Top 10 most scenic drives

[T-Minus]

Best thread yet - bookmarked. Being recently retired, my goal is to drive most of these - thanks for sharing. My personal favorites have already been posted (Tetons 191, Million Dollar Highway, Yosemite Tunnel, Going to the Sun, 17-Mile Drive, etc.), but I’ve found a lot of new places to explore.

 

[harllee]

Blue Ridge Parkway in the North Carolina and Virginia mountains is a beautiful drive

 

[Freedom56]

Here's a list of the most scenic drives we have taken in no particular order but the one's in Switzerland, Italy, and Southern France are nothing short of stunning.

1- PCH from Monterrey California to San Luis Obispo
2- US 101 from Ventura California to Santa Barbara
3- Vancouver BC to Whistler BC - Sea to Sky highway
4- Zion National Park after gate entry
5- Waimea Canyon Drive Kauai
6- Hana Highway, Haleakala Highway, Maui
7- Farrington Highway Oahu
9- Old Onomea Route, big Island
10 - Marathon to Big Pine Key, Florida
11 - Palm Beach to Ocean Ridge Florida on A1A
12 - SS1 from Genoa Italy to Monaco, Nice France
13- Florence to Siena Italy
14 - Ancona to Rimini Italy on SS16
15 - SP 114 from mount summit of Mount Vesuvio down to Naples Italy
16 - SS163 on the Amalfi Coast Italy
17 - Simplon Pass Switzerland to Stresa Italy
18 - E9 from Lausanne to Montreux Switzerland
19 - Great St. Bernard Pass Aosta Italy to Martigny France
20 - Furka Pass Gletsch to Andermatt Switzerland
21 - St. Gotthard Pass Road, between Andermatt and Biasca Switzerland
22 - Bernina Pass St. Moritz in the Engadine Valley Switzerland

 

[Bamaman]

Don't forget "Tail of the Dragon".

With 318 curves in 11 miles, it's a real gut wrencher of a drive between Maryville, TN and Fontana Dam. Motorcycle clubs and sports car clubs take over the road on weekends. No speed limits are enforced as long as you don't cross the yellow line.

The Cherohala Skyway is a short distance south of The Tail, and it's much more pleasurable of a ride.

 

[Keim]

I forgot one of my absolute FAVORITE drives. West Mountain Road in TINY Anatone, WA (population 30). Views across and into Hells Canyon, the continents deepest canyon. Can see for about 100 miles in a 180 degree view. Looking into the canyon you see about 3000 feet down. Road goes for about 40 miles like that.

Best part? It's on a well maintained gravel road, and VERY few people know about it.

 

[kgtest]

I want to add the North end of Maui from Lahaina all thr way up and over to Kahului. If you do it in reverse order going from Kahului to Lahaina its a hell raiser. PSA though...this drive is not considered scenic in rain...than its considered deadly.

The difference between this and the road to hana... Well on the road to Hana you can actually see the graveyard of cars over the cliffs down in the desert scapes....on that north loop you dont see the cars that have been consumed by lush Jurrassic Park like forrest.

 

[COcheesehead]

Many that I have driven have already been listed, but I will add:

Independence Pass CO - Twin Lakes to Aspen
Duluth to Grand Marais MN along Lake Superior
The river road from Cisco to Moab UT
Hwy 141 Grand Junction to Gateway CO
Brenner Pass Innsbruck Austria to Bolzano Italy

 

[Red Badger]

I-95 South in 1988. Getting the hell out of Massachusetts for the last time.

Sorry Mass - no hard feelings. You stay there, I'll stay here.

 

[jabbahop]

Valley of fire outside of Las Vegas is quite nice.

 

[CardsFan]

Highway 1 from Mendocino to SF.

The most white knuckle trip I have ever made. I wish I could have enjoyed the view, but the thought of driving off the edge into the abyss never left my mind. I pulled over at almost every turn off to allow the "regulars" to pass me me and curse ( I deserved it, but at least I let them pass when i could).

I would love to take it again, with someone else driving.

 

[BoodaGazelle]

Newport

I haven't spent much time out west where many of the above mentioned are.

Probably doesn't compare, but I never pass up an opportunity to experience Ten Mile Drive or what locals call "The Drive."

https://www.newport-discovery-guide.com/ocean-drive.html

There are quite a few wonderful drives all along the New England coastline from Maine down to eastern CT and out on eastern Long Island.

I will second this vote for Ocean Drive in Newport...

 

[gerntz]

The Amalfi Drive has to be one of the best in the world. I have been on several of the others and they were great. I thought CA Hwy 1 from Bodega Bay to the Russian River was spectacular - I did that one by bike.

+1 imo to both.

 

[gerntz]

The not well known Burr Trail Scenic Road east of Boulder, UT (not CO) is spectacular. Forgot all about it. Really out of the way but spectacular red cliffs will narrow canyon. Awe struck. Saying it's UT's most scenic drive is saying a whole lot for those that have been to UT. Ranks up there with the Zion entrance imo.

https://rootsrated.com/stories/utahs-most-scenic-drive-the-burr-trail-road

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I did a little editing work last summer on a magazine dedicated to scenic drives. The one That stood out for me (on a strictly vicarious basis) was the Hell's Canyon Scenic Byway in eastern Oregon. Has anyone been on that loop?

 

[kgtest]

Another one... The Westland National Park from Fox.Glacier down to Glenorchy and through to Queenstown New Zealand. This is definitely top 10

 

[Keim]

I did a little editing work last summer on a magazine dedicated to scenic drives. The one That stood out for me (on a strictly vicarious basis) was the Hell's Canyon Scenic Byway in eastern Oregon. Has anyone been on that loop?

My cabin is about an hour north of Joseph. Beautiful area for sure.

 

[pb4uski]

Route 108 from Stowe to Cambridge, VT... especially during peak foliage.... really cool road.... Route 17 from Waitsfield to Middlebury, VT is a close second.

108 is so curvy and steep that it is closed in the winter... 17 is not quite so tight curves and is open year-round.

 

[LRDave]

Sky Road in Connemara (Ireland).

 

[audreyh1]

Durango to Ouray is pretty spectacular.

Most of the Oregon coast is just spectacular scenic driving.

The Waimea canyon on Kauai is wonderful.

Many coastal drives in the Hawaiian islands are jaw droppingly beautiful.

Love driving down from Haleakala - amazing views!

Driving up the sky islands in the Chiricahua Mountains.

The approach from the Wind River Range into Grand Teton National Park.

 

[Winemaker]

Cottonwood Canyon Road from northern side of Grand Canyon to Bryce National Park, only if weather good before and during your trip.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Just about anywhere in Iceland once you leave Reykjavík. Reykjavík isn’t bad either.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have driven quite a few of the roads mentioned earlier.

To the above, I have to add many roads in Alaska. Too many to recall here, but the two I liked the best are the roads to Valdez, and to Skagway.

 

[MRG]

There's someplace outside of Capetown that is awesome. I don't recall where exactly, it was my first time driving on the left side of the road. I was too busy screaming in terror to remember where.

 

[timo2]

In Colorado, Hwy 141 from Grand Junction to Naturita. https://www.motorcycleroads.org/2016/03/21/colorado-hwy-141-canyon-ride/

 

[fvfire]

Mount Evans scenic byway, the highest paved road in North America.