What are the most spectacular roads in the USA?

Located in North America, the USA is a true paradise for drivers, as it hosts more than 2,000 roads listed as the most spectacular in the world.

Featuring mountains, deserts, coasts, and snow, in the USA you’ll get your dream road. And you’ll never want to wake up. For instance, at the top of your list, you need to drive the Million Dollar Highway, the most beautiful road in America, and probably in the world. Built in the late 1880s, you'll be on the "outside" for a while with a hell of a view to your right (let the passenger enjoy the view; you'll want to watch the road). Another paved option must be the Iron Mountain Road, featuring 17 miles, 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails, and 3 tunnels in the Black Hills of South Dakota. No list would be complete without the winding Tail of the Dragon: 318 curves in 11 miles. Spanning Tennessee and North Carolina, it is one of the most scenic drives in the USA. You also can’t skip driving Mount Evans Scenic Byway, the highest paved road in North America, climbing up to 4,310m (14,130ft) in Colorado. It is said to be the highest paved road in North America.

For those who prefer unpaved experiences, the country hosts some of the most defiant yet scenic roads in the world. You can’t miss Black Bear Pass, a high mountain adventure in the Colorado Rockies. Climbing up to 3,915m (12,844ft) above sea level, it's one of the highest roads in Colorado. You can also discover the beauty of Engineer Pass, a mountain pass at an elevation of 3,901m (12,800ft) above sea level in Colorado. It’s mostly a first-gear ride because the road is rough and rocky. The legendary Shafer Trail Road in Utah's Canyonlands National Park is an iconic drive located on the east-central edge of Utah. At times, the road is so narrow that only one car can pass. And Lippincott Mine Road in California is for experienced 4WD drivers using high-clearance vehicles only. You'll need a good map, as the routes are not marked and there are no signs. It’s one of the challenging backcountry roads in Death Valley National Park.

Hecker Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 408m (1,338ft) above the sea level, on the boundary of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, in the US state of California. The road through the pass is said to be haunted.

Henderson Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.043m (9,983ft) above the sea level located in Park County, in Montana, USA. It's one of the highest roads of Montana.

The United States is filled with winding roads that allow you to view incredible scenery. Pacific Coast Highway winds its way along California's coast. Highway 101 in Oregon allows people to look at the state's stunning shoreline. Then there is the Blue Ridge Parkway in the eastern part of the country.

With the average number of car accidents in the United States standing at a whopping 6 million each year, it goes without saying that the country is home to some dangerous roads.

Estes Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.900m (9,514ft) above the sea level, located in central Custer County, Idaho, in USA. It's one of the highest roads in Idaho.

Wenatchee Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.059m (6,755ft) above the sea level, located in Chelan County, in central Washington State, in USA. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Washington. Near the summit there’s a lookout site.

Hahns Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.217m (10,554ft) above the sea level, located in Routt County, Colorado, in United States.

Warrior Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.433m (11,263ft) above the sea level, located in Clear Creek County, in the U.S. state of Colorado just south of Hwy 103 (Squaw Pass Road).

Located in Linn County, Iowa, United States, the bridge on the Red Bridge Road is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Skidoo Road is a very exciting desert drive in the Death Valley National Park, in USA. High-clearance vehicle required. Steep grade with protruding rocks at 3.5 miles. Sedans risk undercarriage damage. Subject to snow and mud conditions. It’s one of the challenging Backcountry roads in the Death Valley National Park.

Arta Lake is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 3.139m (10,298ft) above the sea level, located in Wasatch County, in the U.S. state of Utah. 

Sliderock Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.386m (7,828ft) above the sea level, located in Granite County, in the U.S. state of Montana.

River Road is a very scenic 4x4 trail located in Brewster County, in the western part of the U.S. state of Texas. It’s said to be one of the most scenic drives in Texas. The road is pretty challenging, as it travels through and across many desert washes.

Libby Flats is a high mountain plateau at an elevation of 3.252m (10,669ft) above the sea level, located in Carbon County, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Wyoming.

Eagle Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.753m (9,032ft) above the sea level, located in Tuolumne County, in the U.S. state of California.

Boathouse Cove Road is a bumpy gravel road located on the Northshore of Lake Mead, in Clark County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. Backcountry travel is not recommended in summer.

When it comes to selecting the ideal roads for drivers, long uninterrupted stretches where you can push the car to its limits seems viable. But, when you are experiencing the unexpected, danger comes in hovering. Though there are many thrilling road sections in the world where you can enjoy to the fullest, we have some popular patches in the U.S. itself. 

Carnero Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.100m (10,171ft) above the sea level located in the Saguache County, in Colorado, USA.

La Junta Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.926m (12,880ft) above sea level, located in San Miguel County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest roads in Colorado.

Golden Bear Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.725m (12,221ft) above the sea level, located in Clear Creek County,  in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

Embarking on a transit through America’s most hazardous corridors—from the frozen isolation of the Dalton Highway to the oxygen-thin passes of the San Juan Mountains—requires more than just an itinerary. These routes demand a level of operational readiness that exceeds standard road-trip preparation. In regions where recovery services can be hours (or days) away, your vehicle's mechanical integrity and your logistical redundancy are the only factors that guarantee a successful transit.

Osha Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.997m (9,832ft) above the sea level, located in Taos County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Jones Gap is a mountain pass at an elevation of 893m (2,929ft) above the sea level, located on the border between South Carolina and North Carolina, in the Southeastern region of the United States.

Terry Flat is a large meadow at an elevation of 3.033m (9,950ft) above the sea level, located in Apache County, in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It’sone of the highest mountain roads of Arizona.

Black Canyon Road is a very scenic drive in Arizona, United States, located within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Missouri Hill is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.684m (12,086ft) above the sea level, located in Chaffee County, Colorado, in USA. This is truly a breathtaking trail. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

Mount Bachelor is a stratovolcano at an elevation of 2.461m (8,074ft) above the sea level, located in Deschutes County, in central Oregon, USA. It’s one of the highest roads of Oregon.

Geysers Road Bridge is a truss bridge with Phoenix columns located in Sonoma County, in Northern California, in USA. It’s one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Bald Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.766m (9,074ft) above the sea level, located in the Glass Mountain Range, Mono County, in the U.S. state of California.

Granite Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.233m (4,045ft) above the sea level, located within the Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California, USA.

Drews Gap is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.617m (5,306ft) above the sea level, located in Lake County, in the U.S. state of Oregon.

Ruby Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.607m (11,833ft) above the sea level, located in Summit County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

The Switzerland Trail is a remarkably scenic mountain journey located in Boulder County, Colorado. Following the abandoned grade of a late 19th-century narrow-gauge railroad, this route offers a unique blend of mining history and technical driving through the rugged Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Reno Lookout is a high mountain lookout tower at an elevation of 2.775m (9,104ft) above the sea level, located in Greenlee County, Arizona, in USA. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Arizona.

Hawley Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.223m (7,293ft) above the sea level, located in Boise County, in the U.S. state of Idaho.

Located in Clallam County, in the U.S. state of Washington, Olympic Hot Springs Road is totally washed out and closed to vehicles indefinitely.

Drake Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.509m (8,231ft) above the sea level, located in the Warner Mountain Range of Lake County, Oregon, in USA. It’s one of the highest roads of Oregon.

Mount Callaghan is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.107m (10,193ft) above the sea level, located in Lander County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Nevada. Thanks to a communications structure located near the highest point on this mountain which can be seen easily from highway 305, a road has been built which makes access easier.

Mount Lewis is a high mountain peak situated in Lander County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. The summit, located in the Shoshone Range in the north-central part of the state, reaches an elevation of 2,933 meters (9,622 ft) above sea level. It is considered one of the highest roads in Nevada.

Medicine Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.039m (9,970ft) above the sea level, located in Big Horn County, in north-central Wyoming, USA.

Scotts Bluff Summit is a scenic overlook at an elevation of 1.407m (4,616ft) above sea level, located in Scotts Bluff County, on the western border of the U.S. state of Nebraska.

Walkers Peak is a high mountain summit reaching 2,735m (8,973ft) above sea level in Valley County, Idaho. It is situated in the Salmon River Mountains, right in the heart of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, one of the most remote areas in the United States. It's one of the highest roads in Idaho.

Helmet Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.481m (11,420ft) above the sea level, located in Montezuma County, the southwesternmost of the 64 counties in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Barillas Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.847m (9,340ft) above the sea level, located in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States.

Yellow Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.190m (7,185ft) above the sea level, located in Washoe County, in northwestern Nevada, in United States.

Campito Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.294m (10,807ft) above the sea level, located in Mono County, in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. It's one of the highest roads of California.

Monarch Ridge South is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.634m (11,922ft) above the sea level, located in Chaffee County, in south-central Colorado in the United States. It’s one of the highest roads of Colorado. The average gradient is 7.45%.

Alta Lakes is a a serie of three lakes at an elevation of 3.484m (11,430ft) above the sea level, located in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. This is a long and bumpy trail, but the scenery is worth the trip.

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