Ultimate Road Trips -- National Geographic

Sometimes it's the journey, sometimes it's the destination—and sometimes, it's both. National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get directions, quizzes, photos, and more.

50 Road Trips

North Carolina’s Outer Banks

Take in the fresh sea air along the Outer Banks, where nature still rules this tendril of barrier islands.
Northern Mississippi River

Artistic offerings combined with small-town Americana make for the best of the Midwest.
The Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Olympics and their peninsula of 3,600 square miles are still surprisingly, romantically wild.
The Ozarks, Arkansas

Deciduous forests create a kaleidoscopic palette of crimsons, saffrons, and ochres.
Pirate Route, Jamaica

Once the home of pirates galore, today's treasures of Port Royal, Jamaica, are historic and scenic delights.
Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming

Drive from the snowcapped peaks of northern Colorado to the endless high plains of Wyoming.
San Luis Valley, Colorado

For a trip into history, few parts of the American Southwest can top this stretch of the Rockies' front range.
The Santa Barbara Loop, California

Soak in the Mediterranean climate of this Pacific gem, complete with broad beaches and yacht harbors.
The Sawtooths, Idaho

Climb more than 5,000 feet into the terrain of the Sawtooths where elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats await.
Shipwreck Coast, Michigan

Behold the power of Lake Superior from a string of quiet roads along the upper peninsula
The Southwest's Four Corners

Witness the sculpted horizons of the southwest, where man-made boundaries mean nothing to the rugged lands.
Vermont Cheese Trail

Visit the farmstead alchemists in the Green Mountain State for great food, fun, and scenery.
The Wild West, Kansas

Revisit the Wild West with a drive through rough-and-tumble cowboy life.