Few things say summer like a good road trip. Ever since the days of the Ford Model T, Americans have loved to hit the open roads that stretch from sea to shining sea — it’s a national rite of passage. And whether you want to visit America’s great cities or see all that the national parks have to offer, you have endless options, no matter where you start your journey.
Here are 10 of the best road trips in the U.S. that are perfect for summer, but many of them are beautiful year-round.
If you start in the South
Overseas Highway: Florida
Best time to go: Any time of year
This aptly titled highway crosses the turquoise waters separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico via 42 bridges, including the state’s longest, the Seven Mile Bridge. The 100-mile journey is lined with palms, native flora and fauna, retro motels and kitschy shell shops.
The drive takes about six hours round-trip from Florida City. However, you can extend your trip by starting in Miami and heading 33 miles south to Homestead, where you can visit Everglades National Park, Knaus Berry Farm (open annually from November through May) for cinnamon rolls and the Robert Is Here Fruit Stand for tropical provisions and smoothies. Then, meander down the coral cay archipelago to Key West.
Related: The best resorts in Florida for a relaxing vacation in the Sunshine State
Interstate 64, US Route 219 and Highland Scenic Highway: West Virginia
Best time to go: Spring or summer
Beckley, West Virginia, seems like a turnpike town — a place where one might stop for gas — but that’s a mistake. The town is filled with quaint bars and restaurants, nice shops and friendly locals. Make your way there and spend a night exploring the city. If dive bars are your thing, check out The Mad Hatter Club for a pint and late-night eats. The next morning, head to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, where a railcar takes you 1,500 feet into a real mine and a retired miner gives you the grand tour.
From Beckley, head two hours northeast to the Cranberry Glades in Pocahontas County, where you’ll find a picturesque boardwalk through a peat bog. Then, travel north up the Highland Scenic Highway and drive through 43 miles of ridgeline that’s filled with overlooks reaching 4,500 feet. Just know that there are no gas stations on the route — to some, this is part of the appeal — so fill up beforehand.
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If you start in the Midwest
Route 66: Illinois to California
Best time to go: Spring through fall
Dating back to 1926, Route 66 is one of America’s most legendary highways. In addition to its wide-open landscapes, it offers plenty of well-preserved historic sites and distinctive retro landmarks, such as the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois. In the 1940s and ’50s, the 2,500-mile highway — which stretches from Chicago to Santa Monica, California — was considered the quintessential American road trip.
There’s plenty to see on the route. In Amarillo, Texas, road trippers can find the Cadillac Ranch art installation, featuring rows of graffiti-painted Cadillacs sticking rear-end-first out of the ground. Just a 12-minute drive from the Cadillacs, you can fill up on some exceptional brisket at Tyler’s Barbeque.
The New Mexican and Arizonan sections of Interstate 40 (which partially replaced Route 66) are particularly picturesque and feature several notable landmarks, including Arizona’s Jack Rabbit Trading Post, which has been a popular pit stop for travelers for more than a half-century. New Mexico’s 400-mile stretch of Route 66 is also lined with historic Native American sites, such as the Pueblo of Laguna, the largest of the Keresan pueblos.
Spring through fall is the best time to travel Route 66. Remember that while many road trips listed are clearly delineated from start to finish, Route 66 isn’t indicated as a single route on contemporary maps, so you’ll want to use a resource like Historic 66 to get turn-by-turn directions.
Great River Road National Scenic Byway: Minnesota to Louisiana
Best time to go: Fall or spring for the best weather
What the Pacific Coast Highway is to the Pacific Ocean, the Great River Road is to the Mississippi River. Starting in Itasca State Park in Minnesota and ending near New Orleans, the Great River Road spans nearly the entire width of the U.S. The route stretches more than 2,000 miles and hits many Midwest landmarks.
Like Route 66, it’s not just one road but rather a series of roads that follow the eastern and western sides of the Mississippi River through Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Each state along the Great River Road has its own interpretative center that educates travelers about the route’s history: In Mississippi, you’ll find Vicksburg National Military Park; Missouri has Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home & Museum; and in Iowa, there’s Effigy Mounds National Monument, home to more than 200 prehistoric mounds constructed by pre-Columbian Mound Builder cultures.
If you start out West
Pacific Coast Highway: California to Washington
Best time to go: Late spring when wildflowers are in bloom
The Pacific Coast Highway is considered an iconic California road trip. But if you have the time, it’s worth traversing the entire 1,650 miles from San Diego to Olympic National Park in Washington.
Sweeping views from high above the blue-green Pacific Ocean make the PCH one of the most beautiful road trips in the nation, and there are plentiful park options along the way. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is known for viewings of sea otters, seals and whales.
Meanwhile, Garrapata State Park is renowned for its coastal redwood groves. Just south of Garrapata is the most photographed landmark of the journey: the Bixby Creek Bridge, one of the world’s tallest single-span concrete arch bridges.
From there, the largest concentration of stops is in and around the coastal area of Big Sur, California. Enjoy a glass of wine, lunch or both at Nepenthe, where spectacular views of over 60 miles of shoreline await. Also make sure to pause at the McWay Falls overlook or take a peek at the sunset through Keyhole Arch on Pfeiffer Beach.
Just past the southern end of Big Sur is Hearst Castle, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst’s 1920s-style Spanish Colonial Revival mansion. It is one of the most popular attractions on California’s central coast.
Historic Columbia River Highway: Oregon
Best time to visit: Spring through fall, with fall offering the most colorful views
Oregon’s Historic Columbia River Highway is the first planned scenic highway in the U.S, dating back to 1913. This 75-mile route begins in Troutdale (an eastern suburb of Portland) and ends in The Dalles — it can be explored in a day, or you can add an overnight stop for a quick weekend trip.
Must-see features of the stunning thoroughfare include numerous waterfalls, such as Shepperd’s Dell Falls and the 620-foot-tall Multnomah Falls, as well as scenic vistas like Chanticleer Point lookout and Crown Point (one of the most photographed spots along the Columbia River).
If time permits, stop at some historical landmarks that demarcate explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s journey, such as Rooster Rock State Park, Cascade Locks Historical Museum and the Rock Fort Campsite in The Dalles.
US Route 89: Through Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Montana
Best time to visit: Any time of year
Though no longer an official U.S. national park road, U.S. Route 89 (formerly known as the National Park-to-Park Highway) is a great option for those seeking the road less traveled. Start in Arizona and move through Utah and Wyoming until you reach Montana.
As you travel U.S. Route 89, you’ll pass more than 150 towns, cities and reservations, as well as seven national parks (including the Grand Canyon, Glacier and Yellowstone) and three geographic regions (Basin and Range National Monument, the Colorado Plateau and the Rocky Mountains).
While going end to end is an option, those looking for a quicker route can consider a shorter stretch from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Glacier National Park. Of course, you can start and end wherever you like and enjoy some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes.
Going-to-the-Sun Road: Glacier National Park, Montana
Best time to visit: When the snow has melted and the road is open, usually from the first of June until October
The 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road through Glacier National Park. It’s also one of the narrowest and most winding thoroughfares on this list, rewarding travelers with some of the country’s most epic landscapes.
You might even spot some mountain goats from the Jackson Glacier Overlook and the route’s highest point, 6,646-foot-tall Logan Pass. The road — which is busiest from late June through late August — also runs past several lakes, including Lake McDonald and St. Mary Lake, and majestic waterfalls such as McDonald Falls and Bird Woman Falls.
Don’t miss out on nearby Kalispell, Montana. The city’s downtown is home to independent shops and restaurants, with Norm’s Soda Fountain being a local favorite. There, you’ll find a retro candy shop-turned-diner with some of the best bison burgers we’ve tasted. From there, head to Kalispell Antiques Market to shop before ending with a frosty beer at Moose’s Saloon, where you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
If you start in Maine
US Route 1: Maine to Florida
Best time to visit: Late September or early October (if you start this route in New England)
Beginning near the Canadian border at Fort Kent, Maine, historic U.S. Route 1 spans nearly 2,500 miles along the Atlantic coast, passing through a slew of East Coast destinations — including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. — before ending all the way south in Key West, Florida.
On the route, you’ll find Colonial towns such as 370-year-old Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a harborside locale full of charming restaurants, inns and shops, as well as Salem, Massachusetts, infamous for its historic (and tragic) witch trials.
Drivers can check out Newport, Rhode Island, known for its Gilded Age mansions, including The Breakers, the lavish summer “cottage” of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Nearby Providence is a favorite, too, where you can’t miss the world-renowned ramen shop, Pickerel.
Farther south, U.S. Route 1’s highlights include northern Virginia’s Mount Vernon, the one-time home of former President George Washington, and South Carolina’s 45,000-acre Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge.
Related: New England road trip: Where to see the most spectacular foliage this fall
Acadia All-American Road: Maine
Best time to visit: Late fall to avoid the crowded summer months and enjoy the colorful foliage
Though you could complete the Acadia All-American Road in half a day, there’s much to see along its 40 miles through Acadia National Park. The scenic byway starts at U.S. Route 3 just south of Trenton and crosses the bridge onto 108-square-mile Mount Desert Island.
Highlights of the Acadia All-American Road include Bass Harbor Head Light Station, a lighthouse dating back to the mid-1800s, and Cadillac Mountain, the park’s highest point. The latter includes interconnected carriage roads and old stone bridges, most of which are closed to cars.
To explore these areas, bring your bicycles or rent them in the island’s seaside community of Bar Harbor. For food, there’s nothing better than the fresh seafood at the Thirsty Whale Tavern.
Bottom line
Summer is here, and America’s wide-open roads are waiting. No matter which route you pick to wander, the journey isn’t only about the highlights; the lesser-known destinations you find along the way make the journey truly special.
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