US 14A in Wyoming west of Sheridan is one of my favorites. Didn't know it was a high pass. Also 14 east out of Yellowstone to Cody.
Colorado state highway 149 is pretty obscure compared to its neighbors like US-50, 160, and 550. But it does follow the Rio Grande and afford some spectacular views.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/blog/photos/045013.jpg)
New York route 9N between Lake George Village and Hague in the Adirondacks. That stretch is very twisty and fun even though the part south of Bolton Landing is lined with lakefront motels, campgrounds, and private drives.
14 east out of Yellowstone sucks but only because of the quantity of traffic and the 50 MPH speed limit.
Wyoming 296 is really nice and gets obscured by the nearby Beartooth Highway.
Oregon 3/Washington 129 is a really fun drive- no traffic and very, very scenic.
Same with Wyoming/Utah 150- although, again, tourists (not nearly as bad as 14 to Yellowstone though).
Moffat County, Colorado Route 10N is a lot of fun too from the Wyoming line (where it meets WYO 430) down to SH-318. Should I ever meet the girl of my dreams, I've got the spot picked out to propose and it's right along that route.
Brockway Mountain Drive, Keweenaw County, Michigan, near Copper Harbor. Great views of Lake Superior and the ridges that form that part of the Keweenaw Penninsula. I have some photos to upload...
I've always liked VA 16 between Marion and Tazewell. I haven't been on it south of Marion, but I would imagine it is similarly scenic.
Very little experience with mountain roads for me, but Monteagle Mountain is my favorite (three of my four trips through there were at night).
Quote from: wriddle082 on July 23, 2011, 04:53:27 PM
I've always liked VA 16 between Marion and Tazewell. I haven't been on it south of Marion, but I would imagine it is similarly scenic.
I haven't done that one yet. I have a friend who used to commute that route every day!
The Pine Mountain crossings in Kentucky are interesting -- US 119 (has had truck lanes added as a stopgap until it can be tunneled under), KY 160 and US 421. There's also a Pine Mountain crossing that is a very narrow four-digit Kentucky state route that is fun, but a bit of a challenge.
Seeing as i have not driven in the mountains all that often, i will say that US 33 in WV and VA between Elkins and Harrisonburg is quite pretty.
NY 23A west from Catskill, NY through Palenville, Hunter and Tannersville to Lexington, NY and then follow NY 42 south to Shandaken at the intersection of NY 28. NY 23A twists and turns through very old Catskill Mountain ridges and NY 42 makes a long continuously slow decline nestled between the intersecting folds of big old mountains. Peaceful and quiet. :nod:
OR-3/WA-129.. Absolutely GORGEOUS. Though you might want to be careful. There's a nice view off the cliff near the Oregon/Washington border.
OR-140 .... Between Klamath Falls and its western terminus in White City, Lake Of The Woods Highway is very beautiful.
US-26 Mount Hood Hwy, Oregon ... While I do think that corridor should be a freeway, the drive through there is quite scenic as is and has a nice close up of Mount Hood.
OR-31 ... Man, I really don't know what to say. That highway is absolutely gorgeous. If you're in Oregon, check that highway out. Picture Rock Pass is pretty cool with the pictures in the mountain.
OR-19 .. The John Day Highway has some pretty nice scenery along the two passes. And some pretty cool towns to stop in. Nice folks out there too.
OR-22 east of Salem is a pretty nice drive through Detroit Lake. And if you really want an adventure, check out Breitenbush (sp?) Road, which eventually becomes OR-224.
So, drummer, youre saying we should visit Oregon? Go Ducks!
ID-33 / WY-22 from Victor, ID to Jackson, WY is cool.
There's also Rich Mountain Road / Old Cades Cove Road from Cades Cove to Townsend, TN.
Or if you want something really obscure, try this route, beginning at some scenic falls on the Snake River, traversing Skyline Road (from which the Grand Tetons can be seen on a really clear day), and ending at Palisades Dam:
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=43.3182351,-111.5411339+to:43.18151,-111.15722+to:43.267747,-111.2235686+to:Bear+Creek+Rd&hl=en&ll=43.300197,-111.339569&spn=0.360798,0.699692&sll=43.436405,-111.363215&sspn=0.022499,0.043731&geocode=FQS8lgIdIMVc-Q%3BFdv7lAIdcwRa-SlL6kn_EZpUUzE1srk0fgkF4Q%3BFcblkgIdHOBf-SlRFXxHsFlTUzHEyCGpy9fdEQ%3BFaM2lAId8Nxe-Skrif1PSF5TUzF8EZYoOdZYrw%3BFfk0lQIdzT1f-Q&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=1,2,3&z=11 (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=43.3182351,-111.5411339+to:43.18151,-111.15722+to:43.267747,-111.2235686+to:Bear+Creek+Rd&hl=en&ll=43.300197,-111.339569&spn=0.360798,0.699692&sll=43.436405,-111.363215&sspn=0.022499,0.043731&geocode=FQS8lgIdIMVc-Q%3BFdv7lAIdcwRa-SlL6kn_EZpUUzE1srk0fgkF4Q%3BFcblkgIdHOBf-SlRFXxHsFlTUzHEyCGpy9fdEQ%3BFaM2lAId8Nxe-Skrif1PSF5TUzF8EZYoOdZYrw%3BFfk0lQIdzT1f-Q&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=1,2,3&z=11)
These National Forest roads recommend 4WD vehicles. If it hasn't rained in a while, you could press your luck with the family minivan. Google says it takes 4 hours; it may actually be more, depending on how often you stop for scenery, or whether you get stuck in a flock of sheep.
Quote from: vtk on July 26, 2011, 11:16:44 AM
ID-33 / WY-22 from Victor, ID to Jackson, WY is cool.
Good one!
SH-17, SH-118, and SH-166 through the Davis Mountains in West Texas. 17 from Fort Davis to the McDonald Observatory is particularly cool. Also, the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway east of Ashton, Idaho.
Quote from: texaskdog on July 25, 2011, 11:03:35 PM
So, drummer, youre saying we should visit Oregon? Go Ducks!
Why not?
OR-62 passing Crater Lake is gorgeous as well. I recently drove that and I wish I got pictures. OR-138 (N. Umpqua Hwy) is also a beautiful drive.
One thing I love about Oregon is the name of their little unincorporated areas. There's one called Nimrod and another called Idiotville. Just a little funny tidbit there.
QuoteSH-17, SH-118, and SH-166 through the Davis Mountains in West Texas. 17 from Fort Davis to the McDonald Observatory is particularly cool. Also, the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway east of Ashton, Idaho.
Ooo- that reminds me. Idaho 77 from Malta to Declo is an excellent back way from Salt Lake to Burley. I-84 is sort of scenic but boring if you're already used to that terrain, but Idaho 77 is awesome. It's a subtle awesome- not like some of the big mountain scenic drives in Idaho that are HOLY CRAP LOOK AT THAT SCENERY-like, but more like the scenic Nebraska kind of scenic. It's a neat drive.
Quote from: drummer_evans_aki on July 29, 2011, 11:49:09 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on July 25, 2011, 11:03:35 PM
So, drummer, youre saying we should visit Oregon? Go Ducks!
Why not?
OR-62 passing Crater Lake is gorgeous as well. I recently drove that and I wish I got pictures. OR-138 (N. Umpqua Hwy) is also a beautiful drive.
One thing I love about Oregon is the name of their little unincorporated areas. There's one called Nimrod and another called Idiotville. Just a little funny tidbit there.
Big Ducks fan. Ready for football season! They could be the last pac10 champ & the first pac12 champ! Big game on 9/3
I'm resurrecting this thread because I can.
My favorite lesser known mountain drive is from Montvale, VA to Buchanan, VA on VA 695 and VA 43. I love the way it goes from the valley up to the mountains - at the highest point of the route is the intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway - and then back down again with gentle and sharp curves down to Buchanan.
I also really like US 220 from Roanoke up to Highland County, VA. Also, VA 39 and 42 are also great mountain roads in this area (take VA 39 from just west of Lexington to Goshen, and then VA 42 down to Clifton Forge).
While not at all "lesser known", I really did enjoy US 16 A through the Black Hills, particularly all of the cool pigtail curves and views of Mount Rushmore along the way.
Quote from: Ian on July 22, 2011, 09:39:08 PM
New York route 9N between Lake George Village and Hague in the Adirondacks. That stretch is very twisty and fun even though the part south of Bolton Landing is lined with lakefront motels, campgrounds, and private drives.
9N is awesome.
I don't know if those are lesser-known, but the Smugglers Notch on VT 108 is the most fun I've ever had driving. I wish it was longer. On that same day, I drove MA 2 between the NY state line and I-91... awesome.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 15, 2014, 11:05:44 PM
Quote from: Ian on July 22, 2011, 09:39:08 PM
New York route 9N between Lake George Village and Hague in the Adirondacks. That stretch is very twisty and fun even though the part south of Bolton Landing is lined with lakefront motels, campgrounds, and private drives.
9N is awesome.
I don't know if those are lesser-known, but the Smugglers Notch on VT 108 is the most fun I've ever had driving. I wish it was longer. On that same day, I drove MA 2 between the NY state line and I-91... awesome.
I would vote as well for VT 108. I was asp surprised how scenic I-99 was. ME 26 through Grafton Notch is beautiful.
iPhone
I'm sure this would be a very lesser known mountain road, but US 76/SR 282 from Ramhurst (just south of Chatsworth) to Ellijay, GA. Beautiful drive, climbing the mountain, then slowly going down, but then when you reach Ellijay the mountains in the distance are a beauty.
SD 473 is unsigned, but breathtaking when you look back down the valley.
Also, UT 14 is quite beautiful.
I'm going to say CA 2, but that's one of the only ones I've been on so I don't have much variety
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 16, 2014, 12:09:03 AM
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
Not far away from you is the road to the top of Washington Rock, off US 22, here:
https://www.google.com/maps?ll=40.61291,-74.472451&spn=0.000004,0.00327&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.61291,-74.472964&panoid=Cx1m6Xcoi8hsB4mpJFfvWg&cbp=12,127.67,,0,4.22 (https://www.google.com/maps?ll=40.61291,-74.472451&spn=0.000004,0.00327&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.61291,-74.472964&panoid=Cx1m6Xcoi8hsB4mpJFfvWg&cbp=12,127.67,,0,4.22)
This is a nice ride, surrounded by an otherwise densely populated area. I used to come up here sometimes when I was at Rutgers and hang out at the top.
Also, in Reading, PA, the ride to the top of Mount Penn to the Pagoda overlooking the city is great too:
https://www.google.com/maps?ll=40.336586,-75.905&spn=0.000004,0.00327&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.336586,-75.905513&panoid=o35oKZRxM723N8sF4OfIOw&cbp=12,214.69,,0,-6.52 (https://www.google.com/maps?ll=40.336586,-75.905&spn=0.000004,0.00327&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.336586,-75.905513&panoid=o35oKZRxM723N8sF4OfIOw&cbp=12,214.69,,0,-6.52)
Interesting item about this mountain and the Pagoda: Charles Duryea was an automotive pioneer (first American gasoline powered car) who used the road to the top of the mountain to test his vehicles for hill climbing. There are several ways that wind to the top, and the ride along Skyline Drive is very scenic. There are clubs that sponsor races to the top of the mountain every year:
http://www.readingpagoda.com/pagodaduryeahillclimbs.html (http://www.readingpagoda.com/pagodaduryeahillclimbs.html)
Here's a Youtube video of one car going up (they go one at a time on timed runs). There are many other videos for this out there as well:
The Oh-My-God Road, which runs generally north of Idaho Springs to Central City, Colorado, and I believe has been replaced by the Central City Parkway. Steep, unpaved, no guardrails ... Lots of fun!
Quote from: Arkansastravelguy
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein
I don't know if those are lesser-known, but the Smugglers Notch on VT 108 is the most fun I've ever had driving.
I would vote as well for VT 108.
Lesser known than VT 108 would be VT 105 between Jay and Richford. Better yet would be VT 58 through Hazen's Notch...but better bring 4WD or AWD and not try it in the winter or spring.
There's a slew of backroads near me with pretty wicked mountain views and even wickeder driving. Several locations where one can see Mt. Washington from ~50mi away, and there's at least one spot on southbound 91 south of Barton where one can also see the Presidential Range on a clear day, as well as from an overlook on US 2 in Danville. There's a spot barely a mile from our house where we can see Killington...75 miles away.
US 211 across the Blue Ridge can be pretty crazy, especially on the eastern side (several switchbacks and a 35 MPH speed limit). Always enjoyed going through the mountains along and west of the Blue Ridge in western Virginia and eastern West Virginia.
Out West, we enjoyed US 89 in northeastern Utah as well as US 30 in southeastern Idaho/southwestern Wyoming.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 16, 2014, 12:09:03 AM
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
In that general area, there's US 9W, which goes up and down Storm King Mountain. There's also NY 218, which goes between Storm King Mountain and the Hudson River. It's supposed to have great scenery. I've never been on that part, though, because the time I tried it was closed due to storm damage from Hurricane Irene.
froggie mentioned US-211 over the Blue Ridge. I like that road as well and I often use it as an alternative to I-81 and I-66 on my way back from Harrisonburg unless it's snowing heavily. Scenic drive and, aside from the twisty parts over the mountains, it's more relaxed than the Interstate.
A drive that's more in the foothills is Freezeland Road/Fiery Run Road (secondary route 638) in and near Linden, Virginia. Nice drive with some good scenic views, and you have the bonus of two very good wineries located on that road (Fox Meadow Vineyards, which has a spectacular view to the south, and Linden Vineyards).
Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail is well-known in Canada but seems less so in the United States. Great road everyone should drive once, although its isolation makes it one most of us will never be able to travel all that often because of the time it takes to get there. The portions on the east and west sides of the Cape Breton Highlands are absolutely magnificent. I've been on that road twice during summer and I'd love to go back in early fall sometime, although the falling leaves might make finding my ball on the Highlands Links (outstanding golf course in Ingonish Beach) even more difficult.
Quote from: Laura on September 15, 2014, 11:01:53 PM
I also really like US 220 from Roanoke up to Highland County, VA. Also, VA 39 and 42 are also great mountain roads in this area (take VA 39 from just west of Lexington to Goshen, and then VA 42 down to Clifton Forge).
I've done all of those and I agree.
Here's one you would like, Laura. From Monterey, Va., take US 250 west into West Virginia, then WV 92 south to White Sulphur Springs. Or, for that matter, US 220 on north into Maryland.
Also mentioned upthread, US 33 from Elkins to Harrisonburg is a fun and scenic drive, as is US 250 from Elkins to Monterey.
I'm not that big of a fan of US 219 south from Elkins through Marlinton to Lewisburg.
NY 73 (which lies entirely in the Adirondacks) remains my all-time favorite NY state highway. NY 74 is fun too. NY 431 is a mountain drive, but doesn't fit the criteria of the tread (Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway is pretty well-known).
Quote from: dgolub on September 16, 2014, 08:54:58 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on September 16, 2014, 12:09:03 AM
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
In that general area, there's US 9W, which goes up and down Storm King Mountain. There's also NY 218, which goes between Storm King Mountain and the Hudson River. It's supposed to have great scenery. I've never been on that part, though, because the time I tried it was closed due to storm damage from Hurricane Irene.
NY 218 is awesome.
Quote from: dgolub on September 16, 2014, 08:54:58 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on September 16, 2014, 12:09:03 AM
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
In that general area, there's US 9W, which goes up and down Storm King Mountain. There's also NY 218, which goes between Storm King Mountain and the Hudson River. It's supposed to have great scenery. I've never been on that part, though, because the time I tried it was closed due to storm damage from Hurricane Irene.
Palisades to 9W to 218 is a great drive (with a suggested detour up Bear Mountain, and another over the Bear Mountain Bridge and down 6 to Peekskill). I prefer 218 to 9W over Storm King because it's smaller and quieter, allowing a nicer pause at the overlook, and it's lower down and thus puts you more in the middle between river and mountains.
You can really make a day of it with Seven Lakes Drive and 6 across Harriman State Park.
It pains me a little to describe all this because when I lived near there and then had a family base nearby for years after, these were all my favorite Sunday drive locales. People in Greater New York are truly lucky to have these kinds of places so close in to the metropolitan core.
QuoteA drive that's more in the foothills is Freezeland Road/Fiery Run Road (secondary route 638) in and near Linden, Virginia. Nice drive with some good scenic views, and you have the bonus of two very good wineries located on that road (Fox Meadow Vineyards, which has a spectacular view to the south, and Linden Vineyards).
I'm more a fan of SR 635 (Hume Rd) between US 522 and SR 647, which has a couple wineries of its own...Desert Rose Ranch and Rappahannock Cellars. In fact, I'd often head west by taking 66 to Marshall, picking up SR 647, then taking SR 635 to US 522 to US 211 West.
Since Highland County, VA was mentioned, my favorite road in that county is SR 640, especially north of Hightown, which happens to sit right on the drainage divide between the South Branch Potomac River (which begins just to the north) and the Jackson River (James River basin to the south).
I thought this was a cool topic then realized I created it. Thanks for giving it the 3-year bump!
Quote from: froggie on September 16, 2014, 10:01:53 PM
QuoteA drive that's more in the foothills is Freezeland Road/Fiery Run Road (secondary route 638) in and near Linden, Virginia. Nice drive with some good scenic views, and you have the bonus of two very good wineries located on that road (Fox Meadow Vineyards, which has a spectacular view to the south, and Linden Vineyards).
I'm more a fan of SR 635 (Hume Rd) between US 522 and SR 647, which has a couple wineries of its own...Desert Rose Ranch and Rappahannock Cellars. In fact, I'd often head west by taking 66 to Marshall, picking up SR 647, then taking SR 635 to US 522 to US 211 West.
....
I've only used a portion of that. A couple of years ago Ms1995hoo had bought a Groupon (or similar voucher, don't remember which company) for a tasting at Narmada Winery in Amissville. We wanted to go to Linden Vineyards afterwards, so we went up 522 to Hume Road and followed that east to Fiery Run Road, which turns to a rather bumpy gravel road at some point but brings you out just down the road from Linden Vineyards. I know Hume continues east to Leeds Manor, but I've never had any reason to go that way. (I do use the other portion of Leeds Manor, the segment north of I-66 that runs past Naked Mountain Winery, fairly frequently if we're headed to Middleburg after a trip to Fox Meadow. We're members of the wine club at Fox Meadow, so we visit every other month or so.)
I keep thinking about finding my way down from Fox Meadow via the back route down to Howellsville Road or to Morgan Ford, then heading north to Route 50, but the timing never works out well and I invariably head back down Freezeland Road all the way to Route 55. The route from the hairpin on Freezeland to Khyber Pass Road and on across is somewhat convoluted to follow and it's easy to miss the turns.
Oklahoma US 259 from Broken Bow to Page
AR 123 north of Hagarville
AR 21 north of Clarksville
AR 375 south of Mena (why this isn't a scenic byway is beyond me)
AR 27 from Mount Ida to Danville
MD 77 is a fun ride from US 15 to MD 64. Very winding and twisting as it passes through Catoctin Mountain Park.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 19, 2014, 12:20:15 PM
MD 77 is a fun ride from US 15 to MD 64. Very winding and twisting as it passes through Catoctin Mountain Park.
I will second this. We've driven this a few times and have stopped at Cunningham Falls along the way.
Sunshine Highway (County Route S1) in eastern San Diego County remains one of my favorites. It provides stunning vistas of the Laguna Mountains and the Sonoran Desert, where the elevation suddenly drops several thousand feet and the viewer can have both Jeffrey Pines and ocotillo in his field of vision.
Usually, Sunshine Highway doesn't carry a ton of traffic unless a weather system drops snow above 5,000 feet and folks from greater San Diego flock for a day of sledding.
One of my favorites is the Cherohala Skyway (http://cherohala.org/) in SE TN. We were there in the winter, we didnt see more than 5 cars the entire trip. I'm not sure how busy it is in the summer. It runs from Tellico Plains, TN to Robbinsville, NC. The Skyway is 40+ miles and elevations range from 900' to 5400'. IIRC a shallow river runs along side the road. The scenery was spectacular especially at the parking lot at the summit.
I havent traveled DE 896-PA 896 in 30 yrs. Then it was a fun two lane hwy, the fun part was the "hoop de do" of the roadway. Apparently the builders didnt level the ground so the effect is like mini jumps (hoop de dos) and it was great fun to drive fast in a VW Bug. If anyone has driven the road lately, I'd be interested if they improved the hwy at all.
Quote from: allniter89 on September 20, 2014, 03:55:37 AM
One of my favorites is the Cherohala Skyway (http://cherohala.org/) in SE TN. We were there in the winter, we didnt see more than 5 cars the entire trip. I'm not sure how busy it is in the summer. It runs from Tellico Plains, TN to Robbinsville, NC. The Skyway is 40+ miles and elevations range from 900' to 5400'. IIRC a shallow river runs along side the road. The scenery was spectacular especially at the parking lot at the summit.
The Skyway is awesome. I have driven it twice in summer and didn't see much traffic --- I do think it does get "relatively low traffic counts" because of the nearby Dragon. The Dragon's much well-known but I honestly like the Skyway better.
Quote from: vdeane on September 16, 2014, 01:28:45 PM
NY 73 (which lies entirely in the Adirondacks) remains my all-time favorite NY state highway. NY 74 is fun too. NY 431 is a mountain drive, but doesn't fit the criteria of the tread (Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway is pretty well-known).
Quote from: dgolub on September 16, 2014, 08:54:58 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on September 16, 2014, 12:09:03 AM
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
In that general area, there's US 9W, which goes up and down Storm King Mountain. There's also NY 218, which goes between Storm King Mountain and the Hudson River. It's supposed to have great scenery. I've never been on that part, though, because the time I tried it was closed due to storm damage from Hurricane Irene.
NY 218 is awesome.
Agreed on all accounts! Its been more than 30 years since I have been to any of those Adirondack routes, but they have always left a tremendous impression.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 16, 2014, 12:09:03 AM
While I'm sure these are known, the Palisades Interstate Parkway provides great scenery along the Palisades in New Jersey and New York. Also, there's not really a road for it, but several county roads in Hillsborough and neighboring Hunterdon and Mercer Counties traverse the Sourlands Mountains, and on a clear day, you can actually see the skyline of Lower Manhattan from a point on top of the mountain!
Of course, these are the only mountainous roads I've been on so... not much here.
CR 579 along the Musconetcong Mountain in Warren County, NJ offers a beautiful of Easton, PA and the eastern portion of the Lehigh Valley.
In the Adirondacks, Essex CR-84 (aka Blue Ridge Road) from North Hudson to Newcomb is a really fun, twisty scenic drive if you're heading to the central 'dacks.
ME-113 through Evans Notch is a really nice drive, as is NH-26 through Dixville Notch.
The Arlington-West Wardsboro Road across the Green Mtns in Vermont is quite the adventure. Not sure if has been reopened though, as most of it was washed out by Hurricane Irene.
(1) Blue Ridge Parkway is nice at any point, but my favorite section is between Asheville and Cherokee.
(2) Having just driven it, I-70 across the San Rafael Swell in Utah is well worth the trip. And I-70 across the Rockies in Colorado isn't bad either.
I don't know if this was discussed, but NH 118 between 25 and 112, which goes through an unnamed pass that is 2500' or so high is quite nice. The road was in pretty rough shape 3 years ago, so maybe it's been repaved since.
In Massachusetts, there aren't a lot of mountain roads. But, many are quite scenic and quite hilly. 112 in Huntington, 8A in Heath, 2 thru Whitcomb Summit, and 57 from 8 to 10/202 are great hilly roads. But, by no means mountain roads. Great for cycling and motorcycling especially.
QuoteI don't know if this was discussed, but NH 118 between 25 and 112, which goes through an unnamed pass that is 2500' or so high is quite nice. The road was in pretty rough shape 3 years ago, so maybe it's been repaved since.
Not as of early July. Was still very bumpy, washed out pavement then.
Vermont 17 over/next to Camel's Hump just west of Waitsfield. Nice view, a few switchbacks, short drive overall.
Agree with the New York examples so far. Few more I'll add:
-NY 30 south of NY 28. Anything but flat and straight.
-NY 9L north of NY 149. Like its sibling 9N, but less development
-Warren CR 11 between I-87 and NY 9 (entire length). Great views of the Adirondacks and several curves and hills.
-NY 28A. Winds along the shore of the Ashokan Reservoir.
-Saratoga CR 24 east of Corinth. Love the section over the Hudson River.
-Glens Falls Mountain/Luzerne Rds between Warren CRs 16 and 58 in/near Queensbury, NY. Known by few, crosses what is known locally as West Mountain. Drive it EB and the last mile or so is all sharp curves on a steep downgrade
TX 170 west of big bend is great, a little bit of a stretch calling it a true "mountain road" though.
As soon as I saw this topic I immediately thought of NY 74. It's an absolutely beautiful drive, especially coming down the hill in Ticonderoga where you get a full view of Vermont and Lake Champlain. I have taken many pictures on this road that I might upload. Another one of my favorites is VT 103 which runs through the southern Green Mountains.
North of Kernville, CA (CA-190, M-99 & M50). Wow is all I can say. I've done that stretch about 3-4 times coming from east of Kernville up to Three Rivers and it is pretty amazing.