Iconic USA Drives....List Your Favorite

I'd have to agree with the Blue Ridge Parkway, if for no other reason than you're driving on the top of the ridge looking down on the valleys. I've wondered what the first settlers headed west in their wagons thought when they saw what they had to go over.

In an RV, the Burr trail road out of the Village of Boulder, Utah. Thru 'Long Canyon'. Great day trip off Rt.12. Paved the first 20 miles than dirt into Capital reef Nat'l Pk.
OH...1 more ...If u have a relatively high clearance auto or truck 7 the weather has been DRY... THE Shaffer Trail Switchbacks off of Hyway 313 in Canyonlands Nat'l pk Utah. Drive in the bottom of the Canyonlands & connect to Hyway 279 along the Colorado river. Turn left at the Jug Handle Arch and drive the dirt road up 'Long Canyon'(not the same one)& under the famous giant fallen rock to the top and back to
Rt. 313. These are two of THE GREATEST drives in America!

America's national scenic byways -150 byways designated by the U.S. Govt as the most scenic, historic , cultural or archaeologic drives in the nation. Several of the routes listed by other responses to this thread are national scenic byways.

Here is a listing and links to all 150:
Link

Don't like the interstates so we try to drive what used to be the main highways before the interstates. We have done, pieced together almost all of 36, 50, 2 along with the usual scenic roads like the Blue Ridge, Natchez Trace & 101 & 1.

Iron Mountain Road and Needles Hwy in the Black Hills South Dakota(without RV).

If I only had to pick one, here is another vote for the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Be sure to drive it both directions - the views are different.

Still, there are so many more...

Wow, that really got me to thinking about some of the roads I've driven.

Just in Colorado:

US 34/Trail Ridge Rd from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Add to that the Peak to Peak Highway from Estes Park to Black Hawk/Central City and you've got a wonderful drive.

US 285 from Denver to the San Luis Valley, with a branching off in Buena Vista for a trip to Taylor Park and Leadville. About as diverse terrain as you'll find in Colorado, from canyons to mountains to high passes to open parks to high desert.

Million Dollar Highway, speaks for itself. Best done without a trailer or motor home.

Outside of Colorado:

Wyoming 130 from Laramie through Centennial to Saratoga. Wilderness without all the people, some great boondock camping areas. Sugar Loaf CG has breathtaking vistas.

Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Did that way back when I was in my 20s and it's still one of the most memorable drives there is.

In Michigan, MI 26 from Houghton to Copper Harbor and the area around Copper Harbor.

Those are just a few that come to mind.

pawatt wrote:
US Highway 61 from Duluth MN to Thunder Bay Canada. Cliffs, waterfalls & Lake Superior.

+1

Are we limited to paved roads?

I could name dozens of unpaved unsurfaced unmarked forest and BLM roads that are absolutely stunning, and very people ever drive them.

US Highway 12 from Lewiston, ID to Missoula, MT