The Most Interesting Stretches of Highway

[adventurernumber1]

I was reading "The Most Boring Stretches of Highway" thread, and the opposite topic came to my mind (the most interesting roads). So, after doing a thorough checking (and I apologize if that check turns out to not have been adequate, if this ends up being a duplicate thread), I decided to create a thread on the most interesting stretches of highway.


There really are a lot of great, intriguing candidates for this thread, so it is hard for me to think on and pick just a few. These are the first things that come to my mind at the moment:

- pretty much the entirety of Interstate 17 (a very scenic interstate in the state of Arizona)

- two separate, very significant, incredibly scenic sections of Interstate 84 in Oregon - The Columbia River Gorge and Cabbage Hill

- Interstate 15 through the Virgin River Gorge in Arizona

- most of Interstate 70 between Utah and Denver, CO

- Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass in Washington

- Interstate 26 near the Tennessee/North Carolina border

- Interstate 93 in Franconia Notch in New Hampshire

- Interstate 77 in Virginia and North Carolina between Interstate 81 and where future I-74 splits off to go southeast to Winston-Salem

- Interstate 40 near the Tennessee/North Carolina border

- much of Interstate 24 in Tennessee (and briefly in Georgia) between Murfreesboro and Chattanooga

- Interstate 10 through the El Paso, Texas area

- Interstate 15 through Las Vegas, Nevada

- much of the NJ Turnpike (I-95), especially when seeing the views of the city

- I-90/I-94 in downtown Chicago, Illinois

- US 75 through downtown Dallas, Texas, and some of its northern suburbs, including through the "High Five Interchange"

- both US 101 and CA SR 110 in downtown Los Angeles, California (which even cross each other in the first stack interchange (1949)!)

- US 101 through San Francisco, California (including over the Golden Gate Bridge and through South San Francisco)

- I-75/I-85 in downtown Atlanta, Georgia (it's notorious for traffic congestion, but it is also a very interesting stretch of city interstate IMHO)

- Interstate 5 through the Portland, Oregon area (including on that epic bridge crossing into Washington)

- Interstate 5 through downtown Seattle, Washington

- both Interstate 90 and interstate 93 through downtown Boston, Massachusetts

- much of Interstate 8 just east of San Diego, California

- much of US 550 in Colorado, especially close to Telluride

- Interstate 15, Interstate 84, and Interstate 80 through the Salt Lake City, Utah Metro Area

- much of US 50 in the Lake Tahoe area

- all of Interstate 580 in Nevada

- and of course, the indescribably beautiful and interesting CA 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), for much of its route! 



I ended up mentioning a lot of stretches of highway, but the list could still go on forever!! 

As for which one of these is my favorite, I truly, genuinely cannot decide. They are all just so absolutely wonderful and enjoyable that I cannot pick just one. But regarding what interstate is the most interesting for the highest percentage of its total length, I-17 would have to be the winner, as at least IMO, pretty much its entire length (which isn't even that long) is incredibly interesting, from the Phoenix Metro Area to the mesmerizing Arizona mountain scenery to more. I-17, as a whole, is truly a spectacular, very interesting interstate.

What are the most interesting stretches of highway for all of y'all?

[webny99]

We all kind of agree on which types of highways are "boring", but this thread allows for a little more subjectivity (which isn't a bad thing).

In my own territory, looking at the freeways:  I-390 and I-86 probably have the most character. I-490 is somewhere in the middle, hardly interesting to me anymore, but probably would be to someone from outside the area.

For non-freeways, I've always found NY 28 enjoyable. US 15 in PA also has a fairly unique character. Never had a boring trip down that way.

[Max Rockatansky]

For the states I regular frequent....

CA 4 from CA 207 east to CA 89 via Ebbetts Pass for California.   Can't get much more interesting than a single lane paved road with 24% down hill grades.  AZ 88 in Arizona along the Apache Trail is probably the grand champion of interesting  for the state.  The route is curvy as all hell with one-lane bridges even before the pavement ends.  For Florida the Overseas Highway on US 1 is by far the most interesting given the island environment.  UT 12 has the best mix of scenery on the Grand Staircase and driving dynamics in the entire state.  US 6 in Nevada is so massively desolate between Tonopah and Ely that it can't help but be fascinating.  M-26 has such a large swath of mining ruins and scenery amid Lake Superior that would rank it above M-22.  US 550 in Colorado is daunting as all hell south of Ouray and some of the best scenery in the state...although Pikes Peak Highway is probably more unique. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN 23 east of I-35 running through a lot of historic logging activity in eastern MN, then dramatically cresting on the far side of the St. Louis River Valley before descending into Duluth.

MN 6 from Deer River to US 71. The 65 miles without services might be the longest such stretch of any MN state highway. The pine trees get up close and personal, and the sky gets a little wider and bluer, and there's almost no one else out there.

MN 26 completes the path from the Mississippi to the Iowa line, but doesn't get as much love as US 61 and MN 16 in that area.

[sparker]

I've always found the CA state routes in the Sacramento Delta region to be quite interesting:  the "main" road, CA 160, hops from one side of the main Sacramento River channel to the other via some very old drawbridges which aren't wide enough to accommodate trucks in both directions.  The gold-ochre paint on those spans is actually quite attractive.  The other two routes, the sporadically-signed CA 84 (northern segment) and the cross-Delta connector, CA 220, feature the two remaining ferries on the state system; the former crosses the Sacramento ship channel, so occasionally large oceangoing vessels can be seen on the canal.  Those roads, and the adjoining county routes (J9, E13, and others) make for a nice day trip from either the Bay area or Sacramento.  Just be prepared for relatively narrow roadways mostly atop levees. 

[noelbotevera]

We all kind of agree on which types of highways are "boring", but this thread allows for a little more subjectivity (which isn't a bad thing).

In my own territory, looking at the freeways:  I-390 and I-86 probably have the most character. I-490 is somewhere in the middle, hardly interesting to me anymore, but probably would be to someone from outside the area.

For non-freeways, I've always found NY 28 enjoyable. US 15 in PA also has a fairly unique character. Never had a boring trip down that way.

Looks like I'll be going down that way in June. What luck!

Here's my nominations:

-US 15 between I-81 to the NY state line
-US 322 between Harrisburg to State College
-I-99/US 220 between Tyrone to State College
-US 48 between Wardensville to I-79
-US 19 between I-79 to Fayetteville
-I-64 between I-77 to I-81
-I-79 between I-77 to US 19
-I-68 between I-70 to Cumberland
-PA 26 between Huntingdon to Pine Grove Mills
-US 30 between Chambersburg to Breezewood

[Beltway]

Virginia would include the bridge-tunnels --
I-664   MMMBT
I-64     HRBT
US-13  CBBT

Maryland would include I-95 thru Baltimore and the Fort McHenry Tunnel

[mrpablue]

I've always found the CA state routes in the Sacramento Delta region to be quite interesting.

I second this. I went there last Monday and did the ferries for the first time. The islands are beautiful.

[vdeane]

I find NY 73 and NY 74 to be quite interesting.  NY 22 and NY 86 also have their highlights.  I'd list NY 431, but that's basically cheating since it's actually a mountain climb that just happens to have a numbered touring route on it.

[crispy93]

• Ocean Parkway on the south shore of Long Island
• The FDR Drive on the east side of Manhattan- a death trap but a very scenic drive on the river
• NY 218 north of West Point, very narrow and winding with a scenic overlook on Storm King Mountain, used to be the original alignment of US-9W
• The Taconic State Parkway is scenic in the fall

[kennyshark]

- Interstate 40 near the Tennessee/North Carolina border

You got that right.  In the daytime, it's very scenic but demanding.  At night, it's like being in a simulator.

[freebrickproductions]

I always find the urban areas of interstates to be much more interesting than rural interstates. However, any highway with a great view from a mountain (whether rural or urban) is always interesting to me.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

My two cents. First those roads I've seen through Big Rig Steve:
- I-15 Southwest of Baker CA. It's more interesting than I thought. Also around Salt Lake City, as already mentioned (I liked it through most of Utah, but I think it's more impressive in the SLC area).
- I-44 through Missouri. I prefer those rolling hills over the boring plains further North.
- I-80 in SW Wyoming. Another road that has suprised me.
- I actually got tired of I-70 through Western Colorado.

And for roads I've actually driven, all in Spain:
- A-2 Southwest of Zaragoza, going through several mountain ridges. It also includes a section where mileposts (kmposts, actually) are closer than they should...
- A-23 South of Zaragoza. Especially that moment when it goes through vineyards and the mountains are right in front (this happens just past exit 245 Southbound).
- N-111 South of Logroño. Even though I've been there only once, I was impressed by the transition from a suburban setting into a narrow valley.
- I can't wait until A-23 North of me is completed.

And in general, any downhill where the mountains end and the plains begin. In those it appears like one is flying. There are several examples along the aforementioned A-2 and A-23 freeways, and also I-70 into Denver.

[US 89]

- I-15 Also around Salt Lake City, as already mentioned (I liked it through most of Utah, but I think it's more impressive in the SLC area).

Why, just because it has a lot of lanes, or because of the high mountains to the east?

- I-80 in SW Wyoming. Another road that has suprised me.

I'd say I-80 west of Evanston is far more interesting than east of it. Going east from Evanston, IMO it's pretty boring for the next 300 miles across the state. That's the part where you have to count how many windmills you see to keep yourself entertained. I-80 is actually more interesting in SE Wyoming, because there's an 8000 foot mountain pass between Laramie and Cheyenne.

And in general, any downhill where the mountains end and the plains begin. In those it appears like one is flying. There are several examples along the aforementioned A-2 and A-23 freeways, and also I-70 into Denver.

I love these. I-80 into Salt Lake City from the east and I-40 into Albuquerque from the east are like this as well. I-40 coming into Albuquerque from the west is also cool, especially at night. You can see the light from the city in the sky ahead of you, but not the city itself. Then you go over a hill and the city explodes into view.

[adventurernumber1]

- I-44 through Missouri. I prefer those rolling hills over the boring plains further North.

And, if I recall correctly, both Interstate 44 and Interstate 70 through Missouri are very pleasant drives, because both of them, IIRC, traverse rolling hills, go through many rock cuts, and more. Much of Missouri really is hilly, with there being even mountains and plateaus in some places as well. It can indeed be quite beautiful! 

[texaskdog]

Besides some obvious ones: Million Dollar Hwy US 550 in Colorado, Utah 12, Beartooth Highway, anything in Yellowstone, Going to the Sun Road, anything in Alaska.....  i love US 14 & 14 A in Wyoming from Cody to the Bighorn Mountains, Needles Hwy in SD, I-10 in west Texas in a beautiful underrated highway, I like I 90 in western South Dakota, US 101 Oregon Coast

[roadfro]

There really are a lot of great, intriguing candidates for this thread, so it is hard for me to think on and pick just a few. These are the first things that come to my mind at the moment:
<...>
- much of US 50 in the Lake Tahoe area

- all of Interstate 580 in Nevada

I think you'll have to better define "interesting"...

I agree with the assessment of US 50 in the Lake Tahoe region. CA/NV 28 and CA 89 are both great contenders for the scenic elements around the other sides of the lake.

I'm curious about your thoughts on I-580 in Nevada. Portions of it are a somewhat scenic (the Washoe Valley area), and there is engineering interest with the Galena Creek Bridge, but there's nothing super special or interesting about the stretches in Reno or Carson City.

[MNHighwayMan]

MN 26 completes the path from the Mississippi to the Iowa line, but doesn't get as much love as US 61 and MN 16 in that area.

I drove MN-26 (and IA-26) once and it was gorgeous. Really underrated, as you suggest.

Maybe this is a personal quirk, but I love MN-200 and find it really interesting, especially if you drive it entirely from west to east (I suppose the opposite could be true too, but I've not done that) because of how the scenery changes. It's a 201 mile road but goes nowhere really in particular (Itasca State Park and Walker, but that's about it), and I dunno why, but that appeals to me in some way.

Nearby to 200 is MN-113, and I loved driving the part east of US-59 because of its twistiness. MN-38 is the same way, but is much more scenic.

The unpaved portion of MN-74 is pretty sweet, too. I drove it once on an early August morning and the combination of slight fog and pretty much no traffic, plus the stretches where it's right up against a river, is just so cool. Kind of hard to believe it's a state highway when you're driving on gravel in that kind of terrain.

[Max Rockatansky]

Some of the more interesting routes I've observed in Washington:

WA 20:  includes a ferry segment and a pass of the Cascades on the North Cascades Highway. 
WA 304:   The military ship yard and ferry route to downtown Seattle are a pretty nice combo of interesting. 
WA 99:   Tracking US 99 has been kind of fun for me this past week but the really intriguing part is the oddity that is he Alaskan Way Viaduct. 

[fillup420]

NC 226 from the Blue Ridge Parkway south to US 221 is a blast to drive. It features a gnarly mountain descent with a 15mph truck speed limit. Also, 226A splits off right at the top of the descent, and that is a fun drive as well. Somewhere along 226A there is a church parking lot cut in half by the roadway.

[steveutz87]

VA-6 between US 250 and VA-151, where it drops down the mountain.
US-15 between I-64 and Gordonsville.
I-95 driving through Richmond.
The entire length of I-81 in Virginia. Very scenic. Also many parts of US-11 in Virginia
US-460 between Lynchburg and Roanoke.
US-29 between Charlottesville and Amherst
US-13 between Virginia Beach and Cape Charles; Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
US-33 crossing over the mountain at the West Virginia- Virginia line. And also US-33 crossing the mountain at Skyline Drive.


SM-G930V

[inkyatari]

IL-71 through Starved Rock State Park

[WillWeaverRVA]

VA-6 between US 250 and VA-151, where it drops down the mountain.
US-15 between I-64 and Gordonsville.
I-95 driving through Richmond.
The entire length of I-81 in Virginia. Very scenic. Also many parts of US-11 in Virginia
US-460 between Lynchburg and Roanoke.
US-29 between Charlottesville and Amherst
US-13 between Virginia Beach and Cape Charles; Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
US-33 crossing over the mountain at the West Virginia- Virginia line. And also US-33 crossing the mountain at Skyline Drive.


SM-G930V

US 250 in the Crozet area and I-64 on Afton Mountain are also quite scenic.

[renegade]

I-70 west from Denver
Central City Parkway

[adventurernumber1]

There really are a lot of great, intriguing candidates for this thread, so it is hard for me to think on and pick just a few. These are the first things that come to my mind at the moment:
<...>
- much of US 50 in the Lake Tahoe area

- all of Interstate 580 in Nevada

I think you'll have to better define "interesting"...

I agree with the assessment of US 50 in the Lake Tahoe region. CA/NV 28 and CA 89 are both great contenders for the scenic elements around the other sides of the lake.

I'm curious about your thoughts on I-580 in Nevada. Portions of it are a somewhat scenic (the Washoe Valley area), and there is engineering interest with the Galena Creek Bridge, but there's nothing super special or interesting about the stretches in Reno or Carson City.

It is probably hard to define interesting, since it is indeed, as someone noted upthread, quite subjective.

From what I've seen of I-580 on the internet (road videos, pictures, GMSV), I found it to be a mesmerizing interstate that was incredibly interesting. The best part of it was, of course, the utmost scenic areas and that bridge, but I really found all of it intriguing. I found I-580 in Reno to be an interesting stretch of city interstate with some great mountain scenery - and Carson City provided some beautiful scenery as well within its area. I wouldn't put I-580 on exactly the same tier as, say, I-84 through the Columbia Gorge, but I do love it, and it definitely made the list for me personally.

But it is indeed hard to define interesting, since interesting is different for everyone.