Are you thinking about where to go on your next road trip adventure? We’ve clocked up thousands of miles driving around the US, and we think it’s by far the best way to explore America’s cities and national parks.
Below you’ll find our bucket list US road trips guide, and then we get into our favorite individual routes. They’re all awesome, so take a look into each option before deciding!
Don’t forget to look through our travel guidebooks to see if we have any available for your next road trip. We also have cities and national parks which you might be visiting during your trip.
Bucket List
The USA is massive. Seriously, it can be even bigger than it looks.
Did you know it would take about 50 hours to drive from the west coast all the way to the east coast? We know this because we did it… New York City to Seattle. It was amazing!
But with so many options, where do you begin? This is why we created an extensive guide featuring the 30 best US road trips.
Unmissable US Road Trip Routes
New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary
This fall foliage tour of New England features ten amazing stops with a 5, 7 and 10 day example itinerary.
Without going into much detail, this road trip includes locations in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and a special additional location.
>> New England fall foliage road trip
If you’re heading to New England, you might also like our guide to the best stops along the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.
South Dakota Road Trip
We believe South Dakota’s Black Hills are highly underrated. When we first drove through this area in 2019, we didn’t have much expectation, but we were completely blown away by the beauty of the Black Hills.
We loved the area so much, we decided to explore more of the area in 2021 and used this trip to perfect our South Dakota travel guides. This features detailed itineraries for both a 4 day and 7 day road trip through South Dakota.
Utah’s Mighty Five
Utah is home to the amazing Mighty Five National Parks circuit. This road trip features dramatic landscapes, fascinating sandstone rock formations, epic hiking and stunning photography opportunities.
Our Utah Road trip guide will take you to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Park along with hopping the border into northern Arizona for even more scenery.
This Utah road trip guide is jammed packed with nine amazing itineraries to help you plan your dream vacation.
>> 10 amazing Utah road trip routes
If you’re heading to Utah, you may also want to check out the top things to do in Kanab.
California Pacific Coast Highway
California’s Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is one hell of a road trip. As you drive the winding turns of California’s coast, you will pass quaint towns, bucket list cities and stunning vistas.
The drive along California’s Pacific Coast Highway 1 from San Francisco to San Diego is easily on of the most famous US road trips. Our PCH guide will detail 23 amazing stops along California’s coast.
>> San Francisco to San Diego road trip
Salt Lake City To Yellowstone
Driving through Wyoming from Salt Lake City to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park is an extremely picturesque drive. We believe 7 days is the perfect amount of time to cover everything on this route.
This guide includes a 7 day road trip featuring things to do and where to stay in each location as well as helpful alternative routes and airport information.
>> Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip
Mount Rushmore To Yellowstone
This is one of our favorite road trip routes because it combines South Dakota’s stunning Black Hills with 3 National Parks, Devils Tower National Monument and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
We have created this perfect 10 day itinerary based on our personal experience. This guide will show you the very best things to do, where to stay and how to make the most of your visit to both South Dakota and Wyoming.
>> Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone road trip
Zion To Bryce Canyon National Park
Combining a visit to both Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park makes for a great southwest Utah road trip itinerary.
Zion is great for adventure hiking while Bryce Canon is good for families and photographers. In this guide, we will show you how to visiting both National Parks with 3 different travel itineraries.
>> Zion to Bryce Canyon road trip
Visit our National Parks page to read our extensive collection of travel guides.
Road Trip Resources
There are many variables that go into planning for a road trip and it can be extremely overwhelming. This next section is dedicated to helping you plan, pack and prepare for your time on the road.
Start with these motivational road trip quotes then use the other road trip planning resources below to help you get ready for your adventure.
Planning
We have created a simple system to plan a road trip in 10 easy steps. This guide will focus on how to pick your destination and then plan a route.
We will then explain how to create a budget, how to prep your vehicle and mistakes you should avoid. We will also go over important planning apps to help you plan your journey.
Read how to plan a road trip here.
Packing
Packing for a road trip can be the most difficult part, but it doesn’t have to be.
Less is more when it comes to packing.
You don’t want to be driving around with a car stuffed full to the brim. Too much stuff will get old very fast.
Use our road trip packing list which has been tried and tested. This packing guide features a downloadable checklist so you can check off each item individually as you pack for your trip.
Need a travel itinerary? Shop our travel ebooks.
Apps
We have put together a short list of the best apps and resources we use everyday. These resources will help you save money, time and of course, help you experience the very best of the United States.
- National Park Pass – If you plan to visit many National Parks or National Monuments during your trip, we recommend you buy an America The Beautiful Interagency Pass. For only $80, your entrance fees are covered for an entire year.
- Booking.com – We love booking because it helps us find hotels anywhere in America. Even hotels in those tiny rural towns that seem to be in middle of nowhere. Booking always offers the best deals compared to any other hotel platform.
- Gaia GPS – If you plan to do some hiking when traveling around the US, look no farther than Gaia GPS. With this app you can download offline maps so you will know exactly where you are at all times on the trail. Use our special link to receive 20% off your Gaia GPS subscription.
- Rental Cars – Planning on renting a car or vehicle? We always recommend rentals cars to find the best prices because this platform compares the biggest brand names in the industry.
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