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.

The remote Top of the World Highway is a very scenic drive between Canada and the U.S. state of Alaska. Built in 1955, the winding road is only open during the summer months.

Lucky Boy Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.449m (8,034ft) above the sea level, located in Mineral County, in the U.S. state of Nevada.

Jersey Jim is a high mountain lookout tower at an elevation of 3.002m (9,849ft) above the sea level, located in Montezuma County, Colorado, in USA.

Wofford Lookout is a high mountain lookout tower at an elevation of 2.798m (9,179ft) above the sea level, located in Otero County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Logistics professionals know that a main function of their job is to find ways to attempt to control that which is out of their control. While that sounds like an oxymoron, for these individuals it is their everyday reality. With on the road transport being a huge factor within this industry, both managers and drivers need to have a firm grasp on safety practices internally since they have no control over elements like weather, road conditions, and the other motorists on the road.

Located in Keokuk County, Iowa, in USA, the 170th Street Rock Creek Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

McCord Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.296m (10,814ft) above the sea level located in the Eagle County, in Colorado, USA.

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.

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

Freds Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.004m (9,855ft) above the sea level, located in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. 

Mineral Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.233m (7,326ft) above the sea level, located in Missoula County, in the U.S. state of Montana.

Navajo Point is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.188m (10,459ft) above the sea level, located in Iron County, in the U.S. state of Utah. 

Leatherman Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.742m (8,996ft) 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.

Metroz Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.581m (11,748ft) above the sea level located in Mineral County, Colorado, In USA.

Monument Ridge is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.919m (9,576ft) above the sea level, located in Madison County, in southwestern Montana, in USA. 

Bear Lake summit is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.383m (7,818ft) above the sea level, located in Cache County, on the northern edge of Utah, United States.

Navajo Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.154m (10,347ft) above the sea level, located in San Juan County, Utah, in USA. 

Silver Plume Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.756m (12,322ft) above the sea level, located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. It’s one of the highest roads of Colorado.

UT-211 is a very scenic journey in the heart of the Needles region of Canyonlands National Park,in San Juan County, in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. Driving in is beautiful with amazing views along the way.

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

Long Tom Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.493m (8,179ft) above the sea level located in Lemhi County, in Idaho, USA.

Blackbird Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.761m (9,058ft) above the sea level located in the Salmon River Mountains, in Lemhi County, Idaho, in USA. It's one of the highest roads in Idaho.

Copper Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.758m (12,329ft) 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.

Mount Buckskin is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.881m (12,732ft) above the sea level, located in Park County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.

Located in Iowa, in USA, the 320th Avenue Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Cook Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.604m (5,262ft) above the sea level, located in Kern County, in the U.S. state of California.

Cove Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.254m (10,675ft) above the sea level located in the Sanpete County, in Utah, USA. It’s one of the highest roads in Utah.

Islip Saddle is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.036m (6,680ft) above the sea level, located within the Angeles National Forest, in San Bernardino County, California, in USA.

Badger Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.427m (11,243ft) above the sea level, located in Park County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Colorado.

Located in Butler County, Iowa, in USA, the 265th Street Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Panther Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.760m (5,774ft) above the sea level, located in Brewster County, Texas, in USA.

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

The real adventure lies in driving on those dangerous roads. If you love driving on those off-beat unpaved roads where few dare to drive, well, you need to take a good look at your SUV. 

Smith Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.340m (7,677ft) above the sea level, located in Plumas County, in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California.

Wildhorse Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.913m (9,557ft) above the sea level, located in Custer County, Idaho, in USA. It’s one of the highest mountain roads in Idaho. Located in the White Knob Mountains of central Idaho, the road to the summit is gravel, rocky, tippy and bumpy at times.

Gobblers Knob is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.002m (6,568ft) above the sea level, located in San Bernardino County, in California, USA. The drive is very steep, with sections up to 44%.

Located in Kane County, in the U.S. state of Utah, Peek-a-boo Gulch is a short slot canyon. Driving is a challenging option. This is not the road to practice your sand driving skills if you are inexperienced.

Austin Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,423m (4,668ft) above sea level, located in Whatcom County, in the U.S. state of Washington.

Feltham Creek Point is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.744m (9,002ft) above the sea level located in the Salmon River Mountains, in Custer County, Idaho, in USA. It's one of the highest roads of Idaho.

Currant Creek Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.891m (9,485ft) above the sea level, located in the Front Range of central Colorado, USA.

Sacramento Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 9,262ft (2.823m) above the sea level, located in Otero County, in the south-central part of the US State of New Mexico.

Chopaka Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.903m (6,243ft) above the sea level, located in Okanogan County, in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–US border. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Washington.

Locaeted in Buchanan County, Iowa, in USA, the Victor Avenue Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Snow Valley Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.813m (9,229ft) above the sea level, located in Carson City, in the U.S. state of Nevada.

Little Bald Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.189m (7,182ft) above the sea level, located in Placer County, in the U.S. state of California. It’s also known as Duncan Peak.

Windy Gap is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.354m (11,004ft) above the sea level located in Montezuma County, the southwesternmost of the 64 counties in the U.S. state of Colorado.

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.

Hanson Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.890m (12,762ft) 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.

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.