25 Best Road Trips
West Coast USA

89 A Sedona to Flagstaff:

This is one of our favorite drives in all of the US! Sedona itself is amazing and world class (literally the red rocks found in Sedona only exist in Sedona), and this route takes you through Sedona and then up a mountain pass.

You will go from Red Rocks, to soaring cliffs to beautiful forests and then you get to drive switchbacks up a mountain.

At the top of the mountain make sure to stop at Oak Creek Vista (closes at 4pm), an amazing vista location to look back at the Canyon and switchbacks you just drove up.

Plus this stop is run by local Native Americans who sell beautiful handmade crafts. You get to buy it directly from the tribe which is awesome.

This route is also amazing to drive in the Fall (Autumn) and is arguably the best place to view Fall in all of Arizona.

This route also brings you by several highly popular hikes, including West Fork Trail which is one of the most popular trails in all of AZ (be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes to park).

Mount Lemmon

Mt Lemmon is an experience unlike any other I’ve had in America. What makes it so unique is that you can start at 80 F (26C) and end up in snow at the top.

Not only that but it actually has 8 distinctive ecosystems on this one mountain drive. In fact it covers every ecosystem from Mexico to Canada on this one mountain!

We recently drove it with our Canadian Friend and she was blown away. The drive up the mountain takes about 1 hour, and is well paved.

At the top you are in for a treat! You’ll find the tiny town of Summerhaven and greet you, with Giant Cookies! There is a great restaurant at the top (Sawmill Run Restaurant) and the Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin (which has mouthwatering warm, giant cookies and delicious pizza) is always busy.

If you are looking for things to do in Tucson, this drive up to Mount Lemmon is one of our favorite things to do in Tucson!

Route 60 East from Globe to Show Low

This is a surprisingly amazing drive to get into the White Mountains of Arizona. 

You actually get to drive alongside the Salt River and the awesome canyons it created. 

This drive will make you think you are in a different country in certain places. 

There is a great rest stop at the bottom of the canyon where you can walk over the old bridge and get great pictures. 

Make sure to stop at several of the lookouts on the way to see impressive canyon views. 

Route 191 The Devil’s Highway

This is one of the most twisty, turny scenic drives in all of Arizona! This section is the drive from Springerville to Morenci on Route 191.

This section is also part of our 3 day Road Trip Loop out of AZ which is one of our favorite road trips in the USA!

This road used to be named Route 666 but this was renamed to Route 191; However the name Devils Highway stuck for this section of the drive.

It is loved by motorcyclists and people who just love scenic drives. It is truly an awesome experience and should not be missed!

Route 89 from Yarnell to Prescott

This is a fascinating drive to Prescott. It’s a quite beautiful, winding road that makes the drive to Prescott an awesome journey on its own.

This route also drives by one of the most emotional hikes Kim and I have ever done. Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park is a memorial to the 19 Hotshots who lost their lives June 30, 2013, just one day after they protected and saved the oldest tree in Arizona.

We actually found this trail after questing to find the oldest tree in AZ, where we learned about these Heroes after finding the tree.

This trail is extremely well done with plaques every 600ft highlighting each hotshot who lost their lives. We are grateful that this memorial trail exists to highlight these incredible men and to highlight the importance Hotshots play in protecting our communities all over the USA.

This may be the only trail that both Kim and I were straight-up crying while hiking. So we just want to say thank you to the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and all Hotshots around the USA for the often underappreciated, but incredibly important, role they play in protecting all of us.

The Apache Trail

⚠️Dirt Road Alert!!

The Apache Trail is an amazing trail that follows along 3 major lakes. This 40 mile scenic drive in Arizona takes you through the Superstition Mountains from Canyon Lake to Apache Lake to Roosevelt Lake.

It is an incredible drive and a very unique drive and experience. But be warned, it is not for the faint of heart! 

At least ½ of the road is unpaved and you are driving directly next to significant drops. You should have a solid off-roading vehicle and be comfortable driving with curves and heights.  We also recommend the south to north route (starting at Canyon Lake) because, that way, you are on the inside of the road. 

Also note there are many blind turns so it is not uncommon for people to honk when approaching a turn to alert others.  This road also brings you by Roosevelt Dam, and last time we drove it we saw 3 bald eagles at the dam which was so fun! 

Petrified Forest Road (Petrified Forest National Park)

This stunning, but often overlooked National Park is something that everyone should try and experience at least once. 

We’ve visited 3 times and still have more to explore, but you can accomplish quite a lot just visiting for the day.  It is also the only US National Park to have part of historic Route 66 as part of it!  It is only a 28 mile paved drive through the park, yet this park has amazing sights in it that we have never seen before!

One of the most mindblowing sights is the Crystalized Forest, where you get to hike through petrified trees that have actually been crystalized in the center of it. I didn’t even know trees like this existed before hiking this trail. 

We’ve only come across 2 crystal forests in all of our travels and this one is huge so it’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience! Keep in mind that Petrified Forest National Park closes at 5 or 6pm depending on the season so plan accordingly. 

Box Canyon Rd

(Route 10 right under the Joshua Tree South Entrance)

A unique and widely untraveled road, I found this road when I sent us on a quest to visit the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California.

While this route is fairly short there are some really interesting rock formations and hiking trails on this road.

The Salton Sea is also an interesting anomaly having been created in 1905 when irrigation canals broke and diverted the Colorado River into the basin for almost two years.

The dried lakebed was already very salty which caused this lake to become a sea.

It was actually a busy resort town for about 10 years in the 1950s but with no outlet lake and no new incoming water it became unsuitable for humans and now very little is left of any human structures around the lake.

The shore is also something we had never experienced before with it being composed of fishbones! So many fishbones that we actually sunk into it and had to work together to pull ourselves out of this crazy beach. Unfortunately the sea is slowing dying as it has no natural way to receive water.

Joshua Tree National Park

(Pinto Basin Rd)

The road through Joshua Tree National Park might feel like you’ve entered into a Dr. Seuss book! Joshua Trees only grow in this area of California and a few forests in AZ. They are a very unique tree that needs perfect conditions to grow.

Joshua Trees are so different and wild-looking that they are very often used in car commercials, movies, and music videos. But the park has more than just Joshua Trees, there are very cool unique rock formations all over the park.

In 2022 we were able to actually rope climb up one of these rock formations and the park lets you climb these rock formations without a permit. However, you should absolutely use caution when climbing and we hired a guide to make sure we were doing it safely with the right equipment.

If you want to learn more about 3 unique gems of Joshua Tree National Park check out this article where I detail where you can see the tallest Joshua Tree in the park, a hidden slot canyon and a rarely traveled dirt scenic drive.

Mountain Road Trip to California Beach or Temecula 

(Route 74 Pine To Palms HWY from Palm Desert to Idyllwild)

This is a great drive over the mountains and one we have driven 4 times now.

If we are heading to the California Beach or Temecula we always take this mountain pass over the highway.

There is a great viewing point on the top and the town of Idyllwild is so peaceful (and has the best crepe we’ve had in America).

Big Bear Mountain Drive

(Route 18 from Big Bear to Lake Arrowhead)

We love driving through this mountain range and have visited Big Bear several times now.

There are several other cute mountain towns on this drive including Lake Arrowhead. Again this is a very peaceful drive with great views along it.

Big Bear is a great little mountain town and a favorite for people from LA to visit when it starts getting hot.

We drove over this mountain range when we were driving from Phoenix to Sequoia National Park.

Ortega HWY

The section we drove started in Lake Elsinore and drove over the mountain to San Juan Capistrano.

This is a very windy road so make sure you drive it with caution and only on good weather days.

Lake Elsinore Viewpoint is a great stopping point.

This is a fun shorter mountain pass that is a great route to take to get to the coast!

Generals HWY from Sequoia National Park to Kings Canyon National Park

National Park Road Trip

This is a wonderful drive down a massive canyon!

Truly a breathtaking experience. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are unique in that they are 2 different parks, but completely connected.

It’s such a cool experience driving through ancient forests with immortal trees, then the landscape changes completely and you are diving deep into a Canyon.

The bottom on the Canyon has many waterfalls accessible and is just so peaceful!

Big Sur National Scenic Byway

This is arguably the most well known Scenic Byway in the U.S. Big Sur does not disappoint. It is one of the most scenic ocean drives anywhere in the world.

While the entire Route 1 is an amazing journey, the Big Sur section really stands out as a world class experience with breathtaking views, a view of a waterfall cascading onto a beach, and you’ll likely see wildlife along this coastal scenic drive.

There are multiple hikes you can do in Big Sur and we got to hike to a huge waterfall that fell onto the beach, only the 2nd time we’ve ever seen that!

17 Mile Scenic Drive at Pebble Beach

Scenic Drive

As you drive north of Big Sur you will find this hidden gem of a scenic drive. It is both well known, yet often missed.

While it does cost money to do this drive it is absolutely worth it! We saw so much sea life, from sea lions to seals on Seal Rock and tons of sea birds.

It is super easy to drive right past this great scenic drive so make sure to pin it on your map and thank Full Time to Travel Time after you complete this memorable 17 Mile experience 🙂

Lassen National Park

National Park Scenic Drive

While Lassen National Park is a one of the lesser-known national parks, it is absolutely worth a visit, and a drive through it!

The main park road is 30 miles between the 2 entrances. Lassen is unique in that it is the only place on Earth where you can view all of the 4 major types of volcanoes!

It also has multiple active geothermal spots like Sulphur Works, which is right off the main road, and Bumpass Hell, which is one of the most popular hiking paths in Lassen.

Death Valley Artist’s Drive

⚠️Dirt Road Alert!!

This is a scenic one way 9 mile drive in Death Valley that lets you see colors unlike anything you’ve likely seen before.

Artist’s Palette is the most popular stop on this drive, letting you see a variety of colors all created by mother nature.

This drive is located about 10 miles south of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on Badwater Road.

If you are visiting Death Valley make sure you have this super unique scenic drive on your list!

Death Valley’s Dante’s View

Scenic Drive

If you love mountain peak drives this is the drive for you! It is a 13 mile paved drive that brings you to Dante’s Summit at 5,475 feet.

It offers the best panoramic views of Death Valley and is arguably the best place to watch both Sunsets and Sunrises in Death Valley!

It can also be a great place to stargazing! Also, for all my fellow Star Wars fans out there, Death Valley has been featured several times in the Star Wars universe, with one of them being Dante’s view!

The view was used as the backdrop for the scene where Luke and Obi-Wan first see the spaceport of Mos Eisley!

Red Rock Canyon

The drive through Red Rock Canyon is one of the best and most accessible scenic drives from Las Vegas.

It is a 13 mile paved one way loop, though it will probably take you over an hour to drive as you are going to want to stop at the many viewing areas.

This drive also brings you to several highly popular hikes including Calico Tanks, Ice Box Canyon, and Lost Creek. Since it has become so popular they have implemented a timed entry reservation system between Oct-May.

Make sure you get that reservation before you go as we learned the hard way and there is almost no internet service there so we had to drive for 10 minutes to find a bar of service so we could make the reservation.

We’ve now driven this loop twice and it is awesome each time! There is so much hiking we have to do still so I know we will be back!

Valley Of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park is, in our opinion, in the top 5 best State Parks in all the USA! It is about an hour drive from Las Vegas and will transport you to a whole new world, perfect for travelers looking to discover a detour that will blow your mind!

This park is so amazing you will want to spend the whole day exploring the park! The Fire Wave Trail was really amazing and one of our favorite trails anywhere.

There are actually two main roads through the park, and we recommend you take both! The Valley of Fire Hwy actually drives though the Park west to east and is an alternative route you can take when traveling from Las Vegas to Zion National Park (it will add about an hour onto the drive but is definitely worth it!).

This park and the 2 scenic drives in it are truly world class and you will see things you’ve never seen before!

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Byway

Coastal Roadtrip

This is one of the most amazing stretches of beaches anywhere in the US.

The beaches here don’t even look like they are part of the US, looking far more European.

The reason this scenic byway isn’t well know? Well, you can’t actually see most of the coast from the road.

Most of the beaches require a short hike through a forest and down a hill to get to the beaches.

However, these beaches and coast are pristine!

It’s super easy to drive through this area on your roadtrip and not even realize what you are driving next to! A couple highlights are:

1. Harris Beach: This is one of the few beaches you can park right at the beach and explore without a hike.

Low tide on this beach is amazing as you will find tons of starfish, anemones, and other ocean life!

2. Secret Beach: This beach has a waterfall falling onto the beach, only the 2nd time we’ve ever seen that!

3. Arch Rock Viewpoint: This stop truly feels like you are on a coast in a different country! Precarious rock arches with trees growing straight up out of them with gorgeous blue ocean water beneath it. 

Columbia River Highway Scenic Highway

River Scenic Drive

This scenic highway is due east of Portland and is a great drive as you drive alongside the River.

What’s so cool about this drive is that it can look completely different depending on the season!

If your destination is Portland, this easy-to-access scenic drive should be on your radar!

Astoria–Megler Bridge

Bridge Scenic Drive

We freaked out driving over this bridge! It’s so long!

We found from our research that it is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America, not sure what that really means but wow it just kept going!

Tons of birds essentially surfing the wind along the bridge is so cool to see.

It was a super cool experience!

Hurricane Ridge Olympic National Park

National Park Drive

This is the scenic drive you get to from going into the main entrance of Olympic National Park.

This a breathtaking scenic drive, with many amazing hiking trails along the way.

There used to be an amazing visitor center at the top of this drive; unfortunately it burnt down in 2023 and the rebuild is currently stuck in limbo.

So make sure you pack any food you need with you when exploring this amazing drive.

(NDF 25) Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest

National Park Drive

I figured I would end this list with a road you won’t find on many lists. We decided to check out this road when we were leaving Seattle and it was a really cool experience. It brings you to the back side of Mount St. Helens and it’s honestly just a lovely forest drive.

Do note that as of 2025 there are sections closed due to weather damage. As with all of these scenic drives make sure you do your own due diligence before driving them as scenic drives regularly close due to weather, damage and construction.

Those are just 25 of our favorite roadtrips we’ve explored. Every roadtrip listed we have personally driven and we have so many more to highlight. As with any roadtrip or scenic drive it’s very important to do your own research first.

Scenic drives can close frequently due to weather, damage and construction. I would also avoid driving almost all of these routes in bad weather (hard rain, fog, or snow) and I would avoid driving in the dark.

Many of these routes are off the beaten path so make sure you stock up on gas, water, food and other items before setting off. The USA truly has some of the best scenic drives in the world so we are excited for you to start exploring them!