There’s nothing like cruising along an open road with the music blaring, a car full of snacks and no idea where you’re going. That sense of adventure gave way to the classic American road trip. After all, there aren’t many other places where you can drive amidst tall pine trees, dart along the coast or zig-zag over a mountain range — all while staying in the same country.
So, why do we love road trips? Because of the freedom and discovery that come along with them. You might stop at a roadside diner that serves the best pancakes you’ve ever had, or you could find a cabin next to a peaceful lake to channel your zen for a few days.
For this ranking of the 25 best road trips in the U.S., we used data gathered by Geotab that looked at TripAdvisor review ratings, annual average daily traffic data and a country-wide survey to score these classic highway and parkway routes. While the iconic Route 66 didn’t break into the top 25, other popular routes throughout the Southwest made the top 10. No matter your travel interests, here’s all the info you need to plan your next American road trip!