From the Canadian border almost all the way to Mexico, the U.S. Rockies are our largest and longest mountain chain and one of its most diverse and spectacular.
One of the best ways to enjoy them is from the road, and there’s no shortage of spectacular drives in our national forests in these mountains.
The byways included here will amaze you and make you want to return again and again. And don’t forget to stop from time to time for hikes and other awesome activities!
Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, Montana
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The Yellowstone and Glacier areas get most of the tourist attention in Montana, and a lot of people don’t know that the southwestern part of the state has beautiful mountain ranges that are almost empty of people by comparison. The Pioneers is one of them, and this byway takes you on a journey through them with plenty of hiking, fishing, and camping opportunities.
Beartooth Highway, Montana-Wyoming
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Legendary travel writer Charles Kuralt called this drive “the most beautiful roadway in America.” It connects the towns of Red Lodge and Cooke City in Montana, and it’s a major gateway to Yellowstone national park. A long stretch of the road is in Wyoming as well. The highlight is the stretch near Beartooth Pass where you ascend into and drive through a realm of alpine tundra where snowy peaks and icy-cold tarns seem to be everywhere. Keep an eye out for grizzly bears and moose!
Salmon River Scenic Byway, Idaho
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From a Montana mountain pass in the Bitterroot Mountains, this road meanders through mountains and river valleys in central Idaho. Among its many recreational opportunities is the chance to go whitewater rafting on the Salmon, one of the best rivers in the country for it. The byway’s southern end is at the town of Stanley, which is the northern terminus of the next drive on this list.
Sawtooth Scenic Byway, Idaho
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Sometimes called the Sierra Nevada of the Rockies, the Sawtooths consist of jagged peaks that dominate the skyline and glow pink at dawn. The byway itself provides access not to just the Sawooths but also to a handful of other, lesser-known mountain ranges.
Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, Wyoming
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This road from Cody to the East Entrance of Yellowstone was President Theodore Roosevelt’s pick for America’s most beautiful road. It follows the course of the South Fork Shoshine River for much of its way, crossing the river several times. Along the way, you’ll see hot springs, wildlife, rugged rock formations, and beautiful mountain views.
Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway, Wyoming
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One of the best drives you’ll ever take, this one starts (or ends) in the little town of Dubois. It climbs up the valley of the Wind River, leaving behind colorful badlands as it ascends into the brooding volcanic peaks and pinnacles of the Absaroka Range. From the Continental Divide at Togwotee Pass, it descends to Grand Teton National Park, home to some of America’s most famous mountains. Then it heads south through the park and Jackson Hole, eventually ending in Pinedale at the foot of the Wind River Range. Wyoming’s highest. You can do this drive in about three hours, but there’s so much to see and do that it’s better to take three days.
Bighorn Scenic Byways, Wyoming
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In northeastern Wyoming, the Bighornds rise like a massive wall over the surrounding plains. The scenic byways here run east-west through beautiful canyons, over mountain passes, and past archeological sites dating back to the ancient Native Americans.
Snowy Range Highway, Wyoming
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Just southwest of Laramie, this byway begins among rolling plains but quickly becomes highly scenic as it climbs into the mountains past tumbling streams and through aspen groves. The road crests at Snowy Range Pass among meadows of alpine tundra. You’ll also have great views of the high peaks and clear alpine lakes that on calm mornings perfectly reflect the surrounding peaks.
Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, Utah
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The Uintas are Utah’s highest mountains and one of the few east-west ranges in the country. The Mirror Lake Scenic Byway passes through a beautiful section of the range with access to campgrounds, trails, and lakes. The southern end is by the town of Kamas, and the northern end is at the Wyoming border.
Logan Canyon Scenic Byway, Utah
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The classic way to drive this route is from south to north. Beginning from the town of Logan, the byway passes through Logan Canyon and its sheer limestone walls. Near the crest is a recreational area with hiking trails into the subalpine peaks of the Mount Naomi Wilderness. Then the road descends mostly open terrain to the stunning turquoise waters of Bear Lake in Idaho.
Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Colorado
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Warning: you have to pay a fee to drive the entirety of this road, but it’s worth doing at least once. Less than an hour from downtown Denver, this route takes you past boulder fields, forests of ancient and gnarled limber pines, a stunning lake above treeline, and finally to a parking area above 14,000’, where it’s a short hike to the summit of Mt. Evans. It’s very easy to experience the effects of altitude sickness due to the massive elevation gain, so if you’re from the lowlands, spend a few days acclimating before driving up this road.
San Juan Skyway, Colorado
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In southwestern Colorado, a series of roads make a roughly triangular route connecting Ridgway, Durango, and Cortez. They take you into the San Juan Mountains, Colorado’s largest, most rugged, and most colorful mountain range. Hiking, camping, mountain climbing, and ice climbing are big draws here. The region is also known for some of the best summer wildflower displays in the state, and with its long mining history, there are plenty of ghost towns and other ruins to explore.
Inner Loop-Gila Cliff Dwellings Scenic Byway, New Mexico
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Southwestern New Mexico might make you conjure an image of a barren, sun-scorched desert, but the Gila Mountains are anything but that. While the Gilas aren’t a truly alpine range (they’re not high enough to break above treeline at their latitude), they’re high enough to be a “sky island” featuring flora and fauna typically found much farther north, and they get a ton of snow most winters.
This byway takes you on a winding trip through canyons and across plateaus and ends at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, where you can walk through the amazing structures ancient Native Americans built here.
The 30 Most Beautiful Places in the World That Everyone Must See
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There’s no way you could ever come up with a definitive list of the world’s most beautiful places. However, if you ask around, some places come up a lot more frequently than others do.
The following are some of the places that people mention over and over again, not in any particular order.
30 Breathtaking Places You Must See Before You Die
The Two Best Scenic Wonders in Each of the Mountain States
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The Mountain States– Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico– have some of the wildest and most rugged landscapes in the United States. Because they’re so big, it can take a lot of time to visit them, so it helps to be able to plan for some specific destinations.
Following are our choices for the top two must-see outdoor locations in each of these seven states.
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