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.

Searching for Murrieta’s treasure on Morgan Territory Road

Morgan Territory Road is a very scenic yet curvy drive located in Contra Costa County, in the US state of California. It’s said to be haunted.

The road to Taylor Peak in CO: a chillout in high mountains

Taylor Peak is a high mountain peak located on the boundary between Pitkin and Gunnison counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. A minor road, north of the summit, climbs up to 3.602m (11,817ft) above the sea level, It’s one of the highest roads of Colorado.

How To Travel The Utah Forest Road 17

Utah Forest Road 17 (FH-17) is a very scenic fairly wide drive through the high mountains of Garfield County, in south central Utah, United States.

How to drive the unpaved road to Burnt Ridge in Utah?

Burnt Ridge is a high mountain ridge at an elevation of 3.073m (10,085ft) above sea level, located in Duchesne County, in the U.S. state of Utah.

Ultimate 4wd destination: Dickson Pass

Dickson Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.190m (10,465ft) above the sea level, located in San Juan County, in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah.

The unpaved road to South Mount Hawkins in California

South Mount Hawkins is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.373m (7,785ft) above sea level, located in Los Angeles County, in the US state of California. The road to the summit is only maintained on a needed basis such as a fire or access to the forest service repeater.

How to get by car to Pride of the West Tunnel in Colorado?

Pride of the West Mine is a high mountain gold mine at an elevation of 3,662 m (12,014 ft) above sea level, located in Chaffee County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest roads in Colorado.

How to drive the unpaved road to the lookout at Green Mountain in Idaho?

Green Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.204m (7,230ft) above sea level, located in Idaho County, in the US state of Idaho.

Boulder Creek Road is one of the most difficult drives in Idaho

Located in Blaine County, in the U.S. state of Idaho, Boulder Basin sits at an elevation of 2,987m (9,799ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest roads in Idaho.

Rustler Peak

Rustler Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.860m (6,102ft) above the sea level, located in Jackson County, Oregon, in USA.

Gird Point: Driving the 23 hairpins of the Sapphire Mountains in Montana

Gird Point is a high mountain summit reaching an elevation of 2,295 meters (7,529 ft) above sea level, located in Ravalli County, in the US state of Montana. Tucked away within the Bitterroot National Forest, the road to the top is a rough mountain track leading to a historic lookout tower built in 1939, which sits high above the valley floor.

Betty Bear Hut

Betty Bear Hut is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 3.383m (11,099ft), located in Pitkin County, in central Colorado, United States.

How to drive the unpaved mountain road to Meadow Creek in Idaho

Meadow Creek is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.699m (8,854ft) above sea level, located in Valley County, in the U.S. state of Idaho.

Guthrie Peak

Guthrie Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.005m (6,578ft) above the sea level, located in Greenlee County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona.

Pajarita Mountain

Pajarita Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.438m (7,998 ft) above the sea level, located in Lincoln County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Mills Peak

Mills Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.232m (7,322ft) above the sea level, located in Sierra County, California, in USA.

Take An Unforgettable Drive to Richland Balsam in NC

Richland Balsam is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.845m (6,053 feet) above the sea level, located on the boundary between Haywood and Jackson counties in the far southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina.

Miller Hill

Miller Hill is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.036m (9,960ft) above the sea level, located in Salt Lake County, in the U.S. state of Utah.

Mount Siegel: Driving the technical Pine Nut Mountains track

Mount Siegel is a prominent high-altitude peak reaching 2,833m (9,294ft) above sea level in Douglas County, Nevada. Situated within the rugged Pine Nut Mountains, the road to the summit is a demanding backcountry track that tests the technical limits of any vehicle. This is not a standard mountain drive; it is a raw, unpaved transit where the combination of steep gradients, loose volcanic rock, and extreme isolation requires a high-clearance 4x4 and advanced off-road driving skills.

Spruce Mountain

Spruce Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.051m (10,009ft) above the sea level located in Albany County, in Wyoming, USA.

How to get by car to Gates Lake in Sevier County?

Gates Lake is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 3,172m (10,406ft) above sea level, located in Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Utah.

Kane Creek Canyon Road is a drive with countless creek crossings in UT

Kane Creek Canyon Road is a very exciting drive located in San Juan County, in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. This is an intense drive with so many creek crossings that you’ll lose count.

A drive to Canelo Pass in Arizona is an otherworldly experience

Canelo Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.667m (5,469ft) above sea level, located in Santa Cruz County, in the US state of Arizona.

The road to Little Mount Hoffman in CA isn’t an easy one

Little Mount Hoffman is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.231m (7,319ft) above the sea level, located in Siskiyou County, in the U.S. state of California.

The scenic and remote 4x4 road to Jaybird Peak in Wyoming

Jaybird Peak is a high mountain pass reaching an elevation of 2,357m (7,732ft) above sea level, located in Albany County, in the southeastern part of Wyoming, USA. Situated within the Laramie Mountains, this rugged drive offers a true taste of the Wyoming backcountry through the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Bonanza King

Bonanza King is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.120m (6,955ft) above the sea level, located in Trinity County, northern California, in USA.

East Peak: Driving the 20% ski service ramps in the Sierra Nevada

East Peak is a high-altitude mountain peak situated at an elevation of 2,893m (9,491ft) above sea level in El Dorado County, California. Located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the road to the summit is a rugged service track used primarily for chairlift maintenance. This is one of the highest roads in California, representing a brutal mechanical challenge where the combination of loose stones and extreme verticality requires a high-clearance 4x4 and advanced off-road driving skills.

Driving the unpaved mining road to Mount Owen in Colorado

Mount Owen is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3,542m (11,620ft) above sea level, located in Gunnison County, in the US state of Colorado.

How to drive the unpaved road to Groundhog Mountain in Colorado?

Groundhog Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.379m (11,085ft) above sea level, located in Dolores County, in the US state of Colorado.

How to drive the rough road to Big Creek Baldy Mountain in Montana?

Big Creek Baldy Mountain is a high peak at an elevation of 1,764 meters (5,787 ft) above sea level, located in Lincoln County, Montana. Tucked deep within the Kootenai National Forest, the summit features a historic fire lookout tower accessible via a rough forest track.

Is the road to Iron Mountain in California difficult to drive?

Iron Mountain is a high mountain peak reaching an elevation of 2,892 meters (9,488 ft) above sea level in the Inyo Mountains of California, United States. Located in Inyo County, the unpaved trail ranks among the highest roads in the area and forms part of the highest roads in California.

Driving Texas: Why Farm-to-Market Roads are Deadlier than Interstates

Texas has the second-largest population in the United States, but the real danger isn't found in the congested cities. While Interstates handle the most volume, Texas’s vast network of Farm-to-Market (FM) and state highways recorded the highest rates of fatal crashes. Understanding the unique infrastructure of the Lone Star State is key to surviving its rural corridors.

How to drive the Sterling Highway in Alaska?

Sterling Highway is a very scenic drive located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Alaska, Opened in the fall of 1950, the drive runs through the western side of the Kenai Peninsula.

Forest Road 137

Forest Road 137 is a winding mountain road located in Beaver County, in west central Utah, United States, running entirely over 2.200m above the sea level.

Parrott Peak

Parrott Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.352m (10,997ft) above the sea level, located in La Plata County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

How to drive the unpaved road to Gold Mountain in Utah?

Gold Mountain is a high mountain located in Piute County, in the US state of Utah. South of the peak, a gravel road climbs up to at an elevation of 3.259m (10,692ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest roads in Utah.

Telephone Canyon Road

Telephone Canyon Road is a short mountain road located in Clark County, in the U.S. state of Nevada.

Forest Road 140 is a drive worth taking in UT

Forest Road 140 is a scenic drive through the high mountains of Garfield County, in south central Utah, United States. It’s one of the highest roads of Utah.

The Ultimate Road Trip on the Edgerton Highway in AK

Edgerton Highway is a very scenic paved road located in Alaska’s Big Delta near Chitina in the Copper River Valley, in the USA.

How to drive the unpaved road to the lookout at Breckenridge Mountain in California?

Breckenridge Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.291m (7,516ft) above sea level, located in Kern County, in the US state of California. It hosts the southernmost lookout on the Sequoia National Forest

The road to Bent Peak in CO is not for the faint of heart

Bent Peak is a high mountain peak located in Hinsdale County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. A minor gravel road south of the peak climbs up to 3.953m (12,969ft) above the sea level. It’s one of the highest roads of Colorado.

5 Things You Need to Know While Buying Tyres in the USA

Tyres are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road. On the diverse and often extreme terrains of the USA—from the sun-baked asphalt of Arizona to the icy passes of the Rockies—selecting the correct rubber is a critical safety decision. Understanding tread dynamics and carcass construction is essential before visiting a service center to ensure your vehicle is equipped for the challenges ahead.

The curvy road to Triunfo Pass in California

Triunfo Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 642m (2,106ft) above sea level, located in southeastern Ventura County, in Southern California, in the United States.

Dangerous Roads in South Carolina

South Carolina's picturesque landscapes and charming towns often conceal a less visible but important issue: dangerous roads that pose risks to both locals and visitors. While the state's highways and roads offer scenic drives, some roads are known for their challenging conditions, high accident rates, and safety hazards.

4 Reasons to Take a Trip Along the Coast of California

California, the most populous state in the US with 38 million residents, features over 840 miles of diverse coastline along the Pacific Ocean. Navigating this vast territory requires a strategic approach to diverse road systems, from high-density urban interchanges to technical mountain passes. For the professional traveler, the California coast is not just a scenic destination but a complex environment where vehicle dynamics and topographical awareness are essential for a safe and efficient transit.