Travel

25 essential drives for a U.S. road trip

From foodie meccas to otherworldly sites and historic treasures, these journeys will get your motor running.

BADLANDS LOOP STATE SCENIC BYWAY, SOUTH DAKOTA

This 39-mile ride through Badlands National Park in South Dakota transports travelers to an out-of-this-world landscape of twisted canyons, striped rock walls, native grasslands, and fantastic spires.

Photograph by Stephen St. John, Nat Geo Image Collection

ByMaryellen Kennedy Duckett

Published May 23, 2023

• 13 min read

Nothing beats the thrill of piling into a car and hitting the open road, whether it’s an hours-long jaunt or an epic weeklong adventure. But where to go?

These compelling U.S. drives will enhance any road trip across the lower 48 states. From the best highways for foodies to scenic landscapes and the nation’s most historic roads, a dream drive awaits. Here are 25 of our favorites.

TRAIL OF THE ANCIENTS SCENIC BYWAY, NEW MEXICO

Not to be confused with the national byway of the same name, this nearly 600-mile trail celebrates New Mexico’s Native American heritage as it weaves through Navajo Nation and Zuni land. Short on time? Go directly to Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates its earliest occupation to A.D. 850.

Photogrpah by Michael Melford, Nat Geo Image Collection