CountriesUnited States

United States

The United States spans an unusually wide range of driving environments, from high Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada passes to Appalachian ridge roads, desert highways, Pacific coastal routes, forest parkways, and remote roads across the Southwest and Great Basin. Road character varies sharply by region, climate, elevation, and land management.

Driving Roads in United States

Explore scenic and exciting driving roads across United States.

A1A Ocean Islands Trail

Accommodation Line Scenic Byway

Alabama's Coastal Connection

United States

9 /100

208 kmUS

Alabama's Streetagecoach Route Through Leeds

United States

8 /100

11 kmUS

Alligator River Route

Altamaha Historic Scenic Byway

Amoskeag Mill Yard Scenic And Cultural Byway

United States

54 /100

1 kmUS

Andrew Pickens Scenic Parkway

Antietam Campaign Byway

United States

32 /100

129 kmUS

Apache Trail Historic Road

United States

100 /100

70 kmUS

Appalachian Highlands Scenic Byway

Apple Blossom Scenic Drive

United States

29 /100

30 kmUS

1–20 / 720

1 / 36

Driving in United States

Scenic driving roads in the United States range from narrow mountain routes and historic parkways to long desert highways and coastal roads. In the West, the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Cascades, and ranges of the Great Basin provide high-elevation passes, canyon roads, and routes through national forests and parks. California’s Pacific coast, Utah’s canyon country, and the Colorado Plateau offer very different landscapes within relatively short driving distances. Farther east, the Appalachian Mountains support winding ridge and valley roads, including routes associated with the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains. Alaska adds remote mountain, tundra, and coastal driving on a much larger scale. Road standards and access vary considerably: major highways are generally straightforward, while some park, forest, and mountain roads may be narrow, seasonal, unpaved, subject to vehicle restrictions, or temporarily controlled by reservation or entry systems.

Season & conditions

Seasonal access varies greatly across the country. High mountain roads in the Sierra Nevada, Rockies, Cascades, and northern national parks can close for months because of snow; routes such as Yosemite’s Tioga Road and Glacier’s alpine Going-to-the-Sun Road have variable annual opening dates. Other roads remain open year-round but may require winter equipment or close temporarily for storms. Wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, extreme desert heat, rockfall, and construction can also affect access, so individual road conditions should be checked before travel.

Tolls & access

There is no nationwide motorway vignette or universal road toll for passenger cars. Most Interstate and other public highways are free, but toll roads, bridges, tunnels, express lanes, and turnpikes operate in numerous states. Payment systems are managed by individual states and toll authorities, with electronic transponders and license-plate billing increasingly common and cash not always accepted. National parks and other protected areas may also charge separate entrance or access fees that are not road tolls.