News:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered from the forum database changes made in Fall 2023. Let us know if you discover anymore.

Main Menu

What are the best roads in America?

Started by silverback1065, January 26, 2017, 08:53:39 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

silverback1065

Hey guys, what are the best roads to drive on in America?  I'm talking about for pure pleasure, enjoying the scenery, the cities/towns on the route etc.  I would like to drive some of these one day, here are a few that come to mind for me:

California 1
Florida A1A
Blue Ridge Pkwy
Natchez Trace Pkwy

What are some others? 


frankenroad

The one time I drove the "Going to the Sun" Highway in Montana, I really enjoyed it.  That was over 40 years ago, so I don't know how it may have changed; hopefully not much.
2di's clinched: 44, 66, 68, 71, 72, 74, 78, 83, 84(east), 86(east), 88(east), 96

Highways I've lived on M-43, M-185, US-127

kurumi

US 163 in Arizona and Utah
US 395 between Bishop and and the Bodie turnoff
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

Brandon

Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Brockway Mountain Drive, Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Lakeshore Drive (M-26), Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

AsphaltPlanet

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 26, 2017, 11:00:11 AM
This is going to be a long list for me so I'll start with two state and work my way around the country.  I'll refrain from anything that might be considered a 4WD or high clearance road.

I think if the list is this long, it maybe misses the point of "best".
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on January 26, 2017, 01:07:03 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 26, 2017, 11:00:11 AM
This is going to be a long list for me so I'll start with two state and work my way around the country.  I'll refrain from anything that might be considered a 4WD or high clearance road.

I think if the list is this long, it maybe misses the point of "best".

It appears he's ready to list every single road he's been on that is paved.


AsphaltPlanet

For me, I'd just cull through the list of roads that I have driven and pick five or ten of the absolute "best".  Otherwise the thread would be called "list every scenic road you've ever driven".
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

AlexandriaVA

I-395 because I use it every day. It's the best for my career and personal life.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 26, 2017, 01:32:44 PM
Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on January 26, 2017, 01:26:40 PM
For me, I'd just cull through the list of roads that I have driven and pick five or ten of the absolute "best".  Otherwise the thread would be called "list every scenic road you've ever driven".

I'm game for something like that if the OP would like to clarify a cap.  Hell we could probably separate this into ten best scenery and ten best driving challenge.  I'd like to see what answers people would come up with, especially if they aren't the typical cliche stuff that might not be common knowledge.  I'd even go back and give some more depth thought to the stuff I've listed if that's the direction we all want the thread to go. 

The OP simply said What are the best roads.  Most reasonable thinking people would list their favorite, or a few of their favorites. 

You listed 82 ROADS IN ONE STATE.  And you want clarification of how many roads the OP wants because you think 82 different drives qualifies as the best in a single state??

Seriously.  Think about your drives.  Pick one or 2 for each state.  We don't need a volume of rules for a simple question.

kkt

Ask an open-ended question, get a long answer.  Best can mean many different things.

AsphaltPlanet

^ Disagree.  Best has a definition:

Quoteof the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality.
"the best pitcher in the league"
synonyms:   finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, preeminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, par excellence, unrivaled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, optimum, optimal, ultimate, incomparable, ideal, perfect; More

If the expectation was to list thousands of them, then the question would have been "what are great roads in America"

Baseball has one best pitcher, but hundreds of great pitchers.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

AlexandriaVA

Yes but that definition does not include the particular circumstances of roads, nor individual preferences, nor cultural factors or elements.

For example I don't care about scenery, whereas some people highly value it. I care greatly effect on commerece, whereas other may prefer low congestion.

I suggest first categorizing by type. So the best:

Urban road
Suburban road
Rural road
Freeway
Highway
etc
etc

AsphaltPlanet

^ I don't disagree with that, but what I am saying is, listing hundreds of "best of" roads kind of defeats the purpose.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

Ian

Moving on with the spirit of this thread, here are some roads that I've driven on that I think could definitely qualify. Some of these have already been mentioned, but I included them anyway since a lot I just did this past summer on my cross country road trip.

- CA 1 (PCH), especially between San Luis Obispo and Monterey
- CA 120 through Yosemite National Park
- US 163 (all of it)
- US 550 (all of it, although I only did the New Mexico portion)
- All of I-70 west of Denver
- US 6 in Utah between I-15 in Spanish Fork and I-70 near Green River
- US 1 along the coast of Maine north of Portland
- ME 9 between Brewer and Calais
- All of NH 16 north of Ossipee
- All of I-95 north of Bangor, ME
UMaine graduate, former PennDOT employee, new SoCal resident.
Youtube l Flickr

tradephoric

Woodard Avenue in Detroit is the quintessential road for cruising.  The annual Woodward Dream Cruise has become the largest single day classic car event in the world, drawing millions of people to the Avenue each August.  It is a road of many firsts:  the first mile of concrete road, the first 4-way 3-section traffic signal, it crosses the first depressed urban freeway in America, and is home of Henry Ford's Highland Park factory which featured the first moving assembly line for the mass production of the automobile.  Not to mention you can cruise over 20 miles down the Avenue without hitting a red light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRWyx0NtpSQ

AsphaltPlanet

Again, "best" is defined in the english language.  The OP doesn't need to put a cap limit because he used the word "best".

I'm not trying to pick on you, but you do this in the "best of road photos" thread too, where you'll just put up the photos that you take over the weekend under the guise that they are the "best".  You share this forum with thousands of other users.  The ability to cull down is important.  Imagine how ludicrous it would be if everybody posted a list of 200 best of roads.  Who could read that?

Tone is lost on the internet, so I am trying to write this in a constructive tone.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

kkt

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on January 26, 2017, 02:21:33 PM
^ Disagree.  Best has a definition:

Quoteof the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality.
"the best pitcher in the league"
synonyms:   finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, preeminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, par excellence, unrivaled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, optimum, optimal, ultimate, incomparable, ideal, perfect; More

If the expectation was to list thousands of them, then the question would have been "what are great roads in America"

Baseball has one best pitcher, but hundreds of great pitchers.

The point is that all those synonyms for "best" don't address by what criteria.  To someone in a hurry, the best road is probably the most direct, highest speed limit, and least congested.  To someone with more time, maybe it's a scenic coastline.  To someone else, maybe the best scenery is mountains or desert.  To a foodie, maybe it's lots of nice but little-known restaurants to stop at.  To a trucker, wide lanes, gentle grades and low chance of snow.  To a sport car driver, lots of twisties and not too many cops.  Asking vague questions gets long answers that aren't necessarily very meaningful.

sparker

I'm going to keep this list as brief as possible, narrowing "best" down to "most scenic without having to put up with massive amounts of traffic".   And, for the time being, I'm going to limit it to West Coast or Rocky Mountain facilities that I've made repeated trips on -- and continued to be impressed.   Also, I'm dividing it into Interstates & all else.

INTERSTATES:
I-5, Redding, CA>Ashland, OR
I-80, Colfax, CA>Truckee, CA
I-84, Troutdale, OR>The Dalles, OR; Pendleton, OR>Baker, OR
I-90, Coeur d'Alene, ID>St. Regis, MT

OTHERS: 
US 101, Willits, CA>Seaside, OR.  Also, Aberdeen, WA>Sequim, WA.
US 395, Bishop, CA>Gardnerville, NV
CA 1, Cambria, CA>Carmel, CA
CA 33, Ojai, CA>S. jct. CA 166
CA 89 -- the whole damn thing!
OR 58, US 97>I-5
OR 42 -- again, in its entirety
WA 20 --   "       "   "     "      (this is my all-time overall favorite!)
ID-MT 200, Sandpoint, ID>Missoula, MT

That should do it for now.  If you get the impression I like seacoasts & forested areas, you would be correct.  Having decent roads through those areas just makes it infinitely better! :clap:

jeffandnicole

Quote from: kkt on January 26, 2017, 03:39:09 PM
Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on January 26, 2017, 02:21:33 PM
^ Disagree.  Best has a definition:

Quoteof the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality.
"the best pitcher in the league"
synonyms:   finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, preeminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, par excellence, unrivaled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, optimum, optimal, ultimate, incomparable, ideal, perfect; More

If the expectation was to list thousands of them, then the question would have been "what are great roads in America"

Baseball has one best pitcher, but hundreds of great pitchers.

The point is that all those synonyms for "best" don't address by what criteria.  To someone in a hurry, the best road is probably the most direct, highest speed limit, and least congested.  To someone with more time, maybe it's a scenic coastline.  To someone else, maybe the best scenery is mountains or desert.  To a foodie, maybe it's lots of nice but little-known restaurants to stop at.  To a trucker, wide lanes, gentle grades and low chance of snow.  To a sport car driver, lots of twisties and not too many cops.  Asking vague questions gets long answers that aren't necessarily very meaningful.


Actually, the OP did clarify what he wanted. It was literally his 2nd sentence. And then he gave 4 examples of drives he enjoyed. His question wasn't vague. He certainly didn't want the fastest, or the most direct, or what a trucker would enjoy.

silverback1065

I just want a list of the best roads to drive on around the country, just a road that is full of great scenery, towns, and is just a pleasure to drive.  basically a joyride, blow off steam, etc.  more examples that come to mind are: M-22 the leelannau highway, and M-185 (you can only bike this one).  if you want a limit, i guess 5 per state? I don't know anything about Canadian roads, but if there are any good ones there, list them.  maybe canada 1 (trans canada highway)?  also, if anyone has pictures, post them!  i'd love to see the best parts to look out for when i try to drive some of these.

Rothman

#20
MA 2 - Mohawk Trail to NY 2 - Taconic Trail.  The maples on the western side of the Taconics can make the hillside look like its on fire in the fall as the Sun falls towards sunset.
NH 112 - Kancamagus Highway
UT 9 / Floor of the Valley Road - Zion National Park.  Although you have to hike to get up there, the view from the top of the Fin of Angels Landing is the only view I've experienced that literally made my jaw drop.
US 6, Ely to Tonopah, NV.  Wonderful isolation.  Loved the drive on it.
Natchez Trace Parkway in the Old Town area
I-70 through Glenwood Canyon
Always like I-68, too.  For some reason, the old section through Cumberland holds a special place in my heart.  Been on that road more times than I can count, heading between my childhood home and my grandparents' place in Kentucky.

Actually, over Thanksgiving, I rediscovered I-81 in far southern VA.  Heads through a mountainous region that's really quite pretty.

...

I dunno.  Lots of scenic drives out there.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Max Rockatansky

#21
Quote from: silverback1065 on January 26, 2017, 05:55:54 PM
I just want a list of the best roads to drive on around the country, just a road that is full of great scenery, towns, and is just a pleasure to drive.  basically a joyride, blow off steam, etc.  more examples that come to mind are: M-22 the leelannau highway, and M-185 (you can only bike this one).  if you want a limit, i guess 5 per state? I don't know anything about Canadian roads, but if there are any good ones there, list them.  maybe canada 1 (trans canada highway)?  also, if anyone has pictures, post them!  i'd love to see the best parts to look out for when i try to drive some of these.

Alright based off this criteria of 5 per state I'll do my five favorite states.


California

1.  CA 120 (From CA 49 east to US 395)  This is really difficult to beat a route that has the Priest Grades, Half Dome, Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Pass, and Lee Vining Canyon on it.  Really this has the best of overall dynamics from scenery to driving challenge in one package.  I would certainly rate it over the cliche pick of CA 1 through Big Sur due to a sense of solitude from tourists that 120 offers.

2.  CA 4 (From CA 49 to CA 89)  This is really a stunning section of highway over Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbets Pass.  The driving challenge is very high with 24% downhill grades and single lane roadway. 

3.  CA 108 (From Sonora to US 395)  Really this very similar to CA 4 like above.  I would put the scenery slightly above CA 4 but the driving challenge behind it due it being a full two-lanes despite a brief 26% grade.

4.  CA 1 (From CA 46 through Big Sur to CA 68)  Really this is a beautiful highway through Big Sur.  The driving is wonderful on off-peak tourist season on a weekday.  I would have this much higher on the list but the tourists tend to really drag the driving fun down a large degree.

5.  Sherman Pass Road/J41 (M99 to US 395)  This is pretty good mix of what you get from CA 4 and CA 108 but nothing quite as good as those two.  Upper Kern River Canyon, Mount Whitney, Kennedy Meadows, and Nine Mile Canyon are the highlights.  The drive really isn't super difficult but gets very daunting on J41 down to US 395.


Arizona

1.  CR 10/Oatman Highway and AZ 66 (Old US 66 from Topock to Ash Fork)  This a great route with lots of variety from scenery, driving challenge, and the fact that it is all Old US 66.  The Oatman Highway just got a fresh repaving over Sitgreaves Pass and probably is the baddest paved drive in all of Arizona.  AZ 66 is a nice break with a simple drive chock full of scenery and history with stuff like the Hackberry General Store, Grand Canyon Caverns, Seligman in addition to a treasure trove of former alignments to be found.

2.  AZ 89A:  Really this is tough to beat with two big mountain grades through Oak Creek Canyon and the Black Mountains above Jerome.  Sedona is beautiful due to the red rock scenery and Jerome is one of the best former mining towns to visit pretty much in the entire country.

3.  Catalina Highway:  This a really great driving road and a very scenic one which rises from the valley around Tucson to Summerhaven up on Mount Lemmon.

4.  AZ 88:  Not the best paved road for a drive but certainly one of the best dirt "superhighways" out there maintained on the state level.  Basically this crosses the entirety of the Salt River Project up to the Roosevelt Dam...it doesn't hurt that Tortilla Flat has some decent food on the way also.

5.  US 191 Coronado Trail:  In terms of plain driving enjoyment this might be the absolute best current US Route in use.  I want to say that there is some 500-600 curves from the US 180 split south to Morenci all within an area that is amount as remote as it gets in the White Mountains


Utah

1.  UT 12:  This is by far the best mix of scenery and driving challenge in the state.  There is big grades, sharp curves, and high elevation intermixed with some scenic reliefs on the steps of the Grand Staircase.  There is some wonderful views of Capitol Reef and the Canyonlands beyond to the east.

2.  UT 9:  Really this is stunning highway from I-15 through to the east exit of Zion National Park.  The Mount Carmel Highway is not only scenic but an engineering sight to behold.  The road does get way out of hand with the influx of people visiting Zion these days at times though.

3.  I-70:  Really this is the only Interstate section that is a must see (in my opinion at least) for scenery with the San Rafael Swell.  The speed limit is very high and with hardly any cars on the road it can be a ton of fun.  Some of the overviews, especially in the eastbound lanes are completely stunning.

4.  UT 261:  I would rate this over US 163 simply because it offers views of the Valley of the Gods and much higher a much higher driving challenge with the Moki Dugway.  The Dugway is 10% grade but very well maintained, plus you general avoid the tourist glut that US 163 sees.

5.  UT 24:  I would say that 24 is criminally underrated due to it being wedged between UT 12 and I-70.  24 has some fantastic views of Capitol Reef and the San Rafael Swell.  The driving challenge is moderate but very fast at times with wildly different terrain.


Nevada

1.  NV 431:  The Mount Rose Highway offers the best view of Lake Tahoe that can really be had in additions to some great views of the Reno Area.  This is also the highest all-year pass in the Sierras and can be a lot of fun to drive on in the summer time.

2.  NV 341:  The Geiger Grade is a fun drive with some well graded roadway that offers a fun driving challenge with great views of Reno.  Virginia City has a ton of scenic value that is very worthwhile stopping to see.

3.  US 95 (Fallon to Las Vegas):  This is a very fast road with 70 MPH speed limit, two sections of 94 miles between services, Walker Lake in addition to a really awesome ghost town with Goldfield.  Goldfield is one of just a few mining and ghost town stops that can be made on US 95, so from that perspective it has a ton of historic value.

4.  US 50:  (Fallon to Ely):  Much like US 95 there is vast swathes of desolation and ghost towns on the "Loneliest Road in America."  The road is very foreboding with hardly a car or person to be seen.

5.  Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive:  Really this has some stunning views of the Snake Range and a really good challenge.  Getting to Great Basin National Park can be difficult which really adds to a sense of feeling alone and a sense of accomplishment after completing the road.


Colorado

1.  Pikes Peak Highway:  Tons of scenic value from the unobstructed Pikes Peak, a huge challenge with the massive grade in both directions, and a ton of history with the motor races.  I really don't understand why anyone would pick CO 5 over Pikes, it really is probably the most intimidating paved road in the country.

2.  US 34 Trail Ridge:  Beautiful drive over Rocky Mountain National Park through several 12,000 foot ridges.  The dropoffs are sheer and can really instill a sense of dread in those that have a fear of heights.

3.  US 550 (US 50 to US 160):  The Million Dollar Highway and Molas Pass are really a sight to behold.  The driving challenge is significant but nothing that I wouldn't say couldn't be managed by the average driver.  Lots of history with the mines and ghost towns littered throughout the area.

4.  CO 5:  For much of the same reasons I listed Pikes Peak I would list the Mount Evans Highway.  Mount Evans may be slightly higher but it is also less difficult, slightly less scenic, and certainly doesn't have the same caliber of history of Pikes.

5.  US 6 (Loveland Pass)  Really deciding on a number five was kind of difficult given how many routes there are that really worth seeing in Colorado.  What puts US 6 over the top for me is that it is an all-year route despite being just below 12,000 feet.  There are some wonderful views of I-70 before it disappears into the Eisenhower Tunnel.

For me I prefer a little bit of a sense of dread in my scenic highways, hence the glut of largely mountainous routes.  Really it is tough sometimes to find a good balance between a challenging drive and what might be "scenic," so really I tried to think of what balanced those two criteria out.  What kills a highway for me is traffic, hence why something like CA 1 I had so far down my list.  In general I find freeways extremely boring along with urbanized driving.  I view those as akin to something that is necessary for day-to-day driving rather than anything that would be enjoyed on it's own merit. 

So with that in mind, hopefully that was a much more agreeable list than the previous one. 

slorydn1

Any mixture of US-129 (Tail of the Dragon) US-441 (Smoky Mountain Parkway) NC-143/TN-165 (Cherohala Skyway) or the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive tandem should be a great start for you.
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

Rothman

Drove US-129 / Tail of the Dragon a couple of months ago.   A lot of the scenic views are marred by power lines.  I like the views from the summits on MA 2 above and to the east of North Adams a lot better.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Max Rockatansky

#24
Quote from: slorydn1 on January 27, 2017, 02:44:24 AM
Any mixture of US-129 (Tail of the Dragon) US-441 (Smoky Mountain Parkway) NC-143/TN-165 (Cherohala Skyway) or the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive tandem should be a great start for you.

NC28 added on to a trip up to the Smokys I thought was a great prelude route to US 129.  It felt like that 28 had almost just as many curves, was much longer, and certainly was much less patrolled.  I took my Camaro through there the year I moved back to California during a minor snow storm in I want to say March?  It was past opening weekend for the bikers so it was kind of nice to have the road to myself.




Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.