Best/most scenic road in your state?

[frankenroad]

The obvious choice in Maryland would be I-68 (Sideling Hill, anyone?), but curious if any of the other Maryland forumers have different roads in mind.

As a former Marylander, I would agree, but add old US-40 (now MD-144) up and over Sideling Hill as a close second.  I'm old enough to have driven that way before US-48/I-68 was built through there.

[The Nature Boy]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

[SectorZ]

Is CT-169 worth its national scenic byway designation, or is it overrated?

I don't know if it's worth the designation, but it is quite scenic.

[webny99]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

I don't see why not; that's certainly the road I'd nominate based on my travels in Virginia.

[Roadgeekteen]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

[TheGrassGuy]

The obvious choice in Maryland would be I-68 (Sideling Hill, anyone?), but curious if any of the other Maryland forumers have different roads in mind.

As a former Marylander, I would agree, but add old US-40 (now MD-144) up and over Sideling Hill as a close second.  I'm old enough to have driven that way before US-48/I-68 was built through there.

Back in your day, was it actually US-40?

[Dirt Roads]

The obvious choice in Maryland would be I-68 (Sideling Hill, anyone?), but curious if any of the other Maryland forumers have different roads in mind.

As a former Marylander, I would agree, but add old US-40 (now MD-144) up and over Sideling Hill as a close second.  I'm old enough to have driven that way before US-48/I-68 was built through there.

Back in your day, was it actually US-40?

Isn't this the section that is bannered as Scenic US-40 rather than MD-144?

The geo-synclines exposed at Sideling Hill Cut still amaze me.  There are some places south of there that the geo-synclines are so exaggerated that geologists find the same strata folded over several times (with the same natural gas-bearing sands showing up at least three times in deep core samples).  When I was a young roadgeek, I drew a C-size sketch of the brand new Sideling Hill Cut looking north and superimposed a fictitious Interstate shield for I-68 and posted it in my office.  Was completely caught off guard when it came true.  I still have it somewhere.   

[TheGrassGuy]

WI-35

Am currently doing a big GSV tour of this highway N-S. At first I was bored, thinking "gosh, what's so special about this old route?" That is, until I reached the area east of Prescott, which has simply incredible autumn fall foliage pics from November 2016, and was like "Holy moly ". My favorite part so far is the big Mississippi River vista just east of the town.

EDIT: There's another one right on the Prescott-Hager City border, this time with more buildings

EDIT 2: Alma's a very quirky and scenic small town

[TheHighwayMan3561]

CO: US 550
IA: IA 76
MI: M-26
NE: N-71

[US 89]

Easy. Utah 12.

[cl94]

New York...really a ton of options here. I'm not going to decide, because there is no single road that sticks out as superior.

- NY 74 is probably the best drive in the Adirondacks
- NY 30 might be the best (almost) border to border drive. Both the Adirondacks and Catskills, as well as farmland near the middle of the state.
- NY 23A, mainly because of Kaaterskill Clove
- NY 28 gets the best of the Catskills and western Adirondacks
- NY 9D (east side of Hudson River from Wappinger to the Bear Mountain Bridge)
- NY 218 (west side of the Hudson in the same area as 9D)
- NY 97 (Hawks Nest Highway)
- Best freeway/expressway is one of the Northway (I-87) or the Taconic State Parkway.

[Roadgeekteen]

New York...really a ton of options here. I'm not going to decide, because there is no single road that sticks out as superior.

- NY 74 is probably the best drive in the Adirondacks
- NY 30 might be the best (almost) border to border drive. Both the Adirondacks and Catskills, as well as farmland near the middle of the state.
- NY 23A, mainly because of Kaaterskill Clove
- NY 28 gets the best of the Catskills and western Adirondacks
- NY 9D (east side of Hudson River from Wappinger to the Bear Mountain Bridge)
- NY 218 (west side of the Hudson in the same area as 9D)
- NY 97 (Hawks Nest Highway)
- Best freeway/expressway is one of the Northway (I-87) or the Taconic State Parkway.

What about downstate?

[TheGrassGuy]

New York...really a ton of options here. I'm not going to decide, because there is no single road that sticks out as superior.

- NY 74 is probably the best drive in the Adirondacks
- NY 30 might be the best (almost) border to border drive. Both the Adirondacks and Catskills, as well as farmland near the middle of the state.
- NY 23A, mainly because of Kaaterskill Clove
- NY 28 gets the best of the Catskills and western Adirondacks
- NY 9D (east side of Hudson River from Wappinger to the Bear Mountain Bridge)
- NY 218 (west side of the Hudson in the same area as 9D)
- NY 97 (Hawks Nest Highway)
- Best freeway/expressway is one of the Northway (I-87) or the Taconic State Parkway.

What about downstate?

- NY 9D (east side of Hudson River from Wappinger to the Bear Mountain Bridge)
- NY 218 (west side of the Hudson in the same area as 9D)
- NY 97 (Hawks Nest Highway)

[The Nature Boy]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

It functions more as a park that you can drive through than an actual road. It's not constructed in a way to be the quickest way to get to anything or even to be functional for daily travel. I wasn't sure if it fit under the park or road category.

[thspfc]

If I'm understanding it correctly, this is this different from the Most Consistently Scenic State Highway in Your State thread because it allows for partial highway segments.  Right?

Death, taxes, and kphoger being the first to attempt to kill a thread over its resembelance to a past thread

[Roadgeekteen]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

It functions more as a park that you can drive through than an actual road. It's not constructed in a way to be the quickest way to get to anything or even to be functional for daily travel. I wasn't sure if it fit under the park or road category.

Um cars drive on it. It's a road that also functions as a park.

[oscar]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

Would having so much of the Parkway in North Carolina be a disqualifier? I don't see anything wrong with the Parkway being "most scenic" in both Virginia and North Carolina.

[Roadgeekteen]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

Would having so much of the Parkway in North Carolina be a disqualifier? I don't see anything wrong with the Parkway being "most scenic" in both Virginia and North Carolina.

He didn't say anything about North Carolina. He said that it doesn't function as a road.

[The Nature Boy]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

Would having so much of the Parkway in North Carolina be a disqualifier? I don't see anything wrong with the Parkway being "most scenic" in both Virginia and North Carolina.

I would agree with the Blue Ridge Parkway being the most scenic in both NC and VA. Skyline Drive, which is basically a northern extension of the Blue Ridge Parkway that the NPS charges you to drive on, is a close second.

There are some back roads in western Loudoun County that I would also put in this discussion. A lot of great rolling hills and farmland out there.

[Max Rockatansky]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway count for Virginia?

Why wouldn't it count it's a road in Virginia?

Would having so much of the Parkway in North Carolina be a disqualifier? I don't see anything wrong with the Parkway being "most scenic" in both Virginia and North Carolina.

I would agree with the Blue Ridge Parkway being the most scenic in both NC and VA. Skyline Drive, which is basically a northern extension of the Blue Ridge Parkway that the NPS charges you to drive on, is a close second.

There are some back roads in western Loudoun County that I would also put in this discussion. A lot of great rolling hills and farmland out there.

NC 12, NC 28, Newfound Gap Road, and US 129 are all way up there for North Carolina. 

[Dirt Roads]

There are some back roads in western Loudoun County that I would also put in this discussion. A lot of great rolling hills and farmland out there.

Indeed.  I'm particularly fond of a shortcut from Bluemont to the south.  Snickersville Turnpike down to Mosby's Crossroads, then St. Louis Road down to -well- actually St. Louis (just west of Middleburg).  From Middleburg south, perhaps a better scenic route is The Plains Road/Halfway Road to -well- The Plains.

To the north, Mountain Road/Irish Corner Road from Hillsboro to Lovettsville has perhaps the best running view along the base of the Blue Ridge front.  The elevation differential between the Loudoun Valley and the eastern tip of West Virginia is not spectacular, but the quaint farmland beneath the mountainside is very scenic.

If dirt roads are your thing, Old Waterford Road heading west out of Leesburg is the best ride in the county.  You'll find pavement before you hit Waterford, then take Milltown Road to go west from Waterford.  There used to be an ancient truss bridge crossing of Catoctin Creek west of Waterford (perhaps on Ash George Road).  I liked that route west, crossing VA-287 (Berlin Turnpike) and it turns into Morrisville Road, which runs past the Experimental Glider Port.  That will take you over to Mountain Road.  Amazingly, I used to be able to hike much of this.

[mgk920]

For me, in Wisconsin, It would be one of several

- US 10 in Waupaca County
- US 151 between Madison and the Iowa state line
- NB I-794
- WI 23 through the Kettle Moraine area between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan
- WI 55 near US 151
- I-94 between US 10 and Eau Claire

Mike

[mgk920]

New York...really a ton of options here. I'm not going to decide, because there is no single road that sticks out as superior.

- NY 74 is probably the best drive in the Adirondacks
- NY 30 might be the best (almost) border to border drive. Both the Adirondacks and Catskills, as well as farmland near the middle of the state.
- NY 23A, mainly because of Kaaterskill Clove
- NY 28 gets the best of the Catskills and western Adirondacks
- NY 9D (east side of Hudson River from Wappinger to the Bear Mountain Bridge)
- NY 218 (west side of the Hudson in the same area as 9D)
- NY 97 (Hawks Nest Highway)
- Best freeway/expressway is one of the Northway (I-87) or the Taconic State Parkway.

What about downstate?

- NY 9D (east side of Hudson River from Wappinger to the Bear Mountain Bridge)
- NY 218 (west side of the Hudson in the same area as 9D)
- NY 97 (Hawks Nest Highway)

You've got to include long sections of I-86 (Southern Tier Expressway) and I-88 (especially SW bound).  Also NY 13.



Mike

[Caps81943]

I know Skyline Drive and the BRP have been discussed, but even if we go strictly with non-tourist routes, I-81's Virginia stretch is one of the most gorgeous interstates I've ever been on.

Diluted by truck after truck after truck? Sure. But essentially from Roanoke to Winchester, you are traveling through the heart of the Shenandoah valley, with wide open expanses leading up to the beautiful Appalachian Mountains on either side of the highway.

There used to be an ancient truss bridge crossing of Catoctin Creek west of Waterford (perhaps on Ash George Road). 

Do you mean Featherbed Lane? If so, according to Google, the bridge is still there (now called the Lewis Bridge)

[TheGrassGuy]

Old Mine Rd vs. Skyline Dr vs. Route 29 in NJ??