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.

White Pine Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.924m (9,593ft) above the sea level, located in Larimer County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Cave Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.277m (10,751ft) above the sea level, located in White Pine County, in the central eastern boundary of the U.S. state of Nevada. It’s one of the highest roads of Nevada.

Mount Heliograph is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.060m (10,039ft) above the sea level, located in Graham County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It's one of the highest mountain roads of Arizona.

Mount Guyot is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.571m (11,715ft) above the sea level, located in southeastern Summit County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Upper McCain Spring Road is a gravel road located in the Lake Owyhee State Park, in eastern Oregon, USA.

Ellis Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.091m (6,860ft) above the sea level located in Sweet Grass County, in Montana, USA.

Lone Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.953m (9,688ft) above the sea level, located in Madison County, in southwestern Montana, in USA. 

Badlands Loop Road (SD 240) is the name of a very scenic drive running on the boundary between Jackson and Pennington counties in the U.S. state of South Dakota.

Cerro Picacho is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.071m (10,075ft) above the sea level, located in Taos County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of New Mexico.

Porphyry Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,500 meters (8,202 feet) above sea level, located in the US state of Montana.

On June 2018, the French auto racing driver Romain Dumas climbed behind the wheel of the electric Volkswagen I.D. R and beat the all-time Pikes Peak record from Sebastien Loeb by setting the first-ever time under eight minutes.

Fox Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.864m (9,396ft) above the sea level, located in Catron County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Located in the western United States, Colorado is notable for its majestic mountains. It’s classified as one of the mountain states, located in the Rocky upland part of the country. Due its topography, the roads can also get extremely steep. If you’re not used to it, driving there can feel like you’re falling off the side of a cliff.

Inner Basin is a high mountain basin at an elevation of 2.997m (9,832ft) above the sea level, located in Coconino County, in the north central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Arizona.

Mount Yeckel is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.588m (11,771ft) above the sea level, located in Pitkin County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Rabbit Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.640m (8,661ft) above the sea level, located in Rio Arriba County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Houghton Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.781m (12,404ft) above the sea level, located in San Juan County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

Traffic deaths in the U.S. exceeded 40,000 for the third straight year in 2018, according to the National Safety Council. Despite the development of useful safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking, relatively few cars have these features.

Dixie Butte is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.317m (7,601ft) above the sea level, located in Grant County, in Eastern Oregon, in USA.

North Tent Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.214m (10,544ft) above the sea level, located in Sanpete County, in the U.S. state of Utah. It’s one of the highest roads of Utah.

Latigo Canyon Road is a very technical drive located in Los Angeles County, in the U.S. state of California. The road is a test for any kind of rider. It’s one of the Top Scenic Drives in Malibu.

Bull Run Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.313m (7,588ft) above the sea level, located in Tulare County, in the U.S. state of California.

Italian Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.584m (11,758ft) above the sea level, located in Gunnison County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Highland Lakes are a pair of freshwater alpine lakes at an elevation of 2.631m (8,631ft) above the sea level, located in Alpine County, in the U.S. state of California.

Milk Cow Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.354m (11,004ft) above the sea level located in the Saguache County, in Colorado, USA.

Bonita Peak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.759m (12,332ft) above the sea level, located in San Juan County, in southwest Colorado, USA. It’sone of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

Mount Jordan is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.889m (9,478ft) above the sea level, located in Custer County in the center of the U.S. state of Idaho. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Idaho.

Coney Summit is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 4.059m (13,316ft) above the sea level, located in Hinsdale County, in southwest Colorado, in United States. It’s one of the highest mountain roads in Colorado.

Towne Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.515m (4,970ft) above the sea level, located in Inyo County, in the U.S. state of California.

Located in Frederick County, in the northern part of the U.S. state of Maryland, the Jug Bridge ruins and its connecting roads are all that remains of what was once a beautiful and historic piece of American infrastructure. It’s one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

With thousands of responses from off-roading enthusiasts, PartCatalog has compiled the top off road trails and rides of choice for 39 states in America. Through Facebook correspondence and word of mouth from parks, trails, and off-roading clubs, respondents learned about the survey and were excited to share their top picks for The 2018 Top Off Road Trails & Parks in America.

John Kerr Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.705m (8,874 ft) above the sea level, located in Catron County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Benton Crossing Road is the name of a very scenic drive with vast mountain views, located in Mono County, in the U.S. state of California.

Garcia Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.333m (10,935 ft) above the sea level, located in Colfax County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of New Mexico.

Burro Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.197m (10,488ft) above the sea level located in the Grand County, in Utah, USA. 

Wauconda Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.316m (4,317ft) above the sea level, located in Okanogan County, in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–US border.

Ortiz Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.423m (11,230ft) above the sea level, located in Taos County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of New Mexico.

Comanche Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.275m (10,744ft) above the sea level, located in Colfax County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of New Mexico.

Gentry Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.066m (10,059ft) above the sea level, located in Emery County, in the U.S. state of Utah.

Patchen Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 562m (1,843ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary between Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties in the U.S. state of California.

Baker Creek Meadow is a high mountain meadow at an elevation of 3.185m (10,449ft) above the sea level, located in Inyo County, California. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of California.

Encinal Canyon Road is the name of a very scenic yet demanding drive located in western Los Angeles County, in the U.S. state of California. It’s said to be one of the 5 Best Driving Roads in Malibu. It’s one of the Top Scenic Drives in Malibu.

Slide Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.132m (10,275ft) above the sea level located in Hinsdale County, Colorado, In USA.

Big Horn is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 3.727m (12,227ft) above the sea level, located in El Paso County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest roads of Colorado.

Forest Road 086 is a high mountain road located in Lemhi County in the U.S. state of Idaho. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Idaho.

Palmetto Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.724m (8,937ft) above the sea level, located in Esmeralda County, in the U.S. state of Nevada.

Upper Bridge Canyon Road is a short gravel road located in the the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in Nevada, USA. It’s a 4wd track.

Cave Lake is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 3.713m (12,181ft) above the sea level, located in Chaffee County of south-central Colorado, in USA. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

Drive Us to Your Road!

With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click here to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.