The Most Interesting Stretches of Highway

[gonealookin]

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.

Most of I-580 through Carson City is either sunken or hemmed in by soundwalls.  I guess I've driven it enough that the thought of it being "interesting" in any way hasn't occurred to me in a while, but maybe I'm just too familiar with it.  There is a nice view of Eagle Valley, where Carson City is situated, as you're coming southbound over the low hill from Washoe Valley and crossing from Washoe County into Carson City.

Honestly, for the out-of-town roadgeek looking for interesting drives in the area, I would exit I-580 in south Reno and take NV 431 over the Mount Rose Summit to Lake Tahoe at Incline Village.  The short stretches of highway in the immediate lake vicinity which should not be missed are CA 89 around Emerald Bay, featured in countless television commercials and print ads, and also US 50 between Meyers and Echo Summit, which hangs off a dramatic cliff.  That section of US 50 should be driven eastbound, coming downhill toward the lake, for the best views.

A little further distant, CA 4 Ebbetts Pass as Max mentions and its nearby sister CA 108 Sonora Pass have the finest high mountain scenery without the extra traffic and expense of going through Yosemite National Park.

ETA:  The Amgen Tour of California bicycle race is being run this week, and the telecast gives you some great live views, both helicopter and ground level, of California highways.  As to our local portion, they're running from Folsom to Lake Tahoe on Friday 5/18, going along side roads from Folsom to Sly Park, cutting over to CA 88 on Mormon Emigrant Trail, then CA 88 over Carson Pass and into Nevada and up and over Kingsbury Grade NV 207 to the finish in South Lake Tahoe.  The telecast is from 5 PM to 7 PM Eastern time/2 PM to 4 PM Pacific on NBCSN, so they will probably join the race on Mormon Emigrant Trail or CA 88.  We have a whole schedule of rolling road closures and it's something of a traffic nightmare for a couple hours, but brings money to the area in an otherwise dead part of the year for tourism.

[kphoger]

UT 12 has the best mix of scenery on the Grand Staircase and driving dynamics in the entire state.  ...  US 550 in Colorado is daunting as all hell south of Ouray and some of the best scenery in the state.

I got on this thread specifically to read your answer.  And I give a BIG thumbs-up to both of these answers.

US-50 across Colorado deserves honorable mention, in my opinion.



My favorite drive in Texas:  US-277 between Sonora and Del Rio.  90 miles of awesome, with no towns and a single abandoned gas station along the way.

My favorite drive in Illinois:  IL-3 from Chester on south.

[Max Rockatansky]

UT 12 has the best mix of scenery on the Grand Staircase and driving dynamics in the entire state.  ...  US 550 in Colorado is daunting as all hell south of Ouray and some of the best scenery in the state.

I got on this thread specifically to read your answer.  And I give a BIG thumbs-up to both of these answers.

US-50 across Colorado deserves honorable mention, in my opinion.



My favorite drive in Texas:  US-277 between Sonora and Del Rio.  90 miles of awesome, with no towns and a single abandoned gas station along the way.

My favorite drive in Illinois:  IL-3 from Chester on south.

Once you get west of I-25 any route that goes into the Rockies usually has something worth while or at least interesting to see on it.  I'm really hoping to get back out to Colorado and Utah next year, really they are probably two of the better states for scenery. 

Since you mentioned Texas and Illinois I'll chime in as well.  I personally really enjoy heading east out of El Paso on US 62/180.  The road is absolutely desolate but fast as all hell.  The views approaching the Guadalupe Range are great to look at sunrise.  With Illinois I'm really partial to US 41 on Lake Shore Drive.  I used to drive that section of 41 every weekend, it's quite the sight seeing all those skyscrapers. 

[adventurernumber1]

I have had the opportunity to ride on some of US 550 in Colorado, and it truly was amazing (and interesting, which is why it was one of the many routes I mentioned in the OP of this thread).

This was on a trip to Telluride, Colorado in Spring 2015. If I recall correctly, we flew into Montrose, and I had the chance to see US 550 all the way from there to probably at CO 62. The real meat of US 550 is, of course, actually south of Ridgway - an absolutely mesmerizing stretch of road which I have seen only on the internet. I was very glad I at least to see much of US 550 north of Ridgway, and that alone was an incredible stretch of road. And actually, it was so great, that when I get the chance to upload those old photos to the computer somehow, I have pondered that a few of those photos I took may have actually been good candidates for the "Best of Road Pictures" thread. US 550 is no doubt one of the best roads I have ever been on in my entire life, and I am so glad I had the chance to see much of it.

I don't have any vivid memories of seeing what US 50 in Colorado looks like (even on the internet), but I would not be surprised at all if it, too, is a great contender for this thread, because 1) it goes through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and 2) after all, it gave birth to US 550 - one of the best roads in the country (at least for that section). 

There is definitely a huge number of very interesting roads out west. The region is home to some incredible roads, that is for sure! 

[Aaron Camp]

Portions of the two-lane US-41 in west-central Indiana are quite scenic, particularly between Veedersburg and Rockville.

[Tom958]

It appears that "interesting" has become conflated with "scenic."  I like highways with visible historical quirks. I-85 in the Carolinas used to be good in that way, though it's becoming too homogenized of late. The double-deck section of I-35 in Austin is an extreme example, with pre-Interstate structures still intact. And if I won the lottery (I don't play!), I'd hit the road for NYC.

[freebrickproductions]

It appears that "interesting" has become conflated with "scenic."  I like highways with visible historical quirks. I-85 in the Carolinas used to be good in that way, though it's becoming too homogenized of late. The double-deck section of I-35 in Austin is an extreme example, with pre-Interstate structures still intact. And if I won the lottery (I don't play!), I'd hit the road for NYC.

I have to kinda agree. For me, scenic doesn't always mean interesting. For example, one could argue that I-81 through Virginia is scenic along parts of it, but if I had to choose between the scenic parts of I-81 and I-65 through Birmingham, I'd take I-65 through Birmingham over those scenic parts of I-81 any day of the week.

[Hurricane Rex]

My nominations from the Northwest:
Most importantly: Going-to-the sun rd/highway
I-5 from Roseburg to Redding except for Medford to Ashland and between mp 294 (oregon) and MP 2 (Washington), downtown Seattle
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass, Wallace to St. Regis
I-84 in the Gorge (mp 18-129 is my definition), Pendelton to La Grande, mp 330 to mp 355
OR 38/138
Timberline highway
Coast highways (US 101 and what I've heard from CA 1)
OR 99W from Newberg to Sherwood (Okay, I'm biased here)
Cascade Lakes Highway
I-205 between mp 3-6
WA 123
WA 410
MT 135

That is probably too much but those are my favs, clinching the west half of WA 20 this Summer.

Oops: forgot OR 242 and Rim drive (have not been on Rim Drive though)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

It appears that "interesting" has become conflated with "scenic."  I like highways with visible historical quirks. I-85 in the Carolinas used to be good in that way, though it's becoming too homogenized of late. The double-deck section of I-35 in Austin is an extreme example, with pre-Interstate structures still intact. And if I won the lottery (I don't play!), I'd hit the road for NYC.

That's why I left MN 61 and MN 16 off my post.

[kphoger]

It appears that "interesting" has become conflated with "scenic."  I like highways with visible historical quirks. I-85 in the Carolinas used to be good in that way, though it's becoming too homogenized of late. The double-deck section of I-35 in Austin is an extreme example, with pre-Interstate structures still intact. And if I won the lottery (I don't play!), I'd hit the road for NYC.

Leaving scenery aside, I'd say I-70 through Colorado still qualifies.  There are fascinating highway structures (Glenwood Canyon!), various interchange designs, unique signage, tunnels, multiple mountain passes, chain-up/down parking areas for trucks, interesting towns along the way, even rest areas with trailheads to waterfalls.  And that's not to mention the history of its construction.  Once you get east of Denver, the land opens up to rolling grasslands and then eventually flattens out to farmland.

[adventurernumber1]

It appears that "interesting" has become conflated with "scenic."  I like highways with visible historical quirks. I-85 in the Carolinas used to be good in that way, though it's becoming too homogenized of late. The double-deck section of I-35 in Austin is an extreme example, with pre-Interstate structures still intact. And if I won the lottery (I don't play!), I'd hit the road for NYC.

Leaving scenery aside, I'd say I-70 through Colorado still qualifies.  There are fascinating highway structures (Glenwood Canyon!), various interchange designs, unique signage, tunnels, multiple mountain passes, chain-up/down parking areas for trucks, interesting towns along the way, even rest areas with trailheads to waterfalls.  And that's not to mention the history of its construction.  Once you get east of Denver, the land opens up to rolling grasslands and then eventually flattens out to farmland.

That's true. And the great thing about Glenwood Canyon is that it is an incredible fusion between very interesting scenery and very interesting infrastructure. Sometimes scenery, and roads that are very interesting in themselves, can indeed be interconnected, such as the example of I-70 in much of Colorado that you mentioned.

[inkyatari]

Leaving the scenic designation for interesting behind, Chicago's Lower Wacker Dr. is a very interesting stretch of road.

[kphoger]

Leaving the scenic designation for interesting behind, Chicago's Lower Wacker Dr. is a very interesting stretch of road.

Calling it a highway, OTOH, is a stretch.

[Max Rockatansky]

Leaving the scenic designation for interesting behind, Chicago's Lower Wacker Dr. is a very interesting stretch of road.

Calling it a highway, OTOH, is a stretch.

Hence one of my reasons I listed US 41/Lakeshore Drive.  You do get a viaduct type structure with the Outer Drive Drawbridge which is quite unique:

IMG_6081 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[roadfro]

- all of Interstate 580 in Nevada

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.

Most of I-580 through Carson City is either sunken or hemmed in by soundwalls.  I guess I've driven it enough that the thought of it being "interesting" in any way hasn't occurred to me in a while, but maybe I'm just too familiar with it.  There is a nice view of Eagle Valley, where Carson City is situated, as you're coming southbound over the low hill from Washoe Valley and crossing from Washoe County into Carson City.

Honestly, for the out-of-town roadgeek looking for interesting drives in the area, I would exit I-580 in south Reno and take NV 431 over the Mount Rose Summit to Lake Tahoe at Incline Village.  The short stretches of highway in the immediate lake vicinity which should not be missed are CA 89 around Emerald Bay, featured in countless television commercials and print ads, and also US 50 between Meyers and Echo Summit, which hangs off a dramatic cliff.  That section of US 50 should be driven eastbound, coming downhill toward the lake, for the best views.

Thanks for expanding your thoughts, adventurernumber1. I guess I'm in the same boat as gonealookin in that, since I live in Reno, I've driven I-580 enough for it to be familiar enough to me so as I don't really regard it as interesting (Washoe Valley and the entry to Carson City not withstanding). But you're right in that it does stay pretty close to the Sierra Nevada mountains, so it can have scenic quality from multiple vantage points, especially when there's still snow on the mountains.

In that regard though, I'd echo gonealookin's thoughts on some of the highways surrounding Lake Tahoe. Even I-80 crossing from Nevada into California up until you get well past Donner Summit I find interesting for scenic value–I've even always liked the gradual shift that takes place over about an hours worth of driving from the high elevation at Donner Summit to lower open valley and increasing civilization.

[inkyatari]

Leaving the scenic designation for interesting behind, Chicago's Lower Wacker Dr. is a very interesting stretch of road.

Calling it a highway, OTOH, is a stretch.

Perhaps, but it is interesting none the less. 

[US71]

The Pig Trail (Ar 23 from Brashears to Ozark)

21 Scenic Byway north of Clarksville

and, of course, Scenic Hwy 7

[adventurernumber1]

I highly apologize for the bump, but I have a very significant drive to add to this thread/list:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TgTXmuk6DZM

In watching the mentioned video, I have just seen this very interesting stretch of US 6 in Utah southeast of I-15 (including through the Price and Spanish Fork Canyons) for the first time. I was nothing short of utterly mesmerized. I had definitely heard about how great this drive was in the roadgeek community in the past, so I came in knowing I was about to see something incredible, but I was still absolutely blown away nonetheless. In the video (by Freewayjim), he also talks about how upgrading this road to an interstate highway could help with the current status of the road being deadly and dangerous (due to such high traffic volumes, including lots of trucks, and lots of curves). This is a very interesting prospect, and while it was mentioned it would be very expensive and might take time to complete, it could very well be worth it in the name of safety and traffic relief. There's no doubt that US 6 in Utah from I-70 to I-15 has quite a bit of traffic (especially truck traffic) for a road its size–this being especially true since, IIRC, this is basically part of the route people take going from Denver to Salt Lake City and vice versa. It is undoubtedly a very significant and important road. This road is very interesting, extraordinarily scenic, and also has some interesting components such as a stretch(s) that is basically a super-two (a limited-access road with exits/interchanges that is only two lanes total–one in each direction). And I didn't realize how many interchanges in total this road had, which is quite a bit. This has quickly become one of my favorite drives I have seen, and I will probably be dreaming about it tonight. 

[MikieTimT]

My favorite stretches of Interstate highway are I-90 from Missoula, MT pretty much all the way to Spokane, WA and I-49 from Alma, AR to Fayetteville, AR.  That stretch of I-90 has the only places of all the states I've been in that would make me consider moving from Northwest Arkansas, especially around the Wallace, ID area.  I have been in all of the states other than the Northeast except for North Dakota and Hawaii, so I've seen quite a bit of scenery.  I-49 north of Alma is the most scenic Interstate in mid-America as far as I'm concerned.  Mountains, almost no billboards, the only road tunnel in mid-America, and cresting the hill just before Fayetteville unfolds before your eyes is almost magical.  Same goes southward just past the Rudy exit when the wide Arkansas River valley and the Ouachita Mtns. way off to the south unfold as you crest the last hill as you're coming out of the Ozarks.

US-24 in Colorado between Colorado Springs and Florissant contains about the only other scenery that might pry me from Arkansas eventually.

My favorite twisty roads to drive with my WRX hatchback are AR-16, AR-23 (Pig Trail), AR-59, and old US-71 from Alma to Greenland now that it doesn't have trucks on it anymore to impede, so you can actually enjoy the scenery and catch apexes on curves.  US-412 from Huntsville to Portia is a great drive as well if you time around traffic peaks in Harrison and Mtn. Home.  AR-10 from Greenwood to Little Rock is also great through the Ouachitas and next to the Tri-Peaks of the River Valley.

[sparker]

To me, there are a lot of things that make certain roads interesting -- scenery, unique configuration features, controversies about routings -- and even unforeseen results of the decisions regarding routings and areas to be served.  If you think my replies can get a bit wordy, trying to address this in one gulp might be a bit over the edge in that regard.  So look forward to one little bite at a time down the road as I think of these things.  Ciao for now!

[Flint1979]

I-75 in Michigan between mile markers 338 and 343 seem pretty cool to me.

[TravelingBethelite]

I've only gotten to travel it a few times in the time I've had a car but I really enjoy US 40 between I-70 and Boonville, MO.

[sparker]

I've only gotten to travel it a few times in the time I've had a car but I really enjoy US 40 between I-70 and Boonville, MO.

Now that road has memories for me; it was part of my first cross-country drive with my folks when I was ten years old -- in mid-June 1960, just after school let out for the summer.  Our destination was Florissant, MO, where my great-aunt lived (she was along for the ride as well), and I was navigating as usual from the shotgun seat.  We had overnighted in Kit Carson, CO, and the adults elected to forego another motel night in KC and instead drive straight through to Florissant, a St. Louis 'burb.    Got burgers at a coffee shop east of KC on US 40, and headed east.  I was using a Gousha atlas to navigate, and it showed a new section of I-70 open between south of Boonville and Columbia.  But lo and behold, when we got to where US 40 turned north, the freeway section ahead of us wasn't open yet, with barriers blocking our way and directing us on to the old road.  So we headed north, crossing a narrow through truss bridge into Boonville.  It was twilight by that time, but i could see a train on a parallel RR bridge (it turned out to be a M-K-T train ostensibly heading to St. Louis along the north bank of the Missouri).  I remember quite a bit of traffic from Boonville into Columbia, which thinned out east of town.  The rest of US 40 was still 2-lane highway with periodic divided 4-lane stretches.  Fortunately, I-70 was completed -- and signed -- from Wentzville all the way to Bypass US 66, which we took into Florissant, getting there, IIRC, between 1 & 2 a.m.  29 years later I was on a later trip and decided to revisit Boonville; the RR bridge was gone, but US 40 was (and is) still using the old road, while I-70 takes a relative beeline south of there.  It's actually pretty scenic in the daytime; I'm glad I checked it out for a 2nd round! 

[rte66man]

To me, interesting can mean scenic and/or historical.  In Oklahoma, US259 north from Broken Bow to Heavener has it all. Lakes, forests, big hills, the Heavener runestone, and so on. If you thought that Oklahoma is flat and dry, this road will change your mind.

For pure scenery, the Talimena Driver is hard to beat. Another very scenic drive is OK 20 from Salina to Jay.

Former US66 is of course on the top of my list   

[NWI_Irish96]

On the whole, Indiana's highways are not terribly interesting.  A few that do rise at least a bit above the mundane:

US 12 between US 20 and IN 249, through Dunes National Lakeshore
IN 135 between IN 46 and IN 58 through Hoosier National Forest
IN 156 between IN 101 and IN 262 along the Ohio River