Best Road Trip Routes in the USA

Plan the Best Road Trip Routes in the USA  

The United States is undoubtedly home to the best road trips in the world. Between bustling cities are thousands of miles of the empty blacktop just waiting for you to explore.  

At Locals Insider, our writers have driven the Original Route 66 and enjoyed various legs of the Appalachian Trail in an RV, marveling at the incredible scenery and quirky roadside attractions America is famous for.  

So, without further ado, let us introduce you to eight of the best road trip routes in the USA that you can plan in 2025.  

1: The Original Route 66  

Route 66, USA. 
  • Route: Chicago to Los Angeles  
  • Distance: 2,250 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 2 weeks  

The quintessential American road trip, travel coast to coast along America’s Route 66, the original highway. Traverse eight states, experience memorable roadside attractions and diners, and visit gazetted National Parks along the way.  

Cadillac Ranch Texas
Photo credit: FB @1974cadillacranch

There’s so much to see on Route 66, but we highly recommend a stop at Cadillac Ranch, just outside Amarillo, Texas. This public art display features ten half-buried graffiti-covered Cadillacs in the barren Texan desert. Pretty cool.  

2: The San Juan Skyway  

The Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. 
  • Route: Durango to Durango (loop)  
  • Distance: 236 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 1-2 days  

There’s no better way to see the Rockies than a road trip around the San Juan Skyway. Though you can travel the route in 6-7 hours when the road is in good shape, we recommend breaking the journey into several days to appreciate the natural beauty all around you.  

This route encompasses “The Million Dollar Highway” between Silverton and Ouray, with a high point of 11,018ft. While nature gazing is the best activity to do on the San Juan Skyway, we recommend booking onto the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for a trip deep into the San Juan Mountains on an iconic steam locomotive.   

3: The Loneliest Road in America  

The Loneliest Road in Nevada  
  • Route: San Francisco to Maryland  
  • Distance: 3,200 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 2-4 weeks  

The Loneliest Road in America follows US-50 across a dozen states, including the nation’s capital, Washington DC. This is a road trip if you’ve got time to kill and want to see old-town America at its finest. It’s actually the Nevada section of this route that was famously dubbed “The Loneliest Road in America” in a publication of Life Magazine in 1986.  

Today, the Nevada section of the route is the perfect opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We highly recommend a stop at Eureka, an old mining town in Nevada. Visit a haunted hotel and an old newspaper museum, and enjoy a beer at a sagebrush saloon for a memorable experience of the Old West.  

4: The Appalachian Trail  

Appalachian Trail
  • Route: Georgia to Maine   
  • Distance: 2,100 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 2-3 weeks  

While many people aspire to hike the Appalachian Trail, making a road trip out of it is easier and just as memorable. This route takes in 14 states and is a wonderful way to see the natural beauty of New Hampshire, West Virginia, and North Carolina.  

There’s so much to see and do along the way and many beautiful places to stay, particularly if you’re doing the Trail in an RV. One of the most beautiful sections of the Appalachian Trail is the Shenandoah National Park. We recommend a birding trip in the Park, where you can spot elusive bird species like the Scarlet Tanager and the Cerulean Warbler. 

5: The Gulf Coast  

The Gulf Coast
  • Route: Amelia Island to Key West  
  • Distance: 475 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 1 week  

While most visitors to Florida have theme parks or retirement on their minds, Highway 1 is a magnificent road trip to experience the unique Gulf Coast culture. It’s best to avoid this route during hurricane season, which runs from June to October, but it’s perfectly fine at any other time of the year.  

It takes in everything Florida has to offer, from historic St Augustine to the glitz and glamor of Miami Beach. However, our top recommendation for this route is the unspoiled stretch of the undeveloped Atlantic coastline of the Canaveral National Seashore. Whether fishing or relaxing, experience Florida without the crowds.  

6: The Southern Pacific  

Tombstone, AZ, on the Southern Pacific Route. 
  • Route: San Diego to Savannah  
  • Distance: 2,444 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 2-4 weeks  

There’s no better way to experience the charm and oddities of Southern culture than a road trip from San Diego to Savannah. Many travelers descend on Tombstone, Arizona, for a flavor of the Wild West as it was back in the 1880s, but our number one stop on this route is the quirky town of Roswell, New Mexico.  

This UFO-crazy town is home to the only UFO-themed McDonald’s restaurant in the world. But there’s also a UFO museum and other alien-related attractions to sink your teeth into at the heart of the desert.  

7: The Road to Nowhere  

  • Route: North Dakota to Texas  
  • Distance: 1,805 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 2-3 weeks  

The Road to Nowhere is a direct route from North Dakota to Southern Texas. Historically, it was the only paved route from Canada to Mexico, and today, it’s a wonderful way to explore lesser-visited states at a snail’s pace, including South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.  

Sitting Bull Monument

There’s so much to see on this flat, expansive route, but we recommend paying tribute to the legendary warrior at the Sitting Bull Monument in South Dakota. Later in your trip, don’t forget to take a slight detour to visit the Alamo in Texas before finishing at the magnificent South Padre Island.  

8: The Badlands Black Hill Loop  

Black Hills South Dakota
  • Route: Badlands to Badlands (loop)  
  • Distance: 330 miles  
  • Recommended travel time: 1-2 days  

While many US residents and visitors overlook the Dakotas, the Badlands Black Hill Loop is one of our favorite short road trips in the United States. It’s a wonderful way to experience the vast expanse of the Great Plains in all its glory.  

You can take in the Crazy Horse Memorial, gaze at vast herds of buffalo, and even spend time at the hugely impressive Wind Cave National Park. But when you’re in the Black Hills of South Dakota, you must visit Mount Rushmore to see the sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States.  

The verdict: The best road trip in the USA?  

USA is still among US travelers’ list of the most searched countries.

If we had to pick just one route to try in 2025, it would be the Southern Pacific. What’s not to love about a route that takes in Roswell and Tombstone on the same trip?  

But any of the eight journeys will create memories and an Instagram profile to die for. So, grab a paper map and highlight all the stops you want to make as you plan your great American adventure in 2025.  

Remember to explore some travel gadgets you may need when planning your road trip, such as power banks or travel cameras.

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