One of the best things about the American national parks system is its diversity. From endless outdoor recreation opportunities to spectacular landscapes, iconic wildlife, and usually a historical aspect as well, there’s plenty to discover, experience, and enjoy.
What sets certain parks apart from the rest, however, in their own specific way, is that they’re also great for exploration by car. After all, it wouldn’t be America if you could get around in a car, right?
So, in this blog post, I highlight several of the greatest scenic drives in national parks in the U.S.!
17 Most Beautiful Scenic Drives in National Parks of the U.S.
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1. Skyline Drive – Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Running for 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Skyline Drive is the only road through Shenandoah National Park. Four entrance stations offer access to this exceptionally scenic mountain road.
Along the way, you can enjoy spectacular views of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley from more than 70 overlooks. Countless trailheads line the road as well, while several campgrounds and historic lodges provide a place to sleep.
Skyline Drive is an amazing road throughout the entire year, but it’s particularly spectacular in the fall.
2. Going-to-the-Sun Road – Glacier National Park, Montana
Without question one of the most scenic drives in national parks in the U.S., the Going-to-the-Sun Road traverses Glacier National Park between its eastern and western entrances.
Nearly 50 miles long, this road features a bunch of hairpin bends, which render it unsuitable for vehicles longer than 21 feet and wider than 8 feet.
Plenty of facilities make the drive an absolute breeze with smaller vehicles, though. There are three visitor centers, five campgrounds and several overlooks and picnic areas.
In early-summer, when snow and ice melt fuels beautiful waterfalls, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is absolutely amazing. It’s also an awesome place to see wildflowers later in the season, while numerous hiking trails lead to turquoise lakes, moraines and alpine passes.
Additionally, this spectacular mountain road also offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the contiguous United States. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose, marmots, black bears and grizzly bears.
3. Trail Ridge Road – Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
The number one scenic drive in Rocky Mountain National Park and one of the most spectacular scenic drives in national parks anywhere in the United States, Trail Ridge Road connects Estes Park and Grand Lake, Colorado.
The road traverses the breathtaking Rocky Mountains near Denver, climbing several thousands of feet in mere minutes.
Eleven of its total of 48 miles lie above tree level, offering amazingly undisturbed views of the Rockies and the Great Plains. The road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet, which makes it the highest continuously paved road in the United States.
4. Park Loop Road – Acadia National Park, Maine
Starting at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia National Park, the Park Loop Road circles around the park’s main area on Mount Desert Island. It’s only 27 miles long, but absolutely packed with highlights and scenic views.
While you can finish your drive in just an hour, I recommend spending at least two full days exploring this awesome park. Do some hiking in Acadia National Park, bike the historic carriage roads, soak up some summer sun at the beach, or enjoy that famous Acadia fall foliage,…
Don’t miss Sand Beach, Jordan Pond and Otter Cliffs, a beautiful section of typical New England coastline. The star attraction, however, is Cadillac Mountain, the summit of which can be reached via a short side road.
This is the tallest mountain on the North Atlantic seaboard. Its premier feature is that its summit is the first place anywhere in the U.S. where the sun rises in the morning.
5. Teton Park Road – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Twenty miles long, the Teton Park Road runs from Moose Junction, the location of the park’s headquarters, to Jackson Lake Junction.
There are countless attractions along the way, including the Jenny Lake Visitor Center, numerous turnouts and overlooks, and a number of hiking trails.
If you’re looking for those iconic Grand Teton views, this is the road for you. From beautiful lakes to glorious mountain views, from epic sunrises to plenty of wildlife, from American bison and moose to grizzly bears, this road has so much to offer it’s one of the greatest scenic drives in the national parks for wildlife and scenery.
On top of that, besides exploring Grand Teton National Park, you can extend your trip with a visit to nearby Yellowstone as well.
6. Rim Drive – Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
One of the most fun drives in any American national park is the Rim Drive in Crater Lake National Park. This 33-mile road loops around the Crater Lake caldera and is spectacular for both driving and road cycling.
The lake is completely dependent on precipitation as its water source, making it one of the cleanest large bodies of water in the world. Because of the area’s heavy snowfall in winter, the road is usually closed to vehicle traffic from mid-October through late spring.
What makes this drive so awesome is that it offers you stunning views of Crater Lake and its iconic island, a mini-volcano within the caldera, from every possible angle. It essentially links most Crater Lake National Park highlights together.
Nice hiking trails branch out from this road, while overlooks provide great photo ops. Crater Lake Lodge, one of the greatest national park buildings, lies along the road as well, a wonderful place to spend the night.
This is the only “true” national park in Oregon and a phenomenal road trip destination from Portland.
7. Arches Scenic Drive – Arches National Park, Utah
This road doesn’t even have an official name, but is unquestionably one of the most gorgeous scenic drives in national parks. It’s generally referred to simply as the Arches Scenic Drive or the Arches Park Road.
This is the only road through Arches National Park, along with its two spur roads offering access to most of the park’s main attractions.
The scenic drive is only 18 miles long, but it takes you more than a day to see, photograph, enjoy and/or hike to all its highlights, including more than a dozen spectacular arches. It’s hard to miss them, though, considering that the road literally runs past many of them.
My personal favorite spots in Arches include Park Avenue, the Windows and Devils Garden.
When you’ve explored all of Arches Scenic Drive, consider heading over to adjacent Canyonlands National Park, another glorious Utah national park, for more spectacular landscapes.
A great place to base yourself if you want to visit both park is Moab, America’s premier adventure town.
8. Tioga Road – Yosemite National Park, California
Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park is an extension of Route 120 through the park. This wonderful mountain road snakes 47 miles from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass.
It runs along Yosemite’s iconic granite domes, past shimmering lakes, through forests and across Tuolumne Meadows, one of the park’s most beautiful areas.
Because of its relatively high elevation, inclement winter weather causes the road to be closed from approximately late-October through late-May. Note that this is a rather remote drive and that there is no gas available in Tuolumne Meadows.
Food, water and additional services are typically only available during the high season, which is roughly July through September.
9. Desert View Drive – Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Following the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for 25 miles, Desert View Drive is one of the most sensational national parks roads in the nation.
It runs from Grand Canyon Village eastward to Desert View, on the way passing by six fantastic viewpoints, four picnic areas and the Tusayan Museum.
In addition to hiking the Rim Trail and (part of) the Bright Angel Trail, driving Desert View Drive is an essential thing to do during a visit to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
It’s not that long a drive and you can cover all of it in just a couple of hours. Consider heading over to Lipan Point, Navajo Point or the Desert View Watchtower at the road’s eastern end for glorious sunset views.
10. Hurricane Ridge Road – Olympic National Park, Washington
One of the shortest scenic drives in national parks in this list, 17-mile-long Hurricane Ridge Road might just be among the most downright spectacular ones.
Climbing from Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center in Olympic National Park, it leads visitors through subalpine meadows, old-growth forests and a stunning mountain landscape. The view from the visitor center is to die for.
Along with being one of greatest Olympic National Park attractions, this is also the most easily accessible mountain area in this rugged UNESCO World Heritage-listed national park.
Keep your eyes on the road, though, as it’s narrow, winding and steep in certain sections.
11. Generals Highway – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, California
The superb Generals Highway connects and runs through both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, two parks that are managed jointly.
Named after a couple of the biggest (sequoia) trees on Earth, General Sherman and General Grant, the road is one of those classic national parks drives. It’s a popular destination from major Californian cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Note that although it runs mainly through towering forests, this is a steep and winding road, too. It’s infamous for its steep grade, countless switchbacks and narrow sections.
One section in particular is so difficult to drive that the speed limit is a meager 10 mph. Restrictions are also in place in terms of vehicle lengths. Additionally, there are no gas stations in either park, so fuel up before you go.
12. Utah Scenic Byway 24 – Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
The section of Utah Highway 24 that runs through Capitol Reef National Park belongs in any overview of scenic drives in national parks. While you do drive through the heart of the park, you never pass an entrance station and, as such, don’t have to pay a fee.
Moreover, because Capitol Reef lies essentially in between Bryce Canyon National Park to the east and Arches and Canyonlands National Parks near Moab, it’s one of the most popular and best national parks to drive though.
Along the way, you’ll be able to enjoy some of Utah’s greatest landscapes. Dominated by sandstone domes and red rock pillars and cliffs, as well as historic orchards, this park is one of the finest in the national parks system.
I suggest taking your sweet time exploring this underrated park. Two days is a bare minimum to see all main Capitol Reef National Park attractions.
In addition to the Utah Scenic Byway 24, the park also has its designated Scenic Drive, a 25-mile journey through epic desert and canyon landscapes.
Note that you do have to pay the entry fee to drive the Scenic Drive, but it’s totally worth it.
13. Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway – Badlands National Park, South Dakota
One of the most remarkable drives you’ll ever do in your life is located in South Dakota’s Badlands National Park.
The Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway, officially known as Route 240, winds its way for over 30 miles through a landscape dominated by grasslands and colorful sandstone hills, buttes and spires.
There are more than a dozen amazing Badlands overlooks, many of which offer truly phenomenal sunset and sunrise views of the Badlands. Additionally, there are also a handful of scenic Badlands hiking trails and a fantastic visitor center.
Wildlife is abundant along this scenic road, from bighorn sheep and bison to prairie dogs and rattlesnakes.
Although its name says “loop”, this is not an actual circuit. It’s a one-way road through the park’s north unit, but you do have the option to circle back to where you started via I-90 between Wall and Cactus Flat.
14. Lamar Valley – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
The road between the northeastern entrance and Lamar Valley, 29 miles long, is arguably the best place for Yellowstone National Park wildlife watching from your car.
Winding through epic landscapes, the road squeezes between Barronette and Abiathar Peaks, respectively 10,404 and 10,928 feet high.
Jaw-dropping summits and rugged ridges characterize this landscape home to the park’s most well-known wolf packs and huge herds of American bison. You may also see elk, pronghorn, and black bears and grizzly bears in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park.
15. California Highway 190 – Death Valley National Park, California
There’s almost 800 miles of roads, paved and unpaved, in Death Valley National Park, the largest U.S. national park outside of Alaska. They make even the remotest areas in this vast desert park accessible.
The most convenient road, however, is California Highway 190, which cuts through the middle of the park.
From Panamint Springs in the west to Death Valley Junction in the east, this is one of the classic and most iconic highways in California, if not in the entire U.S.
This one is a must on any California desert parks itinerary. It leads past many Death Valley National Park highlights, including Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Harmony Borax Works, Furnace Creek, Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View.
16. Park Boulevard – Joshua Tree National Park, California
Joshua Tree National Park’s Park Boulevard may be one of the easiest drives in this list. This essentially flat road runs between the north and west entrances and crosses the high desert area in the park. This is where most of the iconic Joshua trees are found.
Highlights are too numerous to list. You just need to know that, if you only have a limited amount of time, this is the road you need to be on, the area you should explore.
Don’t miss Jumbo Rocks, Hidden Valley and Barker Dam, all boasting short and scenic hikes. It would be a shame, though, to rush through this gorgeous park.
After driving Park Boulevard, there’s a lot more to see and do, including mountain biking on dirt tracks, exploring the park’s southern section and hiking to abandoned gold mines and/or oases. Joshua Tree is also one of America’s best national parks for stargazing.
17. Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, Redwood National & State Parks, California
Although technically within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, I still included the awesome Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in this list because it’s co-managed by the National Park Service.
The Redwood National and State Parks complex in Northern California is a group of three state parks and one national park, managed jointly by both California State Parks and the National Park Service.
About 10 miles long, the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway is a beautiful alternative to U.S. Highway 101. It’s a glorious road that takes you through the heart of a towering old-growth redwood forest.
What makes it so special is that it’s one of just a couple of roads in the world where you can experience the redwoods with any kind of vehicle. From bicycles and motorbikes to huge RVS, if it has wheels, you can use it to drive or ride this spectacular road.
There are numerous pullouts and redwood trailheads for those who’d like to see these giant trees from up close. Popular stops are Big Tree and Elk Prairie, which is home to a large herd of Roosevelt elk.