214 Best Sights in USA

Enter Glacier National Park through the back door by driving the North Fork Road. It's a rutted, bumpy, dusty gravel road that's teeming with wildlife along the North Fork of the Flathead River. The 40 miles to the Polebridge entrance station passes through thick forests, some of which burned during the fires of 2001 and 2003. As a result, many of these areas become seas of purple fireweed in early summer. You can opt out early and enter Glacier at the Camas Creek entrance gate and avoid rough roads. If you make it all the way to Polebridge, stop at the Mercantile for lunch or one of their famous huckleberry bear claws.

The 14-mile, two-way drive follows rugged terrain above spectacular views of the canyons, and is flanked by more than a dozen turnouts with interpretive signs. Notice the slump blocks, massive segments of rock that have slipped down the cliff walls over time. Farther along pass through badlands coulees, deep-water clefts that are now dry. There's a good chance of meeting bison, mule deer, and bighorn sheep along the way; also keep an eye out for longhorn steers, just like the ones you would see in Texas.

Commonly called Dunraven Pass, this 19-mile segment of Grand Loop Road climbs to nearly 9,000 feet as it passes some of the park's finest scenery, including views of backcountry hot springs and abundant wildflowers. Near Tower Falls, the road twists beneath a series of leaning basalt columns from 40 to 50 feet high. That behemoth to the east is 10,243-foot Mt. Washburn.

The company offers single and multiday winter aurora tours going north to the Arctic Circle and the Brooks Range.

Whether you want to swim, hike, picnic, or enjoy beautiful scenery framed through a car window, head north through the wooded Oak Creek Canyon. It's the most scenic route to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, and worth a drive-through even if you're not heading north. The road winds through a steep-walled canyon, where you crane your neck for views of the dramatic rock formations above. Although the forest is primarily evergreen, the fall foliage is glorious. Oak Creek, which runs along the bottom, is lined with tent campgrounds, fishing camps, cabins, motels, and restaurants.

Although most travelers heading to Central City take the new highway from I–70, adventurous souls can take the Oh-My-Gawd Road. Built in the 1870s to transfer ore, this challenging drive climbs nearly 2,000 feet above Idaho Springs to Central City. After traveling along a series of hairpin curves you arrive at the summit, where you are treated to sweeping views of Mt. Evans. The dusty road is often busy with mining traffic, so keep your windows up and your eyes open.

More than 100 years old and never more than 14 feet wide, this road stretches from the park's east side to the Fall River Pass (11,796 feet above sea level) on the west. The drive provides a few white-knuckle moments, as the road is steep, serpentine, and lacking in guardrails. Start at West Horseshoe Park, which has the park's largest concentrations of sheep and elk, and head up the gravel road, passing Chasm Falls.

A 28-mile scenic drive takes you through the park from one entrance to the other. If you begin at the north end, the first 5 miles take you along the edge of a high mesa, with spectacular views of the Painted Desert. Beyond lies the desolate Painted Desert Wilderness Area. After the 5-mile point, the road crosses I--40, then swings south toward the Puerco River across a landscape covered with sagebrush, saltbrush, sunflowers, and Apache plume. Past the river, the road climbs onto a narrow mesa leading to Newspaper Rock, a panel of Pueblo rock art. Then the road bends southeast, enters a barren stretch, and passes tepee-shape buttes in the distance. Next you come to Blue Mesa, roughly the park's midpoint and a good place to stop for views of petrified logs. The next stop on the drive is Agate Bridge, really a 100-foot log over a wide wash. The remaining overlooks are Jasper and Crystal forests, where you can get further glimpses of the accumulated petrified wood. On your way out of the park, stop at the Rainbow Forest Museum for a rest and to shop for a memento.

This 9-mile stretch of Highway 706 winds its way up the mountain's southwest flank from Longmire to Paradise, taking you from lowland forest to the ever-expanding vistas of the mountain above. Visit early on a weekday if possible, especially in peak summer months, when the road is packed with cars later. The route is open year-round, though there may be some weekday closures in winter. From November through April, all vehicles must carry chains.

A drive on this loop takes you along the spectacular Yellowstone River for a short way and then past historic churches, schoolhouses, hot springs, and expansive ranches, all below the peaks of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Take Highway 89 south past Emigrant and turn left onto East River Road to complete the 62-mile loop back to Livingston.

The main park road, also known as SH 10, leads you from the entrance off U.S. 160 into the park. As a break from the switchbacks, you can stop at a couple of pretty overlooks along the way, but hold out for Park Point, which, at the mesa's highest elevation (8,572 feet), gives you unobstructed, 360-degree views. Note that trailers and towed vehicles are not permitted beyond Morefield Campground.

Following a wagon track, this 8-mile unpaved road has been used for more than 150 years. Some believe that Parson Branch Road was named for ministers who held religious retreats nearby, but others believe it was named for Joshua Parson, an early settler in the area. The road begins at the southwestern edge of Cades Cove Loop Road just beyond the visitor center at the Cable Mill. The road was improved and re-graveled in 2022, but high-clearance vehicles are recommended. It offers no scenic vistas, but it runs through old-growth forests, with huge poplars and hemlocks along the roadway. RVs are prohibited. Parson Branch is a one-way drive leaving Cades Cove, so plan your day accordingly. Its terminus is the "Tail of the Dragon" (U.S. 129) scenic drive, where it's accessible to bicyclists for a pleasant pedal along the namesake creek.

Wild horses, antelope, desert elk, coyotes, hawks, and sage grouse are among the wild animals you might see on the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour, which also takes you past such prominent features as Pilot Butte, the Killpecker Sand Dunes, and segments of the Overland Trail. Along the route there are pullouts with interpretive panels.

This loop links Rock Springs and Green River; it takes two to three hours to drive the full 50-mile route, half of which is on gravel roads, between the two towns. From Rock Springs, travel north for 14 miles on U.S. 191. Turn left onto Sweetwater County Road 4-14 and follow the route for 2½ miles before turning left onto Sweetwater County Road 4-53, which will take you to Green River, 33½ miles away.

The 64 miles of mountain road on this highway pass a ghost town, historic towns, and Georgetown Lake. The road begins in Anaconda and ends on I–90 at Drummond, backdropped by the 159,000-acre Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.

Mountains, meadows, lodgepole-pine forests, and willow-edged streams line this road, which runs north–south between U.S. 278 (west of Bannack, which is 24 miles west of Dillon) and Highway 43. Headed north, the byway skirts the Maverick Mountain Ski Area and Elkhorn Hot Springs and ends at the town of Wise River on the Big Hole River. In winter it's closed to car traffic but popular with snowmobilers.

The drive down a mountainous section of AZ 89A from Jerome to Prescott is gorgeous (if somewhat harrowing in bad weather), filled with twists and turns through Prescott National Forest. A scenic turnoff near Jerome provides one last vista and a place to apply chains during surprise snowstorms. There's camping, picnicking, and hiking at the crest of Mingus Mountain. If you're coming to Prescott from Phoenix, the route that crosses the Mogollon Rim, overlooking the Verde Valley, has nice views of rolling hills and is less precipitous.

The tracks for the Old Colony Railroad were laid in the 1860s; Rail Explorers' tandem and quad rail machines are newfangled contraptions that make it easy to glide six miles along Narragansett Bay as long as at least one member of your group is willing to pedal. Guide-led tours of either the Northern Ramble or Southern Circuit offer glimpses of shorebirds, coastal woodlands, and historic sites few travelers get the chance to see. Special outings include Sunday brunch and lantern-lit rides.

Lakeview Drive was originally proposed as a way for local communities to reach their family cemeteries, after being displaced from their homes for the Fontana Dam project in the 1940s. An environmental issue halted the construction of Lakeview Drive, earning it its nickname as the “Road to Nowhere.” Today, the road begins at the park's entrance from Fontana Road in Bryson City, and ends at a tunnel six miles into the park. The drive is quite scenic, with an overlook of Fontana Lake and a few trailheads along the way. A network of hiking trails (including a 3.2-mile loop) begin at the tunnel.  It's surprisingly dark and eerie in the tunnel, especially if you're there alone. If you end a loop hike at the tunnel and don't want to walk through it, there's a bypass trail.

The 6-mile Roaring Fork offers a dramatic counterpoint to Cades Cove Loop Road, which meanders through a wide-open valley. Roaring Fork closes in, with the forest sometimes literally just inches from your fender. This one-way paved road is so narrow in places that RVs, trailers, and buses are not permitted. The trail starts just beyond the Noah "Bud" Ogle Farmstead and the Rainbow Falls trailhead. Pick up a Roaring Fork Auto Tour booklet at the information shelter. Numbered markers along the route are keyed to 16 stops highlighted in the booklet. A favorite sight is the old Alfred Reagan House, which is painted in the original blue, yellow, and cream, "all three colors that Sears and Roebuck had," according to a story attributed to Mr. Reagan. There are several good hiking trails starting along the road, including the Trillium Gap Trail to Mt. LeConte. The road follows Roaring Fork Creek a good part of the way, and the finale is a small waterfall called "The Place of a Thousand Drips," right beside the road.

Entering Yosemite National Park via this road, which follows an ultimately curvy course 55 miles from Fresno through the Yosemite gateway towns of Oakhurst and Fish Camp, presents you with an immediate, important choice: turn right to visit the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias 4 miles to the east, or turn left to travel via Wawona to Yosemite Valley, 31 miles away. Try to do both. (You can get by with an hour in Mariposa Grove if you're really pressed for time.)

As you approach the valley, you'll want to pull into the Tunnel View parking lot (it's on the east side of the mile-long tunnel) and marvel at what lies ahead: from left to right, El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall. From here, the valley is another 5 miles. The drive time on Wawona Road alone is about an hour. Make a full day of it by adding Glacier Point to the itinerary; get there via a 16-mile seasonal road that shoots east from Route 41 and passes the Badger Pass Ski Area.

Beginning and ending in Helen, the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway is a 41-mile loop through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in northeastern Georgia. Start the counterclockwise drive from Route 17/74 north of Helen, turn left on Route 180, left again at Route 348, and another left at Route 75 Alternate back to Helen. The loop passes the Raven Cliff Wilderness, wildlife management areas, the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, and a section of the Appalachian Trail, and goes near the state parks of Vogel, Unicoi, Smithgall Woods, and Brasstown Bald Mountain.

This gravel route near the Pinnacles entrance follows the road less traveled and covers rougher terrain than Badlands Loop Road. Sage Creek Rim Road is completely negotiable by most vehicles, but should be avoided during a thunderstorm when the sudden rush of water may cause flooding. It might also close temporarily after snowstorms. A vast mixed-grass prairie covers the rest. Keep an eye out for free-roaming bison.

Less than a mile from the entrance to Schoodic Woods Campground and Ranger Station and just beyond Frazer Point Picnic Area, the only road into the park becomes one-way and continues for about 6 miles to the park exit (no RVs are allowed on the road after the campground entrance). Edging the coast and sprinkled with pullouts, the first few miles yield views of Grindstone Neck, Winter Harbor, Winter Harbor Lighthouse, and, across the water, Cadillac Mountain. After a few miles, a two-way spur, Arey Cove Road, passes Schoodic Institute en route to Schoodic Point. Here, huge slabs of pink granite lie jumbled along the shore, thrashed unmercifully by the crashing surf, and jack pines cling to life amid the rocks. Continuing on the loop road, stop at Blueberry Hill parking area to look out on near-shore islands. The Anvil and Alder trailheads are near here. From the park exit, continue 2 miles to Route 186 in Birch Harbor. There's a biking path trailhead with parking at the exit and another one about midway to Route 186, both on your left.

The Seaway Trail is a 454-mi federally recognized scenic byway along the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Nine rooms in the Discovery Center present interactive exhibits that explain life along the water. Displays include agriculture, history, culture, lighthouses, architecture, and recreation.

Few travelers make it out to the far northwestern tip of the continental United States, but the drive is well worth the time. From Seiku, Highway 112 meanders west along the coastline in roller-coaster dips, rises, and curves, which make the two-lane route seem all too narrow. Right-side passengers have the best views heading toward Neah Bay, as the road hugs the rocky coastline and its frothing, salty bays; the forest is thick and towering on the other side. The drive is best made in the late afternoon, when summer sunlight brings out the colors of the water and trees, or when winter clouds show just how foreboding this edge of the country can be.

This rough trek that leads to the 100-mile White Rim Road was probably first established by ancient Native Americans. In the early 1900s the local Shafer family started using it to drive cattle into the canyon. John "Sog" Shafer is credited with improving the narrow and rugged trail, and it was further upgraded during the uranium boom, in order for miners to haul ore by truck from the canyon floor. But make no mistake: it's still a harrowing descent. Check out the road's winding, 5.2-mile route down canyon walls from the Shafer Canyon Overlook before you drive it to see why it's mostly used by daring four-wheelers and energetic mountain bikers. Off the main road, less than 1 mile from the park entrance, it descends 1,500 feet to the White Rim. Check with the visitor center about road conditions before driving the Shafer Trail. It's often impassable after rain or snow.

A scenic 13-mile drive on paved and gravel roads crosses the Sheep Creek Canyon Geological Area, which is full of upturned layers of rock, craggy pinnacles, and hoodoos. Watch for a herd of bighorn sheep, as well as a popular cave alongside the road. In the fall, salmon return to Sheep Creek to spawn; a kiosk and several bridges provide unobtrusive viewing. The area, 28 miles west of Greendale Junction off U.S. 191 and Highway 44, is open from May to October.

This popular 4-mile drive climbs 800 feet along a winding forest road that offers glimpses of Jackson Lake and Mt. Moran. At the top, park and follow the well-marked path to one of the park's best panoramas. From 7,593 feet above sea level, your gaze can sweep over all of Jackson Hole and the 40-mile Teton Range. The views are particularly dramatic at sunset. The road is not appropriate for long trailers and is closed in winter.

Lake City used to be at the northern tip of the Silver Thread Scenic Byway, which has now been extended north to its intersection with U.S. 50 at Blue Mesa Reservoir, for a total of 117 miles. From Lake City, the byway (also called Route 149) travels south 75 miles to South Fork, climbing over Slumgullion and Spring Creek passes. The route then overlooks the headwaters of the Rio Grande before dropping into the lush Rio Grande Valley. Along the way, you'll see plenty of old gold- and silver-mining camps and spectacular North Clear Creek Falls.