Roads in North America
21 roads found in North America
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Baja Highway 1 (Transpeninsular Highway)
🇲🇽 Mexico
Baja Highway 1, officially the Carretera Transpeninsular, runs 1,711 kilometers from Tijuana at the US-Mexico border to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Completed in 1973, this was the first paved road to traverse the entire length of the peninsula, opening up one of North America's last great frontier landscapes to road trippers. The highway crosses some of the most stark and beautiful desert scenery on the continent, from the wine country of Valle de Guadalupe to the otherworldly boulder fields of the Central Desert, where massive cardon cacti (the world's largest) stand sentinel. Along the way, travelers can detour to the Pacific coast for world-class surfing, visit ancient cave paintings in the Sierra de San Francisco, or stop at the magical lagoons of Guerrero Negro where grey whales calve each winter. The Sea of Cortez side offers pristine beaches and some of the best sport fishing in the world.
Beartooth Highway
🇺🇸 United States
The Beartooth Highway (US Route 212) is a 109-kilometer mountain road connecting Red Lodge, Montana, to Cooke City near Yellowstone National Park's northeast entrance. Climbing to 3,337 meters at Beartooth Pass, it is one of the highest paved roads in the United States. Charles Kuralt famously called it "the most beautiful drive in America." The road ascends through a dramatic landscape of glacially carved valleys, alpine plateaus, and rugged granite peaks. Above the treeline, the scenery opens into vast alpine tundra dotted with wildflowers in summer and snowfields that persist well into July. The highway features 20 major switchbacks and numerous hairpin turns as it climbs nearly 1,500 meters from the valley floor. Wildlife sightings of mountain goats, marmots, and bears are common along the route.
Blue Ridge Parkway
🇺🇸 United States
The Blue Ridge Parkway is America's longest linear park, stretching 755 kilometers through the Appalachian Highlands from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Often called "America's Favorite Drive," the parkway was designed as a scenic leisure road with no commercial vehicles allowed, a 45 mph speed limit, and countless overlooks along its length. The route traverses some of the oldest mountains on Earth, offering sweeping vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains that appear to glow blue from the natural isoprene released by the vast forests. Highlights include the Linn Cove Viaduct, a stunning engineering feat hugging the side of Grandfather Mountain, and the folk music heritage of the Appalachian communities along the way. Fall foliage season transforms the parkway into a kaleidoscope of color that attracts millions of visitors.
Cabot Trail
🇨🇦 Canada
The Cabot Trail is a 298-kilometer loop road in Nova Scotia, Canada, circling the northern tip of Cape Breton Island through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Named after the explorer John Cabot, who is believed to have landed on the island in 1497, the trail passes through some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in eastern North America. The road climbs from sea level to over 450 meters, traversing a landscape of lush boreal forests, dramatic coastal cliffs, and pastoral Acadian and Scottish highland communities. The most dramatic sections of the trail run through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, where the road hugs the cliff edge high above the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. French Mountain and MacKenzie Mountain offer the steepest grades and most sweeping views, with switchbacks climbing to plateaus that offer panoramic vistas of the ocean and the forested highlands. Moose are commonly spotted along the road, particularly at dawn and dusk, and whale watching from the cliffs is excellent from June through September. The trail passes through a patchwork of cultural communities, including Acadian French-speaking villages on the western coast, Scottish Gaelic heritage towns like Englishtown and Baddeck, and Mi'kmaq First Nations communities. Each area offers distinct cuisine, music, and traditions. The fall foliage season, typically mid-October, is considered the finest in eastern Canada, with the highlands blazing in reds, oranges, and golds. The trail is open year-round, though some services close in winter, and the road can be challenging during Nova Scotia's frequent storms.
Copper Canyon Road (Barrancas del Cobre)
🇲🇽 Mexico
The road system through Mexico's Copper Canyon region in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua state offers one of North America's most dramatic driving adventures. The canyon system is actually a network of six interconnected canyons that are collectively deeper and larger than the Grand Canyon. The main driving route from Creel to Batopilas descends over 1,800 meters through a series of tight switchbacks. The Creel-to-Batopilas road is roughly 140 kilometers of winding mountain highway that drops from the cool pine forests of the Sierra Tarahumara at 2,340 meters into the subtropical depths of Batopilas Canyon. The road was only paved in recent years and still features harrowing cliff-edge sections without guardrails. Along the way, drivers pass through indigenous Raramuri (Tarahumara) communities and witness one of the most extreme ecological transitions accessible by road, from alpine conifers to tropical palms in just a few hours.
Dalton Highway
🇺🇸 United States
The Dalton Highway is a 666-kilometer gravel and dirt road running from the Elliott Highway junction north of Fairbanks to Deadhorse near Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope. Built in 1974 as a supply road for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, the highway is one of the most isolated roads in the United States. It crosses the Yukon River, traverses the Brooks Range through Atigun Pass (1,415 m), and crosses the Arctic Circle, passing through terrain that ranges from boreal forest to treeless Arctic tundra. The road is unpaved for most of its length, with a surface of gravel and dirt that becomes treacherous when wet or during freeze-thaw cycles. Services are extremely limited: only three places along the entire 666-kilometer route offer fuel, food, and lodging - at the Yukon River crossing, Coldfoot (population around 10), and Deadhorse. Flat tires from the sharp gravel are common, and travelers are advised to carry at least two full-sized spare tires. The road is shared with massive 18-wheel supply trucks heading to and from the oil fields, which throw up blinding clouds of dust and gravel. Despite its challenges, the Dalton Highway offers unparalleled wilderness experiences. The road passes through some of the last truly wild landscapes in North America, with opportunities to see caribou, grizzly bears, muskoxen, wolves, and Arctic foxes. The midnight sun illuminates the landscape 24 hours a day from June through July, while the northern lights dance across the sky in winter. The highway is open year-round, though winter temperatures can drop below minus 50 degrees Celsius, and white-out conditions from blowing snow can close the road for days at a time.
Extraterrestrial Highway
🇺🇸 United States
Nevada State Route 375, officially designated the Extraterrestrial Highway in 1996, is a 158-kilometer stretch of two-lane road running through the remote desert of south-central Nevada. The road skirts the northern boundary of the Nevada Test and Training Range, which contains the infamous Area 51, and has been a magnet for UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists since the 1950s. The drive traverses a hauntingly empty landscape of wide desert valleys flanked by barren mountain ranges, with virtually no signs of human habitation for the entire route. The tiny town of Rachel (population roughly 50) sits at the midpoint and is home to the Little A'Le'Inn, a UFO-themed bar and motel that serves as the unofficial headquarters for Area 51 tourism. The road offers some of the most isolated driving in the lower 48 states, with vast skies that make it a superb stargazing destination. The military frequently conducts flight operations overhead, adding to the area's mystique.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
🇺🇸 United States
Going-to-the-Sun Road is a 80-kilometer mountain road that bisects Glacier National Park in Montana, crossing the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (2,026 m). Completed in 1932 after eleven years of construction, the road is considered one of the most difficult engineering feats in American highway history and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. It is the only road that crosses the park, threading through some of the most dramatic glacially carved terrain in the Rocky Mountains. The road climbs from the shores of Lake McDonald on the west side through dense cedar-hemlock forests, past tumbling waterfalls, and along narrow ledges carved into near-vertical cliff faces. The Garden Wall section, where the road was cut directly into a sheer cliff, offers heart-stopping views of the valley thousands of feet below. At Logan Pass, alpine meadows explode with wildflowers in July, and mountain goats frequently graze near the visitor center. The eastern descent passes through a more open landscape of glacial lakes and wind-sculpted terrain. Vehicle restrictions apply due to the road's narrow width and tight curves: vehicles over 6.4 meters long or 2.4 meters wide (including mirrors) are prohibited on certain sections. The road is typically open from mid-June to mid-October, with the exact opening date depending on how quickly snowplows can clear the massive snowdrifts that accumulate at higher elevations. A vehicle reservation system has been implemented in recent years to manage the millions of visitors who come to experience what many consider America's most beautiful drive.
Hana Highway
🇺🇸 United States
The Hana Highway on Maui, Hawaii, is one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world. Stretching 84 kilometers along the northeast coast of Maui, this legendary route features 620 curves and 59 bridges, many of them single-lane and dating back to 1910. The road winds through dense tropical rainforest, past cascading waterfalls, plunging sea cliffs, and black sand beaches. Drivers pass through small communities that have changed little over the decades, with roadside stands offering fresh tropical fruit and local delicacies. Key stops include the Garden of Eden Arboretum, Wai'anapanapa State Park with its volcanic black sand beach, and the pools at Ohe'o Gulch in Haleakala National Park. The drive typically takes 2-4 hours one way depending on stops.
Icefields Parkway
🇨🇦 Canada
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) is a 232-kilometer scenic highway running through the heart of the Canadian Rockies between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular mountain drives on the planet, the road parallels the Continental Divide and passes alongside ancient glaciers, turquoise lakes, thundering waterfalls, and towering limestone peaks. The centerpiece of the drive is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains, covering 325 square kilometers. Visitors can walk to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier or take an Ice Explorer bus onto the ice itself. Other highlights include Peyto Lake with its wolf-shaped outline, Mistaya Canyon's carved limestone gorge, and the Weeping Wall where countless waterfalls cascade down a cliff face. Wildlife encounters with bears, elk, mountain goats, and wolves are frequent along this corridor.
Million Dollar Highway
🇺🇸 United States
The Million Dollar Highway is a 40-kilometer section of U.S. Route 550 between Silverton and Ouray in southwestern Colorado, forming part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. The road traverses three mountain passes - Coal Bank Pass (3,145 m), Molas Pass (3,300 m), and Red Mountain Pass (3,358 m) - while carving through the spectacular San Juan Mountains. Several theories explain the name: the gold ore in the gravel used for construction, the million-dollar views, or the commonly heard phrase "I wouldn't drive that road again for a million dollars." The road was originally built in the 1880s during the Colorado silver mining boom and has been improved multiple times since. The most dramatic section runs between Ouray and Red Mountain Pass, where the road clings to the cliff face with sheer drops of hundreds of meters and notably lacks guardrails in many sections. The route passes through a landscape of vivid red, orange, and yellow mineral-stained mountains, abandoned mining structures, and dense alpine forests. In autumn, the aspen trees turn brilliant gold, making this one of the premier fall color drives in North America. Despite its reputation, the road is well-maintained and paved, though it can be treacherous in winter when ice and snow accumulate on the steep grades and tight turns. The town of Ouray, known as the "Switzerland of America," sits at the northern end in a natural amphitheater of mountains, while Silverton, a former mining town at 2,836 meters, retains much of its Victorian-era character. The highway is open year-round but chains or snow tires may be required in winter.
Mount Washington Auto Road
🇺🇸 United States
The Mount Washington Auto Road is a privately owned 12-kilometer toll road climbing to the 1,917-meter summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire's Presidential Range. The summit holds the record for the highest wind speed ever directly measured on the Earth's surface: 372 km/h recorded in April 1934. This extreme weather makes the drive an adventure even on clear summer days. First opened as a carriage road in 1861, it is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the United States. The road climbs an average grade of 12% with a maximum of 22%, gaining over 1,400 meters in elevation. Above the treeline at roughly 1,200 meters, the road becomes exposed and the alpine zone begins, where weather can change in minutes. On clear days, the summit offers views spanning four states, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Needles Highway
🇺🇸 United States
Needles Highway (South Dakota Highway 87) is a 22-kilometer route winding through the Black Hills of South Dakota, famous for its impossibly narrow granite tunnels and towering rock spires called "needles." The road was a visionary project completed in 1922 by South Dakota's first state highway engineer, Scovel Johnson, who wanted to create a scenic route rivaling anything in the national parks. The highway features sharp switchbacks, pigtail bridges (spiral overpasses designed to gain elevation in tight spaces), and tunnels so narrow that larger vehicles cannot pass through. The most famous is the Needles Eye Tunnel, a passage carved through solid granite that is just 2.4 meters wide and 3.7 meters tall. The road threads between the Cathedral Spires, dramatic granite formations that have made this area a world-class rock climbing destination. The route connects to Custer State Park, where free-roaming bison herds number around 1,300.
Overseas Highway
🇺🇸 United States
The Overseas Highway (US Route 1 through the Florida Keys) is a 182-kilometer causeway connecting mainland Florida to Key West across a chain of tropical islands. Built on the remnants of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad, which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935, the highway crosses 42 bridges, including the iconic Seven Mile Bridge spanning open ocean between Marathon and the Lower Keys. Driving the Overseas Highway feels like floating on the water, with the turquoise Atlantic Ocean on one side and the calmer waters of the Florida Bay on the other. The route passes through a series of distinct communities, from the sport fishing capital of Islamorada to the bohemian culture of Key West. Along the way, travelers can stop to snorkel coral reefs, visit the historic Bahia Honda State Park, or spot tiny Key deer on Big Pine Key.
Pacific Coast Highway
🇺🇸 United States
The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), officially California State Route 1, is one of the most famous scenic drives in the world, running approximately 1,055 kilometers along the California coast. The most celebrated section stretches through Big Sur, a 145-kilometer stretch of rugged coastline between Carmel and San Simeon where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. The Bixby Creek Bridge, an elegant concrete arch spanning a deep coastal canyon, has become one of the most photographed bridges in California. The road was first conceived in the 1920s and completed in segments over several decades, with the Big Sur section opening in 1937 after eighteen years of construction using prison labor. The engineering required building along crumbling coastal cliffs and bridging deep canyons in terrain that is in constant geological motion. Landslides periodically close sections of the road, sometimes for months at a time, as the unstable geology of the Big Sur coast continues to shift and erode. Beyond Big Sur, the PCH passes through diverse landscapes and iconic California destinations. Starting from Dana Point in the south, the road winds through the surf towns of Huntington Beach and Malibu, past the sea cliffs of Santa Barbara, through the agricultural lands of the Central Coast, and along the misty redwood forests north of San Francisco. The drive offers countless opportunities to stop at beaches, tidepools, lighthouses, and charming coastal towns. The entire route can be driven in two to three days, but most travelers recommend at least a week to fully appreciate the varied scenery and attractions.
Route 66 Historic Highway
🇺🇸 United States
Route 66, the legendary "Mother Road," originally spanned 3,940 kilometers from Chicago to Santa Monica, crossing eight states and three time zones. While it was officially decommissioned in 1985 when the Interstate Highway System was completed, much of the original road survives as a patchwork of state highways, county roads, and abandoned alignments. Driving the surviving sections is a journey through the heart of American pop culture and roadside history. The route passes through the varied landscapes of the American heartland, from the flat farmlands of Illinois and Oklahoma, through the red mesa country of the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico, to the Mojave Desert of California. Along the way, vintage motels with neon signs, classic diners, quirky roadside attractions, and ghost towns tell the story of America's love affair with the open road. Towns like Amarillo, Tucumcari, Gallup, and Kingman have preserved their Route 66 heritage as living museums of mid-century Americana.
Sea-to-Sky Highway
🇨🇦 Canada
The Sea-to-Sky Highway (Highway 99) stretches 130 kilometers from Vancouver to Whistler along British Columbia's stunning Howe Sound coastline. The route earned its evocative name from the dramatic elevation change as it climbs from sea level along the fjord to the ski resort town of Whistler at 670 meters. Massively upgraded for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the highway transformed from a notoriously dangerous two-lane road into a modern scenic freeway. The drive begins with the dramatic crossing of Howe Sound, North America's southernmost fjord, where mountains plunge directly into the Pacific. Highlights include Shannon Falls (British Columbia's third-highest waterfall at 335 meters), the Sea-to-Sky Gondola with panoramic views of the sound, and the charming heritage town of Squamish, which has become a world-class rock climbing and mountain biking destination. The road continues climbing through old-growth forests before arriving in the resort village of Whistler.
Skyline Drive
🇺🇸 United States
Skyline Drive is a 169-kilometer road running the entire length of Shenandoah National Park along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Built during the Great Depression as a public works project, the road features 75 overlooks offering sweeping views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the rolling Piedmont to the east. The drive connects to over 800 kilometers of hiking trails, including 160 kilometers of the Appalachian Trail which crosses the road at numerous points. The road meanders through dense hardwood forests that explode with color each autumn, and past rocky outcrops where peregrine falcons have been successfully reintroduced. Whitetail deer are so abundant that they are a constant roadside presence, and black bears are regularly spotted in the park's backcountry. At its southern end, Skyline Drive connects directly to the Blue Ridge Parkway, allowing drivers to continue the mountain crest journey into North Carolina.
Tail of the Dragon
🇺🇸 United States
The Tail of the Dragon, officially U.S. Route 129, is an 18-kilometer section of road traversing 318 curves through the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Running from Tabcat Bridge in Tennessee to Fugitive Bridge in North Carolina, this road has no intersections, driveways, or other distractions - just continuous, flowing curves through the Nantahala National Forest. It is widely considered the best motorcycle and sports car road in the eastern United States. The road follows the course of the Little Tennessee River and Cheoah Lake through the Cheoah Mountains, with dense hardwood forests forming a canopy over much of the route. The curves range from gentle sweepers to tight hairpins, with elevation changes that add to the driving challenge. The road sees heavy use by motorcycle groups and sports car clubs, particularly on weekends from spring through fall. A popular photography business at the Deals Gap motorcycle resort captures riders mid-turn, and the images line the walls of the resort's store. Despite its popularity among enthusiasts, the Tail of the Dragon has a serious reputation for accidents, particularly among inexperienced riders who overestimate their abilities. The "Tree of Shame" at Deals Gap displays motorcycle and car parts from crashes on the road. Speed limits are strictly enforced by local law enforcement. The road is open year-round, though winter conditions occasionally bring ice to the higher elevations. Nearby attractions include the Cherohala Skyway, another excellent driving road, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Trail Ridge Road
🇺🇸 United States
Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, reaching 3,713 meters as it crosses the Continental Divide through Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The 77-kilometer route between Estes Park and Grand Lake takes drivers above the treeline for nearly 18 kilometers, traversing alpine tundra that closely resembles Arctic landscapes found thousands of kilometers to the north. The road follows ancient Ute and Arapaho trails used for thousands of years to cross the mountains. Modern travelers experience breathtaking panoramas of snow-capped peaks, pristine alpine lakes, and vast meadows where elk and bighorn sheep graze. At the Alpine Visitor Center near the summit, exhibits explain the fragile tundra ecosystem where plants grow only millimeters per year and harsh winds sculpt trees into twisted krummholz formations.
White Rim Road
🇺🇸 United States
The White Rim Road is a 161-kilometer unpaved loop trail within the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Carved into a broad bench of white sandstone 300 meters below the Island in the Sky mesa top and 300 meters above the Colorado and Green Rivers, this backcountry road offers some of the most dramatic desert scenery accessible by vehicle in the American Southwest. The route traverses a stark landscape of layered red and white sandstone formations, with sheer cliff drop-offs on both sides at various points. Highlights include the Musselman Arch, a natural rock bridge that the road crosses directly, and the dramatic switchbacks of the Shafer Trail and Mineral Bottom Road that access the rim from above. The White Rim is hugely popular with mountain bikers who typically complete the loop in 3-4 days, and with 4x4 enthusiasts who drive it in 2-3 days.