America’s Best Views from the Driver’s Seat

Think “road trip,” and what does the mind conjure up? An empty ribbon of highway. A sublime view. A roll through the kind of scenery that lifts the soul. Climb into an RV and point yourself somewhere, anywhere, and you have an almost unlimited array of scenic options. They are the kind of routes that have earned iconic names – Monument Valley, Avenue of the Giants, El Camino del Rio. Maybe the road takes you past majestic mountain peaks…or through red rock canyons…or alongside a frothy river. Perhaps it’s a scenic drive through history…or a historic drive through scenery. But always, it takes you through the kind of wonders that elicit a gasp or a grin or a “Wow.”

The view from 30,000 feet up in an airplane is occasionally stunning. But it feels psychologically distant. That is, when you can see past the clouds. And if you can maneuver yourself to get a view through the tiny window. In an RV, where you often find yourself staring through a massive windshield, it feels like you’re watching a movie of America – some sort of big screen documentary about national wonders. And best of all, any time you want, you can just stop the film and enter the picture. You can immerse yourself in the “Wow.” 

So what better way to end the Centennial of the RV in 2010 than by selecting the 100 most scenic drives in America? The following list covers each of the 50 states – from the Blue Ridge to the White Mountains, from Beartooth Highway to Sawtooth Drive, and from Death Valley to Going-to-the-Sun Road. A list of 200 drives wouldn’t even encompass the jaw-dropping possibilities amid the American landscape, but this is a great way to kick off another 100 years of exploration:

  1. Big Sur Coast Highway (Hwy. 1, California)
  2. San Juan Skyway (Hwy. 550/145/62, Colorado)
  3. Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia/North Carolina)
  4. Columbia River Highway (Hwy. 84, Oregon)
  5. Beartooth Highway (Hwy. 212, Wyoming/Montana)
  6. Monument Valley (Hwy. 163, Arizona/Utah)
  7. Salmon River Scenic Route (Hwy. 75/93, Idaho)
  8. Natchez Trace Parkway (Tennessee/Alabama/Mississippi)
  9. Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier National Park, Montana)
  10. Avenue of the Giants (Hwy. 254, California)
  11. Acadia Loop Road (Acadia National Park, Maine)
  12. A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway (Hwy. 12, Utah)
  13. Crater Lake Rim Drive (Crater Lake National Park, Oregon)
  14. Vermont 100 (Hwy. 100, Vermont)
  15. Custer Scenic Byway (Hwy. 87, South Dakota)
  16. Skyline Drive (Shenandoah National Park, Virginia)
  17. Historic Route 66 (Seligman to Kingman, Arizona)
  18. Teton Park Drive (Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming)
  19. Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Hwy. 158/12, North Carolina)
  20. Tioga Pass (Yosemite National Park, California)
  21. Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (Hwy. 119/72/7, Colorado)
  22. Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway (Hwy. 67, Arizona)
  23. George Parks Highway (Hwy. 3, Alaska)
  24. North Shore Oahu/Kamehameha Highway (Hwy. 83, Hawaii)
  25. Pacific Coast Scenic Byway (Hwy. 101, Oregon)
  26. Trail Ridge Road (Hwy. 34, Colorado)
  27. Oak Creek Canyon Drive (Hwy. 89A, Arizona)
  28. California 1 North (Hwy. 1, California)
  29. Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway (Hwy. 24/91, Colorado)
  30. Lakes to Locks Passage (Hwy. 4/27/9N/9, New York)
  31. Sawtooth Drive (Hwy. 21/75, Idaho)
  32. Zion National Park Scenic Byway (Utah)
  33. Overseas Highway (U.S. 1, Florida Keys)
  34. El Camino del Rio (Hwy. 170, Texas)
  35. North Shore Scenic Drive (Hwy. 61, Minnesota)
  36. High Road to Taos (Hwy. 76/75/518, New Mexico)
  37. Catskill Mountains (Hwy. 28, New York)
  38. Maine’s Big Sur (U.S. 1/Hwy. 186/187/189/190, Maine)
  39. Badlands Drive (Hwy. 240, South Dakota)
  40. Mather Memorial Parkway (Hwy. 410, Washington)
  41. Hells Canyon Byway (Hwy. 39/82, Oregon)
  42. Bicentennial Highway (Hwy. 95, Utah)
  43. Rim of the World Scenic Byway (Hwy. 138/18/38, California)
  44. Seward Highway (Hwy. 1/9, Alaska)
  45. Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (Hwy. 12/13, Idaho)
  46. Moapa Valley Drive (Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada)
  47. Lake Tahoe Loop (Hwy. 50/28/89, California)
  48. Newport Loop and Ocean Drive (Rhode Island)
  49. Cherry Orchards Drive (Hwy. 119/31, Michigan)
  50. The Adirondacks (Hwy. 30/28/3, New York)
  51. Dunes Drive (White Sands National Monument, New Mexico)
  52. Snowy Range Road (Hwy. 130, Wyoming)
  53. North Cascades Highway (Hwy. 20, Washington)
  54. Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway (Hwy. 234/62/230/138, Oregon)
  55. Black Hills Drive (Hwy. 385, South Dakota)
  56. White Mountains Scenic Drive (Hwy. 16, New Hampshire)
  57. Highland Scenic Byway (Hwy. 55/150, West Virginia)
  58. Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway (Hwy. 26, Nebraska)
  59. Harrison to Hot Springs (Hwy. 7, Arkansas)
  60. Globe to Show Low (Hwy. 77/60, Arizona)
  61. Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Hwy. 180, California)
  62. Mohawk Trail Drive (Hwy. 2, Massachusetts)
  63. Talladega Scenic Byway (Hwy. 281, Alabama)
  64. Kancamagus Highway (Hwy. 112, New Hampshire)
  65. Centennial Scenic Byway (Hwy. 26/287, Wyoming)
  66. Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway (Hwy. 112, Washington)
  67. Colorado River Scenic Byway (Hwy. 128, Utah)
  68. Cherohala Skyway (Hwy. 165/143, Tennessee/North Carolina)
  69. Land Between the Lakes Trace (Kentucky, Tennessee)
  70. Creole Nature Trail (Hwy. 27/384/385, Louisiana)
  71. Billy the Kid Trail (Hwy. 48/70/380, New Mexico)
  72. Silverado Trail (Napa County, California)
  73. Missouri Ozarks Drive (Hwy. 19, Missouri)
  74. Kentucky Heartland Drive (Hwy. 68, Kentucky)
  75. Loess Hills Scenic Byway (Hwy. 183/37/175, Iowa)
  76. Death Valley Scenic Byway (Hwy. 190, California)
  77. Glenn Highway (Hwy. 1, Alaska)
  78. Champlain Islands (Hwy. 2, Vermont)
  79. Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway (Hwy. 385/50/350, Colorado)
  80. Grand Army of the Republic Highway (Hwy. 6, Pennsylvania)
  81. Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway (Hwy. 17/180/348/75A, Georgia)
  82. Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway (Hwy. 11, South Carolina)
  83. Great River Road (Hwy. 35, Wisconsin)
  84. Sakakawea Trail (Hwy. 200/200A, North Dakota)
  85. Ohio River Scenic Byway (Hwy. 7/52, Ohio)
  86. Midland Trail (Hwy. 60, West Virginia)
  87. Payette River Scenic Byway (Hwy. 55, Idaho)
  88. Panhandle Scenic Drive (Hwy. 98/30A, Florida)
  89. Turquoise Trail (Hwy. 14, New Mexico)
  90. Amish Country Drive (Hwy. 772, Pennsylvania)
  91. Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway (Hwy. 213/20/45, Maryland)
  92. Delaware Valley Drive (Hwy. 29, New Jersey)
  93. Lincoln Hills Scenic Drive (Hwy. 62, Indiana)
  94. Flint Hills Scenic Byway (Hwy. 57/177, Kansas)
  95. 17-Mile Drive (Monterey Peninsula, California)
  96. Connecticut State Route 169 (Hwy. 169, Connecticut)
  97. Talimena Scenic Byway (Hwy. 1, Oklahoma)
  98. Mouth of the Delaware Drive (Hwy. 8/9, Delaware)
  99. Lake Shore Drive (Chicago, IL)
  100. The Loneliest Road in America (U.S. 50, Nevada)

Author’s Bio

Brad Herzog is an award-winning author and experienced RV traveler who has crisscrossed the country by RV countless times. With his wife and two young sons as his co-pilot and companions, Brad’s family RV adventures have informed and entertained both travelers and dreamers for many years. Brad also writes his You Are Here blog for Go RVing readers.