It's hard to resist the lure of the open road when summer rolls around – and with our editors' across the US, you'll know exactly where to point your car this year. We've listed our favorites from west to east – including everything from the obvious Highway 1 in California, to the less-obvious – but brilliantly named – Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana. We've picked routes for their history (US Route 1 in New England and Million Dollar Highway in Colorado); for their natural scenery (Blue Ridge Parkway; Red Rock Scenic Byway; Highway 12); for their romantic appeal (routes through Sonoma and Napa); and their remote wild beauty (Hana and Seward highways). Best of all, most of these routes make for splendid drives all year long, so you can get out and explore their bounty whenever the mood strikes. So rev your engines . . . and hit the road.
Stretching some 469 miles along the Southern Appalachian Mountains and linking two eastern national parks – Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and North Carolina/Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains – the Blue Ridge Parkway has often been referred to as "America’s Favorite Drive." It’s certainly the country’s first rural route – parts of it date back to 1930s (when construction began as a make-work project during the Depression) – and one of its longest, with breathtaking scenery and dozens of recreational opportunities to distract you when you need to stretch your legs.
It’s no wonder the spirit of aloha 'aina (love of the land) is the bedrock of Hawaiian tradition. A drive on Maui’s beloved Hana Highway (also called "the road to Hana") offers such an awe-inspiring display of natural beauty that you’ll soon revel in the same sentiment. This serpentine 55-mile trek starts off in Paia, famous for its surfer-swept shores, and zigzags east along the coast, all the while embracing 600 hairpin curves, 56 one-lane bridges, and some of the island’s most spectacular sights. Indeed, Keanae Arboretum (an exotic botanical garden), Waikane Falls (a trio of crashing chutes), Ka Ekeku Caverns (an ancient cavern system created from a lava flow thousands of years ago), and Waianapanapa State Park (home to a famous black-sand beach and fresh-water caves) are all in close proximity. Keep your windows down as you go and breathe in the sweet air infused with eucalyptus and ginger.
California’s State Route 1 (aka Highway 1) skirts the Golden State’s glorious Pacific coastline from “So Cal,” near San Luis Obispo, northwest to the forests of Monterey. The magnificent vistas of ocean waves breaking on rocky sea-sculpted shores, windswept beaches dotted by frolicking otters or sea lions, and magnificent forests presiding above it all can rouse even the wariest of drivers behind the wheel. Forays into charming little coastal towns, like Carmel-by-the-Sea and Laguna Beach, as well as into the trilogy of Californian cultural centers at Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, are met by attractions ranging from historic missions to magnificent mansions. There are also endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, particularly around the Big Sur area, where you can hike through redwood forests, comb the beaches for shells and jade, and camp under the stars.
Windswept red-rock canyons, towering sandstone formations, pristine lakes, and pine-studded mountain ranges combine for an altogether over-the-top sensory experience in Southern Utah. The setting for several stunning national parks, Utah Highway 12, also known as Highway 12 Scenic Byway, is one of only 27 nationally designated All-American Roads – the highest honor a road can get for attractive scenery. This remarkable road connects Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, and travels through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and over the forested Boulder Mountain in the Dixie National Forest, before winding down near the entrance to Capitol Reef. Unique beauty and seemingly limitless recreational opportunities abound on the stretch of land between the two parks’ boundaries.
Despite varying explanations as to the origin of its name (one claims it cost $1 million a mile to build in 1924; another says it contains $1 million in gold ore), there’s no disputing the fact that the 75-mile stretch of scenic highway known as Million Dollar Highway is a breathtaking journey through the majestic mountain passes of western Colorado. Crossing part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, and following route US 550 between the old mining towns of Silverton and Ouray, the route’s twists and turns wend high above the Red Mountain Pass – an 11,008-foot-high collapsed volcano whose lava flow was found to contain gold in 1860 – and past the deep Uncompahgre Gorge into which flow several waterfalls. As you continue to slice through the mountainside, winding along hairpin switchbacks and following old stagecoach paths, this route bears witness to the area’s now-defunct mining operations; you can even stop in Silverton to admire the town’s historic Victorian style buildings, some of which date back to 1874.
If you're looking for a sublime experience and are a lover of the great outdoors, Mother Nature has blessed you with Sedona. Known for its massive, monolithic, red-rock formations that seemingly change shape and color with every passing ray of sunlight, Sedona's almost otherworldly scenery has long beckoned visitors to stand in awe of its grandeur. State Route 179, a 7.5-mile sliver of road designated Red Rock Scenic Road, serves as an excellent introduction to some of the area’s most superb natural splendors and amazing vistas. Plan on devoting at least a full morning to driving along it and ogling at the striking red rocks, many of which have been named for their resemblance to man-made objects (such as Bell, Courthouse, Cathedral, or Castle Rocks). Should a particular rock formation strike your fancy, it’s easy enough to hop out of the car to hike or bike to its base.
The Seward Highway serves as the asphalt thread linking metropolitan Anchorage to Alaska’s agreeable little portside town of Seward on magnificent Resurrection Bay. Fittingly, for a road that connects such contrasting locales, the 127-mile stretch cuts through diverse landscapes – from glistening glaciers to alpine meadows, and jagged peaks to majestic fjords. Many miles of the route hug the base of the rugged Chugach Mountains and the shore of Turnagain Arm, winding past waterfalls, wildflowers, and wildlife; keep your eyes peeled for grazing sheep and mountain goats in the cliff tops, and beluga whales racing through the frigid waters below. Designated an All-American Road by the US Department of Transportation, this journey through the dramatic wilds of Alaska also provides access to terrific fishing spots and campgrounds, and simply great outdoor adventures.
Although we don’t condone drinking and driving, there’s no better way to get a taste of Northern California’s pastoral wine country than by driving through the Sonoma and Napa valleys. A 132-mile-long drive starts in Santa Rosa, just north of San Francisco, and follows three highways (Sonoma Hwy, St. Helena Hwy, and Redwood Hwy) through breathtaking acres of sprawling vineyards, forested hills, oak woodlands, several state parks – including beautiful Clear Lake State Park – as well as a handful of historic sites. Our preferred itinerary heads down and around Sonoma and Napa, then loops up to St. Helena, Calistoga, Middleton, and Cobb, before culminating in Hopland. Some of the highlights include the ghost-town of Silverado (made famous by writer Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote about his honeymoon there); the expansive ranch belonging to author Jack London; the charming colonial town of Sonoma; and the famed Hopland Brewery, a microbrewery serving up frosty local beer (a nice change from all that wine).
Traversing some of the oldest roads in the country, US Route 1 takes you on a historic journey through New England, covering five states and encompassing a bevy of sights, coastal villages, state parks, and notable cities. We recommend starting in Connecticut and driving all the way up to the coast of Maine, following the highway up to Providence, where the city’s colonial history is displayed in numerous museums and historical sites. Route 1 then goes straight through the heart of Boston, with its extension 1A winding through charming Cape Anne, past seaside towns, historic Salem, and along the beaches of New Hampshire; in Portsmouth (a short drive off the highway, on US Route 4), check out the stately homes and mansions, some of which date from the late 1600s. Along Route 1 in Maine, you can stop at the outlets in Kittery, the beach towns of York, Ogunquit, and Old Orchard Beach, and the historic maritime city of Portland. Of course, this jaunt is best in fall when a carpet of russet and gold foliage blankets the rolling hillsides.Traversing some of the oldest roads in the country, US Route 1 takes you on a historic journey through New England, covering five states and encompassing a bevy of sights, coastal villages, state parks, and notable cities. We recommend starting in Connecticut and driving all the way up to the coast of Maine, following the highway up to Providence, where the city’s colonial history is displayed in numerous museums and historical sites. Route 1 then goes straight through the heart of Boston, winding through charming Cape Anne, past seaside towns, historic Salem, and along the beaches of New Hampshire; in Portsmouth, check out the stately homes and mansions, some of which date from the late 1600s. Along the highway in Maine, you can stop at the outlets in Kittery, the beach towns of York, Ogunquit, and Old Orchard Beach, and the historic maritime city of Portland. Of course, this jaunt is best in fall when a carpet of russet and gold foliage blankets the rolling hillsides.
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