When I was a lot younger, I didn’t see what the big deal was about convertibles. They were cool, sure, but they didn’t seem to be worth the extra money. Then, one night, I hit a patch of black ice and totaled my hard-top Mustang GT. With the insurance money, I was able to pay cash for an older used Mustang GT, and I never regretted it. There’s nothing like cruising with the top down on a sunny day, and you see so much more!
If you don’t own a convertible, you can probably rent one when you go on a trip. That’s what my wife and I did on our honeymoon, a one-month tour of the American West. It cost us quite a bit more, but it was money well spent.
Here are 20 incredible road trips worth putting the top down for!
Olympic Peninsula: Washington
The main attraction here is Olympic National Park, where you can see snow-covered mountains, lakes, rain forests, and rugged coastline. However, don’t miss out on the scenic spur to Cape Flattery. Then, continue down the Washington coast to the next trip on this list.
Oregon Coast to Redwood National Park: Oregon and California
Oregon’s coast is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Listing all the places worth stopping for would take a really long time. Two that I absolutely wouldn’t miss, though, are Cannon Beach and the Oregon Dunes. Finally, end your trip, or this part of it, at Redwood National Park, where you’ll see both beautiful coastlines and the world’s tallest trees.
California Coast
After Redwood, U.S. 101 leaves the coast. At Leggett, CA 1 takes off and returns to the coast, beginning one of the world’s best drives. If you don’t have time for the entire coast, try to do the stretch from Monterey to Morro Bay; it takes you through Big Sur, the most incredible section of the entire Pacific coast. A road trip down the coastlines of the three states there is an epic one you’ll never forget.
Cascade Volcanoes: California, Oregon, and Washington
Exactly what course you want to take is up to you and part of the fun. This tour should include Lassen Volcanic National Park and Mt. Shasta in California. In Oregon, make sure to visit Crater Lake National Park and pass by Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. Across the border in Washington, winding back roads will get you to some great views of Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Baker. After that, go to Mount Rainier National Park. Finally, head up to the North Cascades and take the Mt. Baker Scenic Byway for great views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. The latter isn’t a volcano, but it’s one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
California Desert
The gems of the California desert are Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Spring is the best time for this trip, but in the summer, you could start nice and early and get through Death Valley before it gets too hot. That’ll land you in Lone Pine, the start of the next trip.
Lone Pine to Yosemite Valley: California
Lone Pine sits in the shadow of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the Lower 48. Drive north along U.S. 395 to Lee Vining. Consider spending a night each in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes to enjoy the beautiful Sierra Nevada scenery they provide gateways to. From Lee Vining, head west to the Tioga Pass entrance of Yosemite National Park. I strongly recommend spending a day or two exploring the fabulous high country of the Tuolumne Meadows area. When you’re ready, make the long, winding drive down into legendary Yosemite Valley.
Color Country: Arizona and Utah
Southern Utah and northern Arizona are known as “Color Country” because of all the beautiful, multi-hued sandstone and other formations. There are five national parks in southern Utah and one in northern Arizona. If it’s summer, here’s an unforgettable trip: do the Utah parks from west to east (Zion to Arches), then head south through epic Monument Valley, and finally drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is only open in the summer. In other seasons, you can do the South Rim of the Grand Canyon instead, but be warned that it’s always mobbed there.
Estes Park to Glenwood Springs: Colorado
From Estes Park, drive Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. This is one of America’s most scenic drives, and a long stretch of it runs above timberline through an expanse of alpine tundra. On the other side, drive to Kremmling. Shortly south of there, pick up the Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway, which follows the river to I-70. Then, follow the river through impressive Glenwood Canyon to the resort town of Glenwood Springs.
San Juan Skyway: Colorado
This route makes a triangular journey connecting the towns of Ridgway, Durango, and Cortez. Highlights include high mountain passes, beautiful wildflower displays, old mining ruins, and Mesa Verde National Park. You can do the whole thing in a single day, but it’s better to allot at least one day for each leg of the trip.
Greater Yellowstone: Wyoming and Montana
The possibilities for itineraries in this region are virtually endless. I’ll describe one I love. It starts in Red Lodge, Montana, where the Beartooth Highway starts outside town and takes you to Cooke City, also in Montana. Much of this highway goes through Wyoming, and you’ll have incredible mountain scenery the whole way. Enter Yellowstone via its northeastern entrance, drive to Mammoth Hot Springs, and then drive the western side of the park until you exit at the south entrance.
Soon, you’ll be in Grand Teton National Park. Now, make a loop incorporating Jackson, Pinedale, South Pass, Lander, and Dubious. Go back to Yellowstone’s south entrance and tour the eastern side of the park this time. You can return to Red Lodge the way you came or go via the eastern entrance and Cody.
Glacier National Park: Montana
Going-to-the-Sun Road gets my vote for the most spectacular drive in the country. Although it can be slow, you can still drive the whole thing in two to three hours, so it’s more of an outing than a road trip. To get more from it, spend a day on GTTSR starting from the east side and staying in West Glacier. The next day, take U.S. 2, which marks the park’s southern boundary. Stay in East Glacier. After that, do some hiking in the Two Medicine area and continue back to the eastern entrance, but this time, keep going and enter the Many Glacier area, where you can spend a few days hiking some of the park’s best trails. Honestly, I’d say Iceberg Lake and Grinnell Glacier are among the very best hikes in the entire country.
Dakota Delights: North Dakota and South Dakota
Much of the Dakotas is grassland and farmland, but in the western parts of each state, that’s not so. Spend a day touring the colorful badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and looking for bison and wild horses. Next, drive south into South Dakota’s Black Hills. You can spend several days here visiting historic sites such as Deadwood, monuments like Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, and national and state parks.
After that, drive through Rapid City and then beyond to Badlands National Park. If you take guilty pleasure in tourist traps, there’s Wall Drug right outside the park.
Texas National Parks: Guadalupe Mountains to Big Bend
Actually, you should start this tour just across the New Mexico line at Carlsbad Caverns. Then you’ll drive past the Guadalupes, Texas’s highest mountains. It’s a hiker’s park, but a U.S. highway parallels the mountains, and you can see most of the major peaks. After that, it’s a long drive south to Big Bend, and you might want to break it up with a night in Van Horn or the quieter, quaint town of Alpine, my favorite Texas town. Big Bend can keep you busy for days with its mountains, canyons, and desert-scapes.
Texas Hill Country
The famous Hill Country is roughly between Austin and San Antonio and extends some 100 miles west of I-35. You can plot your own course here since there’s so much to see and do. Having lived here for 8 years now and having a preference for Mother Nature, I recommend Enchanted Rock, Milton Reimers Ranch Park, the Willow City Loop (best spring wildflower displays in the state), and Pedernales Falls State Park just for starters.
If you prefer something more civilized, try San Marcos, Wimberley, Fredericksburg, and the many wineries around that last town. Late March into April is the best time because that’s when roadsides and meadows explode with the blooms of the state flower, the Texas bluebonnet.
Lake Superior: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota
Here’s another choose-your-own-adventure trip. I think you’ll love crossing the Straits of Mackinac, separating Lake Michigan from Lake Huron, onto Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Then it’s all about Lake Superior. Head north to Tahquamenon Falls State Park and Whitefish Point. Then, head west into Wisconsin and eventually to Duluth in Minnesota. There are so many state parks to stop by along the way, and don’t miss the two national lakeshores: Pictured Rocks and Apostle Islands. From Duluth, head north along the Superior coast to the Canadian border through the spectacular North Shore region.
White Mountains to Baxter State Park: New Hampshire and Michigan
Spend a day or two in beautiful Franconia Notch State Park (NH). Take the lovely Kancamagus Highway east to the Mt. Washington area. Next, make your way to Baxter State Park in Maine. No roads go there directly, and it’s mountainous terrain, so just enjoy the casual trip. Baxter is the location of Mt. Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine and the northern terminus of the legendary Appalachian Trail. A number of different routes get you to the summit of this above-timberline peak.
Best of West Virginia: New River Gorge, Seneca Rocks, and Blackwater Falls
The Mountain State isn’t that big, but it doesn’t have too many straight, flat roads, so you have to take your time getting places. That’s a good thing since it’s such a pretty state. New River Gorge National Park has beautiful spring wildflowers and stunning fall colors. It also has some of the best whitewater rafting in the country. Seneca Rocks consist of two narrow fins of bullet-hard sandstone; you can hike to the northern summit, but the southern one is attainable only by technical rock climbing. Blackwater Falls is one of the best in the East, and the park has cabins and a campground.
Shenandoah to the Smokies: Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee
I can’t say this with 100% certainty, but I’m pretty sure that the trip from the northern entrance of Shenandoah to the Gatlinburg side of the Smokies is the longest run of paved road in the U.S. without a single stoplight. Skyline Drive in Shenandoah is 140 miles, the Blue Ridge Parkway that connects it to the Smokies is 470 miles, and the main road through the Smokies is some 40-50 miles. There are so many great stops and hikes along the way that you can easily take two weeks for this road trip.
Outer Banks to Savannah: North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
Once you get out of busy Nags Head, Route 12 enters Cape Hatteras National Seashore and has a wild feel along much of it. From the southern end of Hatteras Island, take a ferry across to Ocracoke Island, which is even more undeveloped. The ferry ride from there to the mainland at Swanquarter is a long one, but once it’s over, you can drive south to experience the history and charm of Charleston.
Then it’s a pretty short drive down to Savannah, another beautiful Southern city. Savannah has a strong Irish heritage to it, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade there is reportedly second in size only to that in New York City; they also dye the Savannah River green for the holiday.
12 Cool Facts About the U.S. Highway System
The open road has stories to tell. The Interstate Highway System, the iconic blue signs, and the crucial Highway Trust Fund come into focus in this article, showcasing the interconnected web that binds the nation. Join us on this road trip through time, where Ladybird Johnson’s vision for highway beauty meets the milestones and stories etched into the asphalt of the U.S. highway system.
12 Cool Facts About the U.S. Highway System
Best Gas Stations in America Worth Stopping For
Gas stations are typically nothing more than mere pit stops during long journeys, serving the functional purpose of refueling vehicles. However, there are some exceptional gas stations across America that go beyond the ordinary, offering unique experiences and amenities that make them destinations in their own right!
Featured Image Credit: Sabrina Bracher/Shutterstock
Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.
