| My Top Scenic Drives in the U.S.
This top ten list is just for fun
and reflects several vacations I have taken to New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina,
Texas, Colorado, Oregon, and places in between. My first top ten list represents my top
ten scenic drives in the U.S. Of course, these are only places I have
actually visited, and I'm sure there are many out there that deserve to be on a list of
ultimate top ten scenic drives; these are only mine.
- California's State Route 299 from Willow Creek to Redding. This highway winds
through the Trinity National Forest, gaining elevation as it follows the beautiful Trinity
River, crests over a range of massive mountains and then down again through rustic little
Whiskeyville and into Redding. Approximately 75 miles as the crow flies, probably
ends up being a full 100 miles by car. Take your time.
- Take the back way into Yellowstone Park following U.S. 89 from Afton, Wyoming, then
connecting to U.S. 191 all the way into Jackson. The drive is beautiful and relaxing
from Afton with lots of wildlife. Small western towns along the way add to the
pleasure of the drive. This route intensifies from Alpine north as it follows the
narrow Snake River valley in this section. You won't catch your breath again until
nearing Jackson. Although Jackson is well worth a day's stay, get yourself psyched
for the traffic and don't plan on making any left turns in town (they're allowed; you just
can't find an opening through the oncoming traffic).
- Oregon State Highway 138 from Diamond Lake to Roseburg. You can camp at the
National Forest camp ground at Diamond Lake (showers available and much cheaper than
Oregon's state parks). Travel west and enjoy the view! Rolling mountains and
forests with the cleanest air you'll ever treat your lungs to! Clearly in the same
class as the first two drives on this list; the only disappointment is the severe clear
cutting as you near the logging town of Roseburg.
- Idaho State Route 30 north to Bear Lake. This and the next four drives fall off
just a little from my top 3. Still awesome country, and although the really scenic
part of this drive consists of about five miles just before reaching Bear Lake, it may
still be worth the 1800 mile drive from Ohio to see it. After many miles of semi
desert in Wyoming, your surroundings suddenly turn very mountainous (massively so) and
very green. Absolutely breathtaking.
- U.S. Highway 89 North from Logan, Utah to Bear Lake. Similar to drive #4, you
won't be disappointed if you begin this drive from clear back in Salt Lake City.
This is some laid back country, very relaxing, with beautiful, green, forested mountains
and winding highway. Garden City, Idaho is worth a short stop along the way.
On either of the above drives, however, view Bear Lake and leave unless you're motelling
it and have made reservations in advance. The Idaho Department of Natural Resources
have done a bad job at Bear Lake. Campsites are the size of a postage stamp, and the
Camping at Cascade Campground is just plain dirty in addition to being overcrowded.
Revenue is clearly the management objective here. Retirees who travel in land yachts
flock here; I don't know why. Worth the drive, but not the stay.
- I-80 East of Salt Lake City. I can't believe I'm recommending a freeway drive on
my top ten list. Believe me, freeways will get you someplace fast, but 99.9% of
what's worth seeing is somewhere else. This is the .1 percent. For about ten
or fifteen miles just east of Salt Lake City is similar landscape to drives #4 and #5.
You won't believe the size of some of the boulders on these mountains. Again,
you drive through a lot of desert or semi-desert to get here, then it's oasis land all of
a sudden. Watch the freeway traffic in Salt Lake City. It's not terrible
unless there's construction. Then look out!
- West of Denver on I-70 - Here's another freeway drive that is absolutely breathtaking!
The mountains that stare you in the face as you approach Denver are unique in that
there are no foothills. You drive through some pretty flat semi-desert as you
approach Denver. the mountains start just to the West of the city and shoot straight
up. If you follow I-70 west, you meander through some of the most awesome terrain
you'll ever see. Still better to find some smaller highways to drive to see more
scenery. A good choice is U.S. 40 north to Winter Park and Granby and then U.S. 34
north to the Grand Lake area. Might as well visit Rocky Mountain National Park while
you're in the vacinity. This may be the most mountainous national park on the
mainland!
- Northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado - The drive on U.S. 287 northwest out of Fort
Collins provides a great variety of terrain. In general, the drive starts out
through some rugged mountain country and gradually becomes less rugged and more rolling,
winding through gentle hills with a pleasant variety of vegetation. If mountain
driving is stressful for you, your stress will melt away and you'll enjoy the simplicity
of this land. It was a place I wanted to stay. Gradually, the highway levels
out as you approach Cheyenne, Wyoming.
- Drive North into Montana - If my recommendations reveal a bias toward rugged mountains,
I have to plead guilty. There is something about green mountains that I love, and
much of the west is brown. That is undoubtedly why drives like U. S. 89 north out of
Yellowstone Park headed north toward Livingston, Montana, appeals to me so much.
This area is probably what many people think all of Montana looks like, except those who
have seen the movie A River Runs Through It. No doubt the best scenes in
Montana are ones similar to those in the movie, which I haven't seen yet but vow to see
someday. Those are hidden away in the Bitterroot Mountians southwest of
Missoula. Someday, I'll get there and will include the area in my list!
- Blue Ridge Parkway - The first drive of my top ten which is east of the Mississippi.
That is because the eastern mountains can't compare to those out west.
Nevertheless, I'm convinced that every American citizen should take this trip to see the
sheer splendor of the southern Appalachians, including the Blue Ridge Mountians and Smoky
Mountain National Park. The parkway is well maintained and is complete with bridges
made of stone and wood giving the drive a very rustic feel. You won't see many
electric or telephone lines, which cleans up the view considerably. A few
well-placed mountain tunnels add to the beauty and excitement of this drive. Plenty
of pulloffs along the way allow for relaxing stops to take in the teriffic views and
full-service stops along the way provide gas, food, and lodging as well as lots of local
arts, crafts, and culture. If you're ambitious enough to hike at some of these
stops, you will be treated to plenty of waterfalls and other beautiful natural wonders of
the area. You can get there in a day's drive from Ohio easy. Figure on
spending a week on the parkway, taking your time to enjoy just the parkway experience.
The Smoky Mountain Park is a great destination, but only if you like camping and
hiking. Only the two welcome centers and Clingman's Dome offer much to the
drive-through tourist, but those types have already gotten themselves in the habit of
missing the really good stuff anyway. Their loss. For those tourists who tire
of nature, though, there is still a lot for them at Cherokee, an elaborate tourist trap,
and on the west side of Smoky Mountain National Park at Gatlinburg (which takes trapping
tourists to unparallelled heights) and Pigeon Forge, home of Dolly Parton, Dollywood theme
park, and many other attractions.
Hope you've enjoyed my review of my top ten scenic drives. Thanks for your
patience while it was under construction.
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