America’s quietest routes
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The top ten most scenic, quiet routes:
#1 State Route 11 (Alaska)
The Dalton Highway is one of America’s harshest and most remote routes. We’re talking 240 miles between services and only a handful of small towns along the way. It’s mostly the “ice road truckers” who make the difficult journey along this gravel highway, traveling through Alaska’s boreal forests, across its vast mountain ranges, over the Yukon River, all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
#2 U.S. Route (Utah)
This entire 3,000-mile route is dubbed “America’s Loneliest Road.” Route 50’s path cuts across the corner of Utah, passing by the Canyonlands National Park, the Arches National Park and through the vast emptiness of the Great Salt Lake Desert.
#3 U.S. Route 201 (Maine)
“Old Canada Road” is a rural, tree-lined route following the Kennebec River through historic towns like Bingham, passing Wyman Lake all the way up to the Quebec border. It’s at its colorful best during the fall.
#4 U.S. Route 160 (Arizona)
This isolated route runs through the deserted Navajo Nation. These “empty” stretches of highway are surrounded by sandy brush land, wind-worn sandstone canyons, an ancient Pueblo cliff village and unusual rock formations like the Elephant’s Feet, making this an incredibly scenic drive.
#5 State Route 139 (California)
This remote route skirts around the beautiful blue Eagle Lake, before cutting through the Modoc National Forest. It’s a great starting point for hikes around the rugged volcanic landscape of northeastern California.
#6 State Route 90003 (Virginia)
Better known as the Colonial Parkway, this nationally historic, scenic byway is bordered by trees and dotted with colonial-style red brick bridges and tunnels. Make a stop at the James River and York River at each end for the panoramic views, especially in the fall.
#7 U.S. Route 65 (Lousiana)
This stretch of highway is part of the Great River Road. The Louisiana section of this scenic, state-crossing drive, tracks alongside the Mississippi River, into Arkansas and beyond; passing the strikingly clear waters of Lake Bruin along the way.
#8 U.S. Route 212 (Wyoming)
The Beartooth Highway is Wyoming’s highest route. It leads into Yellowstone National Park and has incredible views of jagged mountains, pine forests, rocky peaks and alpine lakes. During the winter, the road is closed due to heavy snow but usually opens back up by Memorial Day weekend.
#9 U.S. Route 2 (New Hampshire)
The long version of this scenic drive passes through several states. Here it winds alongside the Androscoggin River into the picturesque mountain ranges of New Hampshire. A detour takes you into the White Mountains National Forest and passes by the prominent Mount Washington.
#10 State Route 32 (Pennsylvania)
Known as the River Road, this scenic drive follows the Delaware River as it runs alongside the New Jersey border. Historic stops along the way include the Washington River Crossing and the arts and crafts town of New Hope.
Source: geotab.com
