States with the most scenic roads? States with the least scenic roads?

[Roadgeekteen]

The three northern New England states have some really nice roads. For least scenic, Rhode Island beats out Connecticut because Connecticut has the Merritt parkway. Other states can have nice roads too, but they can also have tons of boring ones.

[hotdogPi]

Least: Oklahoma maybe?

[Max Rockatansky]

Least: Oklahoma maybe?

Oklahoma has Mountains, there is always potential there.  Indiana is pretty high on my own mental list of states I've frequented a good sample the road network. Louisiana wasn't really all that much of a looker either. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Least: Oklahoma maybe?

Oklahoma has Mountains, there is always potential there.  Indiana is pretty high on my own mental list of states I've frequented a good sample the road network. Louisiana wasn't really all that much of a looker either. 

There are the mointains in the panhandle and in the east, plus the Red River area.

Delaware was very unscenic.

[webny99]

Least: Oklahoma maybe?

I don't know, the eastern Dakotas make this look like the Rockies. The western Dakotas are interesting landscape-wise, but so are parts of Oklahoma.
If you want an entire state that's boring, it's got to be Iowa. Illinois and Indiana are second and third only because they're more interesting in the south.

[Terry Shea]

Border to border, nothing is worse than Nebraska.

[Road Hog]

Most: Arkansas (NW half).

Least: Arkansas (SE half).

[Scott5114]

Least: Oklahoma maybe?

I don't know, the eastern Dakotas make this look like the Rockies. The western Dakotas are interesting landscape-wise, but so are parts of Oklahoma.
If you want an entire state that's boring, it's got to be Iowa. Illinois and Indiana are second and third only because they're more interesting in the south.

And on the other end of the state, you have SH-1.

Took a girl on a date here once (in October, when the trees were changing). Now we're married. So the scenery can't be that bad...

[Ned Weasel]

Pennsylvania has always had my favorite scenery.  Say what you want about the roads; the scenery is top-tier.  Eastern Tennessee is probably my second-favorite.

Least-favorite scenery: anything that's flat without being near large bodies of water.  If you think my home state is famous for being flat and boring, you've either never driven through the Flint Hills or the Blue River area, or you've never driven through much of Illinois. 

[Ga293]

Hawaii has to be the most scenic, it's pretty difficult to get away from views of volcanic mountains, the ocean, or lush tropical rainforest.

On the mainland, probably Washington. A huge variety of scenery to choose from.

For least scenic, Mississippi is close to the bottom.

[Max Rockatansky]

Most: Arkansas (NW half).

Least: Arkansas (SE half).

I kind of thought US 65 was an interesting Highway if not kind of scenic.  Lake Chicot even has an overlook at the state visitor center. 

[thspfc]

Colorado wins, and it's not close. As for least scenic, I'd say Nebraska for % of roads that are boring, and Texas for most miles of roads that are boring.

[Max Rockatansky]

Colorado wins, and it's not close. As for least scenic, I'd say Nebraska for % of roads that are boring, and Texas for most miles of roads that are boring.

I disagree on some of the above.  Utah and California both have just as many scenic roads if not more than Colorado.  Eastern Texas roads are dull but they come alive west of San Antonio.   Yeah I-10 is boring as hell but that's a pretty crappy way to get across the state unless you're in a hurry.  Nebraska by default was going to be high on the boring list. 

[CoreySamson]

Yeah to second what Max said, eastern roads in Texas kinda suck in the scenic category, but once you're west of US 77 the roads become awesome.

Houston could theoretically be the least scenic city of its size anywhere in the world, though.

[Super Mateo]

Illinois and Indiana are second and third only because they're more interesting in the south.

Illinois has some great views and rolling hills up in the northwest corner (Galena, Elizabeth, Stockton) and there's plenty of good urban scenery in the northeast (mainly Chicago), especially on I-94 west or US 41 north or south.  I-55, etc. can enjoy a view of the Gateway Arch in the southwest.  It's the center of the state where the scenery is just awful.

Living in Illinois, though, I rarely see mountains.  Because of that, I really enjoyed driving the WV Turnpike/I-77 from Charleston to Bluefield.  It's almost exactly 100 miles of winding road through tons of mountains.  I got to see WV's capital buildings and a tunnel at the end.  I did enjoy the other scenery I saw in WV, but I didn't see much on US 52 in WV because my windshield was covered in rain much of the time.

[kphoger]

Border to border, nothing is worse than Nebraska.

Even north-south highways through the Sand Hills?

[ozarkman417]

Least: Oklahoma maybe?

That could be the case for most of the state, but the Ouachita Mountains in the southeast part of the state has the Talimena Scenic Byway, among other scenic routes traversing the region such as US 259. Most of the byway is in Oklahoma, but when it comes to the Ouachita Mountains themselves it's probably 40/60 split in favor of Arkansas, which has the highest point in the range. 

[hbelkins]

If you want an entire state that's boring, it's got to be Iowa.

I take it you've never been to the northeastern corner of Iowa. US 52 from Dubuque to the Minnesota state line is a neat drive.

[Max Rockatansky]

If you want an entire state that's boring, it's got to be Iowa.

I take it you've never been to the northeastern corner of Iowa. US 52 from Dubuque to the Minnesota state line is a neat drive.

Iowa has a lot of weird stuff like Snake Alley which compares to things like Lombard Street.

[kphoger]

I must admit that very little of what I've seen in Iowa could be described as scenic.  But I've never been northeast of AotS.

[ozarkman417]

Most: Arkansas (NW half).

Least: Arkansas (SE half).

I kind of thought US 65 was an interesting Highway if not kind of scenic.  Lake Chicot even has an overlook at the state visitor center.

Definitely North of Conway, all the way to MO. I can't speak for the part along the Mississippi, as I haven't been to any part of Arkansas southeast of US 67.

[ozarkman417]

The best scenic drives in the Ozarks are mostly confined to Arkansas (like the Pig Trail Byway or the Scenic 7 Byway), though there are a few notable routes in southern Missouri such as the Glade Top Trail Byway, US 160 west of MO 125, and Route 86 dropping in to the White River valley. Further east, there are some roads near the Ozark National Scenic Riverways including MO 19 and 106 are located on ridgetops and have a couple of scenic pullouts. Outside of the Ozarks there is Route 79 near some of the Northeast MO Mississippi bluffs. MO has a fair share of scenic roads, but is outdone by at least half of the other states.

[kphoger]

The best scenic drives in the Ozarks are mostly confined to Arkansas (like the Pig Trail Byway or the Scenic 7 Byway), though there are a few notable routes in southern Missouri such as the Glade Top Trail Byway, US 160 west of MO 125, and Route 86 dropping in to the White River valley. Further east, there are some roads near the Ozark National Scenic Riverways including MO 19 and 106 are located on ridgetops and have a couple of scenic pullouts. Outside of the Ozarks there is Route 79 near some of the Northeast MO Mississippi bluffs. MO has a fair share of scenic roads, but is outdone by at least half of the other states.

This was a fantastic drive when my wife and I drove it three years ago.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

In Minnesota it's pretty much "east of the Mississippi, west of the Mississippi" - plenty to see along it and east of it, nothing to see west of it.

[webny99]

If you want an entire state that's boring, it's got to be Iowa.

I take it you've never been to the northeastern corner of Iowa. US 52 from Dubuque to the Minnesota state line is a neat drive.

I haven't, but it would take a lot to make up for the rest of the state. That is to say, the northeastern corner could be very scenic and Iowa could still be the least scenic state - the two aren't mutually exclusive.