Best Driving Roads

[SnowVert]

Hiya all,

I did a quick search and didn't find anything on these forums. So forgive me if this has been done before. I, like I assume many of you are, am a driving enthusiast. I love finding the twisty, winding scenic drives just to have the joy of driving on them.

I'd like to create a thread of some of these scenic drives that not everyone would know about. What I'd like is for you guys to post up your favorite local drives, or any other spectacular routes that you are aware of that someone who doesn't live near you might never stumble across.

For example, one of my favorite drives is the St. Croix/Mississippi river valley from Stillwater MN to Redwing MN and back on the WI side. Obviously this route can be extended further south or north if you have the time (Lake City just south of Red Wing is a great little spot to stop) but this route highlights some of my favorite views.

http://mapq.st/xJCNZ1

Feel free to add your favorites to the list.

[Powhusku]

Beartooth Pass Going Between Cody, WY and Red Lodge, MT. Hands down one of the most scenic drives in america, and most definelty one of the funnest, permitting traffic is low.

Here's the map of the route, look at all those glorious switchbacks! Pro-Tip: Click the "3D" button for a rendered real time version of the drive.

[SnowVert]

I do love Beartooth, took my Solstice through there a few years back...

[Ivas]

Man, you're just too far away to even consider roads that I know.

[Steve Dallas]

My favorite is Route 20 in Washington state. It was rated many years ago by Car & Driver as one of the top 10 roads in America. It's still an awesome drive, with a fairly big river running longside as you go up over the pass. It's closed during the winter.

Here's some video of various sections of the highway.

The video here is just after I got my GoPro, and took it for a test run on my favorite road. Pardon the rattling...I hadn't shimmed the camera mount yet.

Basically, I've been doing a cruise over this pass to Winthrop each Spring in May. We'll be doing it for the 3rd time this year on May 5th (Check out the Pacific Northwest Section for more info).

[TOMS1SS]

US60 Salt River Canyon:

[TOMS1SS]

State Route 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona, AZ:

[TOMS1SS]

US60 between Globe and Superior, AZ:

[TOMS1SS]

State Route 260 on the Mogollon Rim:

[TOMS1SS]

State Route 87 Beeline Highway between Fountain Hills and Payson, AZ:

[TOMS1SS]

State 88 Apache Trail:

[SnowVert]

Originally Posted by Ivas

Man, you're just too far away to even consider roads that I know.

Actually, I do live quite a ways away... But I typically take 2 or 3 road trips a year. In may I'm heading down to key west. I'm just trying to get a thread together of fun roads for all of us to share. You never know, you might know of some gems in your area that others who live near you might not have discovered yet. I'm betting that many of us didn't buy our camaros just for a weekend drive or to go too and from work. I'm always looking for a fun road for my next road trip.

[2ndgenz28]

any place outside city limits where houses and other cars are few and far between.........

[fielderLS3]

West and southwest Wisconsin is full of great drivers roads snaking through the rolling hills. One of my favorites is Hwy 33 between La Crosse and Wildcat Mountain. It snakes along the top of a rolling bluff, and usually has very little traffic.

In my travels, I've also been on a lot of great roads out west as well, including most of the ones posted above.

A few that stand out for me:

-The Pacific Coast highway. Even in an Explorer, that was fun to drive.

-US 2 and 89, and Hwy 49 along the east and southeast sides of Glacier National Park.

-US 191 through the canyon between Bozeman, Montana, and West Yellowstone. There is usually too much traffic on this, but if you are lucky enough to catch an empty stretch at the right time, it is amazing.

-US 34 through the canyon between Loveland and Estes Park, Colorado. Another road that tends to have too much traffic, but when empty, it is like going up God's driveway, particularly if you have a convertible.

-Hwy 141 in western Colorado. Not the best driver's road, but still a good one. At the half way point, stop in Gateway. It is in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but some eccentric billionaire built a huge resort there, with an enormous car museum with dozens of 6 and 7 figure cars. Remember the $3 million Oldsmobile concept based on the first Corvette from Barret Jackson? That's where it went.