Top 10 American Road Trips – Bucket List

Have you ever wondered what the ultimate cross-country road trip would be? Well get a cold drink and have a seat because we’re going to look at the top 10 American road trips. If you don’t have at least some of these on your bucket list I suggest you remedy that right away.

1. Route 66

The most iconic of all American highways was Route 66, which opened in 1926. It remained enormously popular all the way up until the establishment of the Interstate Highway System in 1956. If you have seen the Pixar movie Cars you might remember that the little town of Radiator Springs, a once popular place, had become neglected and forgotten after being bypassed by a big interstate. In real life this is a lot like what happened to Route 66 and the little towns along its path. The creation of highways meant more and more parts of “The Mother Road” became torn up or bypassed altogether. Finally, in 1985 it was decommissioned all together.

While it’s no longer possible to drive most of the original historic route 66 (much of it is unpaved and/or impassable all together) it is possible to follow the path using the adjacent highways. It begins in Chicago and goes through eight states (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California) before finally ending at the Santa Monica Pier for a total of 2,500 miles. And lest you think it’s filled with a bunch of deserted ghost towns, let me assure you it’s not. Each of the eight states has their own Route 66 preservation system which means the whole route is filled with historical markers, quirky roadside attractions and much more.

For more information on Route 66 visit the Historic Route 66 website.

2. Blue Ridge Parkway

The popular Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina (or vice versa). People enjoy it because it provides some of the most awe-inspiring mountain views of any road in the United States. This isn’t a route to take if you are crunched for time. You want to savor this one as much as you can because it is stunning to say the least.

Construction on the Blue Ridge Parkway began in 1935, under the direction of President Franklin D Roosevelt, but wasn’t fully completed until 1987. The best times to visit this national treasure are from May to September as that is when the weather is best and when you are least likely to experience closures. In October parts of it start closing for winter and don’t start opening again until March (but it is not fully opened until May).

For more information on the Blue Ridge Parkway visit the Virtual Blue Ridge website.

3. I-35 Texas to Minnesota

Having grown up in Texas, I-35 has long been a regular part of my life. It begins way down in South Texas in the city of Laredo, located only about four miles from the border of Mexico. It goes right up the center of the state, crossing through San Antonio, Austin and Waco. It splits in two as it approaches the Dallas-Fort Worth area (I-35 W goes through Fort Worth and I-35 E goes through Dallas) before joining again around Denton. It continues up through Oklahoma, passing through Oklahoma City, and then into Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and finally ending in Duluth, Minnesota (about 140 miles from Canada).

If you ever wanted to see the Heart of America, this is certainly a good way to do that. Personally I’ve only seen it (so far) from San Antonio and into part of Kansas, but I wouldn’t mind traveling the entire route someday. It goes through some big cities with popular attractions but you can also experience the charms of a lot of small towns along the way. It is quite a diverse stretch of highway to be sure. The entire highway is 1,568 miles. 542.1 miles of that is in Texas (if you count the DFW split), 236 miles goes through Oklahoma, 235.5 through Kansas, 114.7 through Missouri, 219.2 in Iowa and 220.5 in Minnesota.

4. Pacific Coast Highway

This iconic highway stretches along the coastlines of Washington, Oregon and California for 1,650 miles. It begins near Seattle and ends in San Diego. Almost all the things to love about the west coast are on this route (except Disneyland). If you want breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Wine Country, historical sites, charming small towns yet big city attractions too, here you go. There is a lot of everything here.

This is another one you could rush through, but probably shouldn’t. The typical recommendation to get the full experience is 5-10 days. If you are a nervous driver, or will be traveling with a nervous driver, you might want to skip this one. Some roads are narrow and curvy and don’t have guard rails. Other parts are prone to mud slides certain times of the year. Things like that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But if you can get past those issues this is one of the most scenic drives in the entire United States.

5. Gulf Coast

This is a perfect trip to take in December or January, when the rest of the country is freezing its collective butt off. Not only that but the regular tourist season is over, meaning fewer crowds and more enjoyment. Also known as the third coast, this is the most southern point of the contiguous United States, hugging the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida.

Here are some good spots to consider when planning your route. It’s a little over 1,000 miles if you do the entire route. Of course, you could keep going all the way down towards the west coast of Florida if you wanted to.

• South Padre Island, TX
• Galveston, TX
• Lake Charles, LA
• Lafayette, LA
• New Orleans, LA
• Gulfport, MS
• Mobile, AL
• Pensacola, FL
• Panama City, FL

6. U.S. Route 1

This is the East Coast’s answer to number four. This historical road stretches over 2,300 miles along the East Coast of the United States. It begins (or ends) in Key West, Florida and extends all the way up to Fort Kent, Maine. That’s as far as you can go without ending up in either Canada or the ocean. This is a good way to see some very diverse parts of this big country of ours.

Here is the list of states that U.S. Route 1 go through. Most people just do portions of it but if you are feeling really ambitious (and have enough time on your hands) it could be a lot of fun to drive it in its entirety!

• Florida
• Georgia
• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Virginia
• Maryland
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• New York
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Maine

7. The Oregon Trail

Around 180 years ago large groups of pioneers set out west along the Oregon Trail to start a new life. As they hitched up their horse drawn wagons, not knowing what waited for them in the wide open frontier, I’m pretty sure none of them were thinking “road trip!”. But we can say just that as we follow the modern day Oregon Trail that stretches from Missouri to (of course) Oregon. Experience history while still enjoying all the modern conveniences of hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and paved roads. And it all comes dysentery free.

The Oregon Trail starts off in Independence, Missouri and goes through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and ends in Oregon City, Oregon. This is different from other road trips on this list because this isn’t just a stretch of one particular highway. This route mirrors, as closely as possible, the original Oregon Trail. For help on planning an Oregon Trail road trip visit the official site of the Oregon National Historic Trail. There you will find maps and driving directions to cover the entire 2,000 route.

8. The Appalachian Trail

Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a huge deal that people spend months preparing for. That’s really cool for people who can pull that off. Personally, I would probably pass out somewhere in North Carolina so I think it’s better if I just stick to the driving route instead.

The Appalachian driving route closely parallels the pedestrian trail. It starts in south Georgia and goes up through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and ends in Northern Maine. For more information and help planning your trip go to Visit Appalachia.com

9. The Great Northern

This is a very ambitious 3,600 mile road trip, but definitely possible if you have plenty of time on your hands. It starts in Washington and goes through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ottawa Canada, Montreal Canada, New Hampshire and ends in Maine. Of course if you wanted to bypass Canada you could certainly do that but it will take you a lot longer.

10. Arkansas National Scenic 7 Byway

If you have never been to Arkansas you might not realize how beautiful it is. This is a great way to see some really spectacular scenery and it doesn’t take major planning to do since the whole route is less than 300 miles. This would be great for a weekend getaway.

It begins on Highway 7 at the Arkansas/Louisiana border near Lockhart, LA. It continues going north through Arkansas by El Dorado, Arkadelphia, Hot Springs, and a lot of small towns along the way. It ends in Harrison, near the Arkansas/Missouri border.

Are you planning to take any of this road trips? Do you have any favorite road trip routes that weren’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments below.