5 Scenic US Road Trips You Can Do in a Weekend

Feeling stuck in the daily grind? Sometimes, all you need is a quick escape to rejuvenate your spirit. The good news is, you don’t need weeks of vacation time to experience breathtaking scenery and adventure. The United States is home to countless scenic drives that are perfect for a weekend getaway.

With just a couple of days off, a reliable car, and a sense of adventure, you can embark on a memorable road trip that will leave you refreshed and inspired. These mini-vacations offer a perfect blend of stunning landscapes, cultural experiences, and the freedom of the open road.

Here are 5 of the most spectacular weekend road trips in the country that will help you break free from your routine and create lasting memories:

The Pacific Coast Highway – California

If your goal is spectacular views along the beach, drive the ultra-scenic Pacific Coast Highway in California, with the shimmering Pacific dipping and rising into sight around almost every bend.

The most-traveled stretch is the 120 miles between Monterey and Morro Bay, but allow a few hours so you can pull over and look at the outcroppings and beaches, put the windows down and feel the sea breeze!

Consider taking a full two days. Stop wherever the mood takes you along the shore. Enjoy 48 hours of refreshing vacation spirit before returning to work on Monday.

Going-to-the-Sun Road – Montana

When you crave scenery that will make your jaw drop, drive Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana, a challenging route through Glacier National Park that leads across mountainous pass after pass.

You’ll ascend 3000 feet of rough road into the wilderness. At regular intervals along the switchbacks, another breathtaking alpine panorama will appear, and you will be reaching for your camera in pleasure and surprise.

A full drive is 3 hours in length. It will require you to stop overnight at least once, to go hiking and wildlife viewing.

Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are certain to grace you with their presence, and you may get lucky enough to catch a bear or two.

The road is open only in summer (aim for June through September, when the high mountain passes are open).

Blue Ridge Parkway – Virginia & North Carolina

Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to a mountain retreat: this spectacularly scenic (and twisting) highway runs through the ancient Appalachian mountains, from Shenandoah National Park in VA to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in NC.

Though not the whole 469 miles can be driven over a weekend, an easy 100-150 mile section can be comfortably managed as a peaceful drive broken only by stopping at overlooks to gaze at the undulating ridge lines rolling to the edges of the earth and beyond in blue haze evoking deep nostalgia.

Schedule in a few short hikes (and a pit stop in artsy Asheville, NC). Stop to take photos when the thin haze over the mountain tops makes them the Smokies you hear about. “It’s truly moving.”

Highway 1 – Maine

For a leisurely pre-20th-century journey, drive up Maine’s Highway 1, the 110-mile coastal stretch between Brunswick and Bucksport, perfect for a weekend away.

Sail past lighthouses and stroll through small towns with their quaint, vintage-inspired charm. Enjoy fresh lobster rolls and other seafood delights. Take long walks on the rocky coast to clear your mind. The views are cinematic!

You will spend your autumn astonished by the turning leaves. Go to Acadia National Park. No matter the time of year, around every corner is a postcard-worthy view of New England.

Historic Route 66 – Arizona

Want some nostalgia? Travel along a portion of the legendary Route 66 through northern Arizona! This drive is a time-machine joyride.

Drive the 158 miles from Seligman to Kingman. It is full of gloriously kitschy roadside attractions, old-time, neon-lit diners, and retro motels that hark back to the halcyon days of US highway culture.

Take it all in!