When we talk about great American road trips, we tend to think of epic cross-country routes from sea to shining sea or mini-epics in the vast West.
Unfortunately, we often overlook all the great road trips in the Eastern states, maybe because these states are smaller.
So here are some awesome drives in the East; some can be done in a few hours, and others can take several days if you want them to.
Acadia National Park, Maine
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There’s no single roadway through this park, but the loop road on Mt. Desert Island and its spurs make a scenic overview that will leave you wanting to come back. You’ll see dramatic rocky coastline, beaches, cathedral-like forests, glacier-carved lakes, and more.
Franconia Notch State Park and Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire
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Franconia Notch State Park has rugged peaks, waterfalls, and rushing streams, and it’s easily accessed from an interstate highway. After spending as much time as you want there, head east for the Kancamagus Highway and more stellar White Mountains scenery. You’ll end up in the area of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast and known for some of the world’s most capricious weather.
Adirondack Park, New York
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This huge park has so many roads that ideas for road trips are almost endless. One recommendation for seeing much of the best is to exit I-87 in the Ausable River area and then make a tour including Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Great Sacandaga Lake. This can be one long day, or it can be split up over several.
Seneca Rocks to Blackwater Falls, West Virginia
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From Petersburg, drive west and then south on 28/55 to Seneca Rocks, where you’ll find two spectacular fins of hard sandstone, one of which is the highest peak east of the Black Hills that can only be accessed by technical climbing. Then, scenic U.S. 33 and SR 72 will take you through the Canaan Valley to Blackwater Falls State Park, an all-season destination.
George Washington Memorial Parkway, Virginia
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Best avoided on weekdays during rush hour, when it becomes clogged with commuter traffic, the GW Parkway is 25 miles of scenic driving between McLean and Mt. Vernon along the south bank of the Potomac River. Not far to the east is spectacular Great Falls Park, a regional favorite.
State Route 231, Virginia
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For nearly 50 miles, SR 21, officially designated as a state scenic byway, runs through Madison County in Virginia’s Piedmont from near Sperryville to Cismont. It’s known for its small, quaint towns, horse farms, and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you’re traveling north or south along U.S. 29, SR 231 is a quiet and pretty alternative for the length of its run even if it does add some extra driving time.
Skyline Drive, Virginia
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As you drive along SR 231, the Blue Ridge peaks you see to the west are in Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive is a 105-mile north-south byway through the park and along the crest of the Blue Ridge. You can drive it in just 3-4 hours and enjoy the views, but if you can, take advantage of the park’s lodges and campgrounds to stay longer and get acquainted with its backcountry.
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia-North Carolina
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For 470 miles, the Blue Ridge Parkway winds and climbs among the Blue Ridge and other mountain ranges before ending in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Recreational opportunities and fantastic scenery abound, and numerous lodges and campgrounds help you take as much time as you want enjoying it all.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina-Tennessee
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From the terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, drive the main park road through the Smokies to Gatlinburg in Tennessee. Take time for detours to Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the park and in Tennessee, and to Cades Cove, where you can tour a restored frontier community.
Waterfalls Country, North Carolina
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Southwest of Asheville and south of the Smokies is North Carolina’s “Waterfalls Country,” where, as you might guess, you can see numerous waterfalls. Many of them are off or close to U.S. 64. In the region are Looking Glass Falls and Hickory Nut Falls, both popularized by the 1990s blockbuster The Last of the Mohicans.
Highway 12, North Carolina
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Over on the other end of North Carolina are miles and miles of barrier islands and beaches. The classic road trip through them is NC 12 through the Outer Banks, where the road is mostly a two-lane thoroughfare often with views on the Atlantic on one side and a sound on the other. Although NC 12 starts up north in Corolla, the best stretch for avoiding bad traffic and touristy stretches is from south of Nags Head to just past Cape Hatteras, but you can extend the trip via two ferries to Ocracoke Island and back to the mainland at Cedar Island.
Big Cypress National Preserve and the Everglades, Florida
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East of Naples, follow U.S. 41 through Big Cypress National Preserve and then the Everglades to Sweetwater. Next, head south and endure traffic to Florida City, gateway to the most-accessible portions of Everglades National Park. Drive the park road all the way to Florida Bay. You’ll see numerous bird species, stately cypress trees, mangrove swamps, reptiles such as alligators and turtles, and so much more.
U.S. 1, Florida
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Driving the entirety of U.S. 1 from north to south through Florida would be a frustrating slog. The portion we recommend runs along the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West. You’ll have white-sand beaches and ocean vistas as highlights, but you should stop along the way at state parks and other attractions before you’re channeling your inner Jimmy Buffett in Margaritaville!
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