Scenic Drives + Wild Places to Experience This Season
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
The transitional stretch between winter and spring is a good moment to get out for a drive. But not just any drive—a road trip on one of many incredibly scenic routes across the U.S. In many parts of the country, the weather is mild during this time of year, the roads are quieter and the landscapes are shifting with the season. Deserts are cool enough for hiking, coastal routes feel open and uncrowded and forests and wetlands in the South begin to show early signs of spring.
If you’re itching to hit the road, these scenic routes and natural wonders have early-season travel written all over them.
Desert Landscapes
CHIHUAHUAN DESERT NATURE CENTER
Texas
Trails, botanical gardens and a cactus greenhouse showcase local flora in the foothills of West Texas’ Davis Mountains. Head to Clayton’s Overlook for a 360-degree panorama and a lesson on the geology on view. Cooler months make it especially pleasant to wander the trails, where yucca, ocotillo and desert grasses define the rugged landscape.
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE
California
Hike otherworldly Kelso Dunes (bring water!) and you might hear them “sing,” a phenomenon caused by vibrations in air compressed beneath the dunes’ gleaming ivory sand. Press on toward Cima Dome Volcanic Field, where a natural skylight illuminates a basaltic lava tube. Vast desert basins, Joshua tree forests and long empty roads make the preserve feel especially expansive.
PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK + PAINTED DESERT
Arizona
Tour remnants of fossilized trees through badlands and mesas decked out in stripes of orange, pink and purple, made from striated mineral deposits. Much of the park lies within remote regions of the Navajo Nation. The Painted Desert’s layered hills and open horizons create one of the most colorful landscapes in the Southwest.
CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
New Mexico
Sacred ancestral homeland of Hopi and Pueblo peoples and site of significant preColombian ruins. Night sky programs illuminate the Chacoan people’s intricate astronomical practices, while hiking, biking trails and campfire talks further the wonder. The park’s great houses and ceremonial structures hint at a sophisticated society shaped by both landscape and sky.
PALO DURO CANYON STATE PARK
Texas
Panhandle flatland plunges to dramatic depths at the nation’s second-largest canyon, formed by river erosion and West Texas winds. Or, if you prefer, as Georgia O’Keeffe described it: “A burning, seething cauldron, filled with dramatic light and color.” The canyon’s layered cliffs and winding trails make it a striking stop in an otherwise wide-open landscape.
Coastal Areas
OREGON DUNES NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Oregon
While the Oregon Coast definitely gets wet in winter, its roads tend to remain passable. The “off-season” brings quieter times to the spectacular oceanside sand dunes, an otherworldly landscape. Winds sculpt the dunes into constantly shifting shapes, with sweeping views where forest, sand and Pacific surf meet.
THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY
Florida
A dream drive over the unlikeliest terrain–a spray of keys amid Florida’s swirl of blue and green waters, threaded together by 42 bridges, from Key Largo to Key West. Along the way, roadside stops reveal fishing piers, small marinas and sweeping ocean views on both sides of the road.
CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE
North Carolina
The shipwreck graveyard of the Outer Banks, this 70-mile land ribbon comprises sand dunes, salt marshes and deserted beaches. Visit Cape Point and Ocracoke Island. Wind, waves and open sky define this stretch of barrier islands.
Forests + Foothills
TENSAW PARKWAY
Alabama
Follow the river delta and drop into the coast at Mobile. The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail follows part of this route, with Blakeley State Park a must-do stop for the river tour. The surrounding Mobile–Tensaw Delta is one of the most biologically rich wetlands in the country.
SCENIC 7 BYWAY
Arkansas
Almost 300 miles long, this historic route crosses mountain ranges, explores forests and threads together all four of the state’s major geographic regions. The drive winds through the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, offering overlooks, state parks and quiet towns along the way.
ONONDAGA CAVE STATE PARK
Missouri
Canoe or fish the Cave State’s Meramec River in the Ozark Highlands before descending to cooler depths, where a stream winds among stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone and cave coral. Above ground, forested hills and winding roads add to the scenic character of the region.
CHICOT STATE PARK
Louisiana
Canoe paths snake through this stately cypress-tupelo swamp, with a beech-magnolia preserve for 150 Louisiana plant species. The still waters and towering trees create a quiet setting that feels far removed from nearby towns.
LITTLE RIVER CANYON
Alabama
A 12-mile sandstone spectacle has 600-foot cliffs and mammoth boulders bowled into the blue-green river and pristine pools below. Eberhart Point and Martha’s Falls are highlights. Scenic overlooks along the canyon rim offer dramatic views into the gorge.
EDISTO RIVER
South Carolina
America’s longest free-flowing blackwater river meanders through mossy oaks and bald cypress to ACE Basin, ending at Edisto Beach. The backwater tributary Four Holes Swamp (and its 18,000-acre preserve) is an atmospheric slice of Southern wild. Paddling here reveals quiet channels shaded by ancient trees.
COHUTTA-CHATTAHOOCHEE SCENIC BYWAY
Georgia
Fifty-four miles, best taken slow, through the heart of Northwest Georgia. Prater’s Mill dates to the 1850s, preserving bygone enterprise, Appalachians on the horizon. The road passes through farmland, forest and foothill communities.
HIGHWAY 64
North Carolina
The state’s longest numbered route can take you many places. The section near Asheville combines the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway and the North Carolina Waterfalls Byway. Numerous roadside pull-offs lead to waterfalls tumbling through the Blue Ridge.
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