Finding the best scenic byways in the United States

Scenic drives in the United States are easy to find and surprisingly hard to judge. Every state tourism office has a list, every guidebook has a top ten, and the only thing the lists have in common is that they say little about whether a 25-foot motorhome can actually use the road. The federal byways program is a useful first filter, as long as it is read for what it is: a recognition of qualities, not a statement about road width, grades or services.

The figures below come from the Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service, and seasonal dates are typical rather than guaranteed. Mountain roads open and close with the snow, so current conditions come first.

What the byways program is

The National Scenic Byways Program was created by Congress in 1991 and is now branded America's Byways. The US Department of Transportation designates roads that have at least one of six intrinsic qualities: archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational or scenic. A designation is a recognition and a marketing label; it does not set vehicle limits or guarantee a campground. The program grew in rounds, and the most recent one, in January 2021, added 49 roads, 15 of them as All-American Roads and 34 as National Scenic Byways. In total there are 184 byways in 48 states.

Two tiers, plus the states

The two categories differ in level. A National Scenic Byway needs at least one intrinsic quality. An All-American Road must have two of the six and features that do not exist elsewhere in the country, strong enough to make the road a destination in itself. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Beartooth Highway are both All-American Roads. Many states also run their own byway systems with separate criteria, and these can include excellent roads that are not on the federal list, so the federal designation is a start and not the whole picture.

Reading a byway as a camper

For a camper, five checks matter more than the label. First, vehicle limits: height, width and length restrictions, which are published by the road manager. Second, grades and switchbacks, which decide whether a large rental motorhome is comfortable or stressed. Third, speed and traffic, since a slow road is a pleasure in a camper and a problem on a tight schedule. Fourth, overnight options along the route: campgrounds, or towns with an RV park a short drive away. Fifth, the season: roads at high altitude close for months, and summer storms and fires can close any road at short notice.

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles (755 km) through Virginia and North Carolina and is designed for slow travel at 45 mph (72 km/h) or less, free from commercial traffic. It is the most visited unit of the National Park System, with about 16.5 million visits in 2025, so weekends in autumn colors are busy. Its 26 tunnels are the main constraint for tall vehicles: the lowest, Bunches Bald, clears 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 m), and many motorhomes are taller. The parkway has campgrounds at Doughton Park, Julian Price Memorial Park, Linville Falls and Crabtree Meadows, among others. The highest point, Richland Balsam, is 6,053 feet (1,845 m). The park service posts road status and closures, refreshed daily.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

This 50-mile (80 km) road crosses Glacier National Park in Montana and takes about two hours without stops. Between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun, vehicles are limited to 21 feet (6.4 m) in length and 8 feet (2.4 m) in width, and vehicles about 10 feet tall may have trouble driving west from Logan Pass because of rock overhangs, so most motorhomes will need to see the road by shuttle or leave the vehicle at a campground. Logan Pass is at 6,646 feet (2,026 m). In a normal year the full road opens by early July and closes by mid-October, though snow can change the dates. Speed limits are 40 mph (64 km/h) in the lower sections and 25 mph (40 km/h) in the alpine stretch. Vehicle reservations are not required in 2026.

Beartooth Highway

US 212 between Red Lodge, Montana, and the Wyoming side near Yellowstone measures about 68 miles (110 km) and reaches 10,947 feet (3,337 m) at Beartooth Pass, climbing from about 5,200 feet in roughly twelve miles on steep switchbacks. It generally opens around Memorial Day weekend and closes around mid-October, and snowstorms can occur in midsummer. Long vehicles and underpowered engines should expect a slow, demanding climb, and brakes on the descent need care. Fuel up before the climb and check the road status the same morning.

Planning the route

A workable method is to start from the federal and state lists, narrow them by the five checks above, and then read the road manager's own page, whether National Park Service, state transport agency or forest service, for limits and closures. Plan overnights at the start and end of a byway, not in the middle, and keep a day of slack for weather. A route that connects two or three byways in one region is better than a long transfer, since driving distances in the western United States add up faster than the map suggests. Offline maps or a paper atlas are worth carrying, since mobile signal is unreliable on high passes and inside park interiors.

Sources

• USDOT Announces New America's Byways Designations (Federal Highway Administration)
• National Scenic Byway (Wikipedia)
• Going-to-the-Sun Road General Info (Glacier National Park, National Park Service)
• Blue Ridge Parkway (Wikipedia)
• Beartooth Highway (Wikipedia)
• Plan Your Visit (Blue Ridge Parkway, National Park Service)