Times Square, New York and ends in Lincoln Park, San Fransisco. The Lincoln Highway was America’s first coast to coast highway and was commonly referred to as “The Main Street Across America”. In fact, it was the Lincoln Highway that inspired President Eisenhower to establish the Interstate Highway System that we all use today.
The Loneliest Road in America predates even the Lincoln Highway though. Long stretches of this route in Nevada are part of the Pony Express National Historic Trail and drivers can stop by the remnants of two historic Pony Express Stations where riders would swap horses in a race to deliver mail from coast to coast.
If you’re headed to Great Basin National Park you might end up on this road. Otherwise it’s probably out of the way but worth the excursion if you’re looking to get away from it all on four wheels.
While you’re in the area be sure to read up on Nevada’s National Parks and National Parks Near Las Vegas.
9. Avenue of the Giants (Redwoods)
- Location: California, USA
- Distance: 31.5 miles
- Suggested Time: 3 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: May – September
Driving the Avenue of the Giants
The Avenue of the Giants is a magnificent 31.5 mile drive that weaves you through Humboldt Redwoods State Park located about an hour south of Eureka, California. There’s nothing quite like driving through a vast forest of 1,000+ year old trees. I recommend stopping at various points of interest and exploring the forest. Make sure you stay on the trails – walking off the trail, while tempting, is extremely detrimental to the health of these precious trees and their shallow roots.
Interestingly, in my experience the redwoods here take on a more vivid shade of red than their counterparts closer to the coast and the national park.
If you’re interested in this road trip I recommend checking out our article on the best things to do in Redwood National Park.
10. Kancamagus Highway
- Location: New Hampshire, USA
- Distance: 34.5 miles (90 km)
- Suggested Time: 2 days
- Minimum Time: 3 hours
- Best Time of Year: October (Fall Foliage)
Driving the Kancamagus Highway
Every year nearly a million people drive this scenic, 34 mile stretch of highway to see its spectacular displays of fall foliage. Peak foliage here is typically in the first two weeks of October but can vary each year.
If you have to choose between seeing it too early or too late, I recommend erring on the early side as it’s better to see the area with leaves (albeit greener than you’d like) rather than with no leaves at all.
Be advised that this is not a hidden gem. Travelers from all over the country and particularly the northeast flock to the “Kanc”, as its known locally, every fall to take in the colors. So be prepared for traffic and pricey lodging.
Early morning is the best time to take in the views on this beautiful stretch of mountain road.
While you’re in the area be sure to check out the spectacular Green Mountains over in Vermont!
11. Route 100
- Location: Vermont, USA
- Distance: 216 miles (348.7 km)
- Suggested Time: 5 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: October
Driving Vermont’s Route 100
Every year millions of people all over the world look forward to fall to seeing the leaves of the eastern United States’ vast hardwood forests change color – and there are few better places to see this happen than Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest.
There are many incredible drives through the Green Mountain National Forest. Of them, Highway 100 is a stand out for exceptional fall viewing.
Mountains pop up on either side of the road throughout the drive along with vast hardwood forests full of color in the fall.
Highlights along the way include the world-famous Vermont Country Store in Weston, the charming cities of Stowe & Waterbury, & the Green Mountain National Forest.
Check out this helpful page for more festive things to do in Vermont in the fall.
12. Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway
- Location: South Dakota, USA
- Distance: 70 miles (112 km)
- Suggested Time: 3 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: June & October
Driving the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway
The Black Hills of South Dakota is one of the most unique and beautiful areas in all of America. There are a number of ways to take in the sights here, but to really get the best views you’ll want to drive the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway.
Maybe it’s the dazzling rock formations, beautiful pine forests, incredible wildlife, mesmerizing magic hour, and wild amount of recreation opportunities that exist here. Or maybe it’s something else.
Whatever it is there’s something almost spiritual about this place. To the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes this is a very real feeling as they have long considered the Black Hills to be the sacred center of the world.
I recommend taking your time, driving slow, stopping at the viewpoints you come across, and enjoying the incredible scenic beauty of this special place. Along the way you’ll find the beautiful Black Hills National Forest and the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
RELATED: 15 HELPFUL Tips for Visiting Mount Rushmore (Things to Do + Photos)
13. John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
- Location: Wyoming, USA
- Distance: 27 miles (43 km)
- Suggested Time: 7 days (including visits to Yellowstone & Grand Teton)
- Minimum Time: 30 minutes
- Best Time of Year: June, July, & September
Driving the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
While the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway parkway itself is only 27 miles long, it happens to connect two of the most iconic national parks in America, Grand Teton & Yellowstone.
I recommend taking a week and splitting time between Yellowstone National Park (3 days) & Grand Teton National Park (4 days). Despite being so near to each other, these are totally different & unique parks with incredible natural scenery.
Personally, I favor Grand Teton because it’s far less crowded than Yellowstone but you can’t go wrong with either of these famous parks.
If you’re looking for the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park or the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park we’ve got you covered!
14. Natchez Trace Parkway
- Location: Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, USA
- Distance: 444 miles (715 km)
- Suggested Time: 5 days
- Minimum Time: 1 day
- Best Time of Year: October – November
Driving the National Trace Parkway Road Trip, USA
At 444 miles, the Natchez Trace Parkway winds like a scenic river through the heart of the South. The quiet beauty of the area is marked by wooded hills, tranquil streams, and numerous historic sites. Starting in Mississippi and crossing through Alabama and Tennessee, the Natchez Trace traverses quintessential southern beauty.
If you’ve got the time I recommend spending several days driving this route and soaking in the sites. Along the way you can visit the Meriwether Lewis Museum, Emerald Mound, Chickasaw Village, Jackson Falls, and many other points of interest.
The road is managed and maintained by the National Park Service and holds the highest scenic designation from the Federal Highway Administration as an All-American Road.
15. Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway
- Location: Colorado, USA
- Distance: 48 miles (77km)
- Suggested Time: 1 day
- Minimum Time: 2 hours
Driving Trail Ridge Road
At 12,183 ft elevation (over 2 miles high), Trail Ridge Road is the highest road in the state of Colorado and one of the highest in the United States. While the road may be relatively short compared to many of the others on this list, it packs a breathtaking punch.
As you ascend to over 12,000 feet, panoramic views of rugged peaks and alpine meadows unfold before you. Along the way, wildlife sightings are common, with elk, marmots, and bighorn sheep making appearances.
The road itself is a marvel, winding through forests and tundra, revealing the park’s diverse ecosystems. Each overlook provides a chance to pause and absorb the majesty of the Rockies and the scenery spreading out below you.
If you’re interested in this road I recommend checking out our article on the best things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Planning Your USA Road Trip
Deciding Where to Go & What to See
Step 1 of planning a US road trip is deciding where to go and what to see. Are you in the mood for the desert? Maybe a Utah or southwest road trip is right for you. Or maybe you’re thinking something a bit greener, like a Pacific Northwest road trip.
We recommend making your decision around either a singular must see destination (“I’ve got to see Yellowstone!”) or a type of scenery (“I’m dying to see red rock country”). Having one of these in mind will help shape the rest of your trip.
Finally, check for closures of sites and roads to make sure the main things you want to see are open and accessible!
Best to check ahead of time and save yourself the disappointment.
Mapping Out Your USA Road Trip (Creating a Road Trip Map)
One of the most fun parts of planning a US road trip (at least for us anyway) is plotting it all out on a map. Seeing all those little points come together and the significance of each one gets us every time.
There’s just nothing like the feeling of seeing the map points come to life when you finally arrive.
Best Road Trip Map Tool
We always use google maps for this as the interface is hard to beat. However, they do currently have a 10 destination limit on the regular one.
If you want/need to add more points to your map than the 10 destination limit, google also has a “my maps” tool which is free and even savable right to your google account.
We’ve ranked the 15 BEST Road Trip Planning Tools if you’re looking for more!
Tips for Creating a US Road Trip Map
- Try changing the order of the destinations. We find that often time what might seem the most logical route to us, in fact is not. Changing the order of your map points around can (and has for us) save you precious hours of drive time in between destinations
- It’s easy to get carried away adding pins to the map (we do this every time). “What’s an extra 5 hours on the trip of a lifetime!” or “When are we ever going to be out that way again?” can be dangerous questions that lead to trip stress. We recommend spending taking a good hard look at your map and eliminating extra time draining stops. You’d probably rather spend an extra few hours soaking in grand canyon views than fighting over bathroom stops with the back seat.
- Check the drive times between stops and determine approximately what time you will be arriving at each destination. Say you’ve always wanted to see a sunrise at Monument Valley, but you don’t calculate your drive and you end up getting there at 9am instead of the sunrise you always dreamed of. Not an ideal situation. This part can be a bit cumbersome but is well worth the effort.
How Long Will the Road Trip Take & How Much Time Do I Need?
Next step is determining how much time you have vs how much you “need”. On average, we recommend allowing for at least 1-2 days per major destination on your trip.
That means if you’ve got a week (5-7 days) to do your road trip, the most major destinations you should include is probably about 5.
You want to be able to give yourself time to appreciate and enjoy each destination and not feel rushed.
Choosing a Starting Point for this US Road Trip
One of the toughest parts of planning a USA road trip can be choosing the right starting point. If you’re driving your own car and starting from your residence then feel free to skip on to the next part. For everyone else, especially if you plan on flying to your destination and renting a car, there’s a bit of a decision matrix to consider.
The question we always ask ourselves which makes it easier for us is: what is the cheapest price we can pay combined for rental car + airfare? Price is easily our biggest determining factor when choosing a starting point.
If you’re interested in a National Parks Road Trip, you might want to look over our post on Best US National Parks Road Trips that lists all of the best national road trips.
Getting the Best Price for Rental Car + Airfare
Consider the following example. You’re doing a Utah National Parks Road Trip to see the Mighty 5. The most convenient airport options are Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Say you find amazing flight deals to Salt Lake City – great, we fly into salt lake, right? Maybe.
Sometimes the rental car prices in one airport are so bad that it makes flying into another destination more worthwhile despite a great flight deal and vice versa. Always check both the flight price and rental car price at each destination before booking.
Choosing the Right Lodging Options
We’ve all been there before… arriving at the campsite late at night praying we there’s an open spot only to find nothing. Or pulling into town after a 4 hour cell-service blackout only to find that all the hotels are all booked up.
Or realizing upon arriving to your destination that you didn’t make reservations anywhere and the prices are astronomical (we’re looking at you, Yellowstone).
Like way more than a national park should ever cost seeing that it’s a tax-payer funded, publicly owned resource managed for the benefit and enjoyment of the people (all people).
The point is, planning ahead of time on lodging and deciding on the right accommodations for your budget is important. I recommend starting early and scanning what hotel prices are like during the time of year you want to visit (covered below). This will give you an idea of what availability looks like and how expensive it is.
Camping on a US Road Trip
If you plan on camping, check out recreation.gov to see if you can reserve a site ahead of time. One pro-tip we recommend is seeing if there are any nearby national forests where you might be able to camp.
National forest campgrounds are amazing for a number of reasons, two of them being price (they’re usually cheaper if not free) and availability (they’re usually way less crowded than national park campgrounds).
With that being said, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan for each night that you are unable to book something in advance.
Road Trip Food Planning
Ah, nothing says US road trip quite like the smell of glistening hot dogs rotating over an open warming pan at Love’s gas station at 2 in the morning… With that being said, planning out your road trip food is absolutely essential.
We’ve all seen the beloved road trip companion turn Mr. Hyde after being forced to miss their self-appointed feeding hour. Avoiding this doomsday scenario can mean the difference between a warm ride home full of fond reminisces or an unscheduled stop at the Twin Falls airport conducted in total silence.
We recommend a budget friendly mix of dining at local eateries and “cooler food”. Feeling the fatigue of too much fast food can tank a day in a hurry so we highly recommend finding a cooler for the trip to pack something on the healthier side.
Pro-Tip #1: We often pack a soft cooler (this is our current go-to) full of clothes on the way over (if flying) that can be removed upon arrival and replaced with ice and lunch food/snacks (sandwich fixings, dips, greens, drinks, etc).
Road Trip Groceries
Typically our first stop after the airport is to a Trader Joe’s (who is not paying us to say so) to stock up on essentials. We often end up in places during dining hours that either have no food options or very limited unhealthy options and so it’s nice to have an alternative in the car.
Making food stops also slows down trip momentum and can mean the difference between “making it there before sundown”.
Pro-Tip #2: A few years back we (finally) started packing a small, inexpensive one burner stove (this one) and it has made all the difference. Having the option to make hot food (we camp/car camp a lot) can make all the difference after a long day in the parks.
Finally, in the dining category of this post, comes the topic of coffee (should’ve been #1, I know). We are hopeless caffeine junkies and need our morning fix.
Jim swears by this piñon coffee that he always packs with us (I’ll admit, it’s pretty good). We use this gadget to heat the water and this metal pour over tin to do the job (usually with good results I must say).
Fueling Up
I’ll never forget running out of gas in the middle of the Mojave desert near Baker, California in 110 degree weather and no shade for miles…
Or the subsequent ride into town with my brothers and the sailor-mouthed tow-truck driver whose vernacular was completely free from the typical societal constraints one might expect with a 12 year-old (my youngest brother) present.
Good news is there was service, we lived, and Tom (youngest brother) went on to become the wisest of the bunch! And while I’d like to say I learned my lesson from that experience, sadly it took several more extremely close terribly inconvenient calls for me to remember to plan fuel stops and check the old fuel gauge regularly.
Planning a USA Road Trip Budget
It’s a good idea to come up with an overall budget at the outset of planning your road trip. A budget makes it easy to remove unnecessary stops and keep everyone in check. A sample budget breakdown for one of our trips looks something like this:
Sample USA Road Trip Budget
- Food – $50/person/day
- Lodging – $150/day if hotels per two people
- Gas – $30/day (this is pretty variable depending on what kind of car you’re driving)
- Rental Car – $70/day (this is fluctuating wildly given the current vehicle shortages)
- Flights – $300 round trip/person (extremely variable)
- Fees/Attractions – $100 total (park pass, etc)
- Miscellaneous – $300 total (the unforeseen expenses)
- SAMPLE TOTAL for 7 Day Trip for 2 People = $3300 ($700/food + $900/lodging + $210/gas + $490/rental car + $600/flights + $100/fees + $300/miscellaneous)
*this is very fungible up or down depending on how many nights are spent in hotels (if any), if you can get cheap flight deals vs gauging prices, driving your own car vs renting, if you eat at nicer places vs average & groceries, how fuel efficient your vehicle is, etc
Flexibility Is The Key To A Happy Road Trip
The whole reason we take road trips is to see new sights, experience new things, and most importantly to have a good time. Being flexible is the most important factor we’ve found in overall trip happiness (and life).
A few tips based on many years of experience and running the whole gamut of trip emotions:
Tips for a Happy Trip
- Don’t plan out every second of your road trip. Leave free space to either leave places early, linger longer, or just relax.
- There’s no such thing as being late on a road trip. If you miss a sunset it’s not the end of the world. If you have to nix a destination there’s always next time.
- Hydrate well and have plenty of snacks on hand. Hungry ≠ happy and neither does thirsty.
- Take time to enjoy the moment rather than always being concerned about making it to what’s next.
And Finally, The Weather
The most unpredictable factor and potentially biggest damper (intended was the pun) on any trip is the weather.
If you have a plan beforehand for how to spend your time or alternative routes if specific places have bad weather you won’t be as disappointed when it inevitably rains on your parade.
We like to check monthly forecasts to see average temperatures and precipitation before making plans.
Map of the Best Road Trips in the USA
Summary of the Best Road Trips in the USA
- Utah Mighty Five Road Trip
- Historic Route 66
- California Highway 1
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Road to Hana
- Going to the Sun Road
- Olympic Penninsula
- Nevada Route 50
- Avenue of the Giants
- Kancamangus Highway
- Route 100 Vermont
- Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway
- John D Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- Trail Ridge Road
Pin Road Trips America
Helpful Related Articles
Road Trip Planning: 15 Best Free Road Trip Planning Tools
Road Trip Essentials: 35 Must Have Road Trip Essentials
Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip: Ultimate Utah Mighty 5 National Parks Road Trip
Arizona Road Trips: Ultimate Arizona Road Trip
Oregon Road Trips: Ultimate Oregon Road Trip
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I am based in Dubai and have applied for my USA tourist visa. I have heard a lot about USA road trips, however I was unaware that the landscapes across the highway are quite impressive. The mountains in the distance look stunning.