This may well be the summer of the road trip, as vaccines roll out and Americans begin actually planning vacations again. With that in mind, editors at the Big 7 global travel website dipped into their travel logs to come up with the most beautiful drives in every U.S. state, from Alaska’s Denali Highway to Hawaii’s Road to Hana and Florida’s Highway 1, an overseas stretch that links the Florida Keys.
The Rim of the World Scenic Byway, a 110-mile-long route that traces the crest of Southern California’s towering San Bernardino Mountains and offers views of Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake, gets a shout out for the Golden State. The 22-mile-long Hells Canyon Scenic Byway represents both Idaho and Oregon, and other routes take in forests, mountains, deserts and National Parks.
Here’s a top 10 for the western continental U.S. You’ll find all 50 scenic drives at https://bigseventravel.com.
1. Arizona: The Apache Trail, a rugged, scenic byway stretch of Highway 88, offers incredible views and white-knuckle curves.
2. California: The Inland Empire’s 110-mile Rim of the World Scenic Byway starts at Cajon Pass, between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains.
3. Colorado: The Pikes Peak Highway winds its way up to the summit of the 14,115-foot mountain.
4. Idaho and Oregon: The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, which runs along the deep, dramatic canyon that separates the two states, offers stunning views of the Snake River.
5. Montana: Glacier National Park’s stunning Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass.
6. Nevada: The Burner Byway follows the route from Reno to the Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man has been held since 1990.
7. New Mexico: The Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway offers a 149-mile sampling of New Mexico sights, from Jemez Pueblo to Soda Dam and Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
8. Utah: This stretch of Highway 12, known as All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12 and A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, takes you through canyons, forests and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
9. Washington: The North Cascades Scenic Highway winds through 140 miles of Alpine landscapes.
10. Wyoming: The Mirror Lake Scenic Byway straddles states, starting in Evanston, Wyoming and ending in Kamas, Utah.