Last updated: September 2026
Some roads are how you get somewhere. These ten are the somewhere. Each one was engineered through terrain that had no business carrying a road, and each one rewards the slow version of the trip rather than the fast one.
Every entry gives you the same things: what the drive actually feels like, how long it honestly takes if you stop, which direction is better, how demanding the driving is, and what to verify before you turn the key. Mountain roads close. Coastal roads wash out. Passes open late after a heavy winter.
Nothing here is ranked by difficulty and nothing here needs a special vehicle in normal season conditions — but several of these are genuinely narrow, exposed or seasonal, so treat the practical notes as a starting point and check the official source listed under each drive before you commit to a date.
No. 1
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park, Montana, United States
Fifty miles of two-lane road cut across the spine of Glacier National Park, climbing from lake level to Logan Pass at 6,646 feet and dropping down the other side. It was finished in 1932 and it still feels improbable: a shelf blasted into cliff faces, with a low stone wall between you and a very long view.
The road crosses the Continental Divide, and the halves feel like different countries — dense cedar and lake shoreline on the west, dry open slopes and glacial valleys on the east.
Why you should drive it
Almost every famous mountain road makes you choose between the view and the driving. Going-to-the-Sun gives you the Garden Wall, hanging valleys, waterfalls that land on the pavement and bighorn sheep on the shoulder — all at a speed limit low enough that you can actually look.
It is the rare road where the engineering, the scenery and the wildlife all peak at the same moment, and it does it inside a national park that limits how many cars can be on it.
The drive
- From West Glacier the road runs flat and green along Lake McDonald, which lulls you — this stretch is the calm before anything happens.
- Past Avalanche Creek the climb starts in earnest and the road pins itself to the cliff along the Garden Wall, with the Weeping Wall spilling water directly onto the road in early summer.
- Logan Pass is the hinge: alpine meadow, snow well into July, and the busiest parking lot in the park.
- The eastern descent through the Saint Mary valley is wider and faster, with Jackson Glacier and Wild Goose Island as the two stops nobody skips.
Don’t miss
- The Loop — the single hairpin on the west side, and the best place to see how much road is stacked above you.
- Weeping Wall, early season, windows up.
- Logan Pass Visitor Center and the boardwalk toward Hidden Lake Overlook.
- Wild Goose Island Overlook on Saint Mary Lake, best in early light.
Best direction
West to east. You climb toward the pass with the Garden Wall on your left and the drop on the passenger side, which is the calmer way to drive it.
How long it really takes
About 2 hours straight through. Realistically 4–6 hours with overlooks, a short walk at Logan Pass, and at least one wildlife stop.
Quick facts
- Best time
- Mid-July to late September, once the full road is reliably open.
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Driving
- Moderate
- Length
- About 50 miles / 80 km
- High point
- Logan Pass, 6,646 ft / 2,026 m
- Surface
- Paved two-lane throughout
- Season
- Full length usually late June or July to mid-October
- Vehicle limits
- Size restrictions apply on the alpine section
Paved and well maintained, but narrow with exposed drop-offs and constant distraction. Low speeds and frequent stopping traffic do most of the work for you.
Know before you go
- Parking at Logan Pass fills very early in summer; the free park shuttle exists for exactly this reason.
- Fuel and food inside the park are limited — fill up in West Glacier or Saint Mary.
- This is grizzly country, including at trailheads directly off the road.
Do
- Start at first light if you want a parking space at the pass.
- Use pullouts rather than stopping in the lane, especially on the cliff section.
- Carry a layer — the pass can be 20°F colder than the valley.
Don't
- Don't plan it as a through-route on a schedule; traffic and construction can add an hour without warning.
- Don't approach wildlife on the shoulder, and don't stop in a blind corner to photograph it.
Check before you drive
- Opening date of the full road — a heavy snow year can push the alpine section into July.
- Vehicle length, width and height restrictions between Avalanche Creek and Sun Point.
- Whether a timed-entry or vehicle reservation is required for your dates.
Watch out for
- Rockfall and standing water on the alpine shelf, particularly early season.
- Cyclists on narrow sections with no shoulder.
Nearbyly tip
Drive it eastbound in the morning and take the shuttle back in the afternoon — you get the pass without fighting for parking twice.
No. 2
Trollstigen
Møre og Romsdal, Norway
Eleven hairpin bends stacked up a mountainside at a gradient of roughly 9%, with a waterfall falling through the middle of them. Trollstigen — the Trolls' Ladder — is a short road that people build entire Norwegian itineraries around, and the reason is obvious the moment you see it from the viewing platform above.
It is part of the Geiranger–Trollstigen National Tourist Route, so it is usually driven as one long day alongside the Ørnevegen switchbacks above Geirangerfjord.
Why you should drive it
It is the purest version of what a mountain road can be: eleven bends, one waterfall, a stone-built roadbed from the 1930s, and a view straight back down everything you just climbed.
Very few roads are photogenic enough to be a destination in themselves. This is one, and the modern viewing platform at the top is a piece of architecture in its own right.
The drive
- From the Åndalsnes side you approach through the Isterdalen valley with vertical rock walls closing in on both sides — the road ahead genuinely looks like a dead end.
- The climb itself is short and relentless: eleven numbered hairpins, a single-lane bridge across Stigfossen, and drivers who all want to look at the same thing.
- At the top the road flattens into a plateau, and the viewing platforms cantilever out over the drop.
- Continuing south takes you toward Valldal and the Geiranger ferry, which is the natural second half of the day.
Don’t miss
- The Trollstigen viewing platform and the walkway out to the edge.
- Stigfossen waterfall, crossed by the road on a stone bridge.
- Trollveggen — Europe's tallest vertical rock face — passed on the approach from Åndalsnes.
- Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road) above Geiranger, if you're continuing south.
Best direction
Drive up from Åndalsnes. Climbing gives you the reveal at the top rather than the anticlimax of descending into the valley.
How long it really takes
The pass itself takes about 30 minutes. Budget a full day for the Geiranger–Trollstigen route with stops and the ferry.
Quick facts
- Best time
- June to September.
- Crowds
- Busy
- Driving
- Challenging
- Hairpins
- 11
- Gradient
- About 9%
- Road
- Fv63, paved, narrow with passing sections
- Season
- Usually late May to October
- Note
- Sections have been closed for rockfall work in recent years
Tight hairpins, narrow bends where two buses cannot pass, and heavy summer traffic. Not technically difficult, but demanding of attention the whole way up.
Know before you go
- Parking at the top is paid and fills through the middle of the day.
- Norwegian tolls and ferries are usually billed automatically to the plate on a rental — confirm with the rental company.
- Weather at the plateau can be entirely different from the fjord below.
Do
- Go early or late; the middle of the day belongs to tour coaches.
- Use the marked passing places rather than stopping on a bend.
- Walk all the way to the far platform, not just the first one.
Don't
- Don't attempt it in a long motorhome without checking the restrictions.
- Don't stop on the single-lane bridge for a photo.
Check before you drive
- Whether Trollstigen is open — it is seasonal and has had extended closures for rockfall mitigation.
- Ferry timetables if you are continuing to Geiranger.
- Vehicle length limits; long motorhomes are restricted.
Watch out for
- Buses taking the full width on hairpins.
- Sudden low cloud that erases the view at the top.
Nearbyly tip
If the top is socked in, don't write the day off — the cloud sits on the plateau and often clears within an hour while the valley stays bright.
No. 3
Great Ocean Road
Victoria, Australia
A 150-mile coastal road built largely by returned soldiers after the First World War, dedicated to those who died in it — which makes it the largest war memorial in the world that you can drive along.
It runs from Torquay to Allansford, alternating between cliff-edge coastline, rainforest through the Otways, and the limestone stacks of the Shipwreck Coast.
Why you should drive it
Few coastal roads change character this often. You get cliff corners at Lorne, fern gullies and waterfalls inland at Otway, then the road swings back to a coast of collapsing limestone that looks like nowhere else.
The Twelve Apostles get the postcards, but the road earns its place through variety: surf coast, temperate rainforest, koalas in roadside gums, and a coastline actively being eaten by the Southern Ocean.
The drive
- Torquay to Lorne is the classic corniche section — the road glued to the shoreline, surf on one side, hillside on the other.
- Lorne to Apollo Bay tightens up and is the most enjoyable stretch to actually drive.
- Inland through the Otways the road goes green and dark, with waterfall walks a short detour from the highway.
- From Princetown west, the coast reopens into the Port Campbell stacks — Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Arch.
Don’t miss
- Memorial Arch at Eastern View.
- Teddy's Lookout above Lorne.
- Cape Otway Lightstation and the koalas along Lighthouse Road.
- Loch Ard Gorge — quieter and more dramatic up close than the Apostles viewpoint.
Best direction
West from Torquay. Driving this way puts you in the ocean-side lane, so every pullout is a left turn rather than a crossing.
How long it really takes
About 4.5 hours straight through. Two days is the honest answer, with a night in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell.
Quick facts
- Best time
- March to May and September to November.
- Crowds
- Busy
- Driving
- Moderate
- Length
- About 243 km / 151 miles
- Route
- B100, Torquay to Allansford
- Surface
- Paved two-lane, winding coastal sections
- Season
- Open year-round
- Driving side
- Left
Long, continuously winding and busier than people expect, with slow tourist traffic and few overtaking chances. No difficult terrain, just sustained concentration.
Know before you go
- The Twelve Apostles viewing area is reached by an underpass from a car park on the inland side of the road.
- Mobile coverage drops out through the Otways.
- Sunset at the Apostles is spectacular and extremely crowded; sunrise is neither.
Do
- Book accommodation ahead in summer and over Australian school holidays.
- Pull over to let faster local traffic past — there are marked bays for it.
- Take at least one Otways waterfall walk to break the coast up.
Don't
- Don't try it as a Melbourne day trip unless you're happy to see the road and not the coast.
- Don't stand beyond the fencing at the limestone lookouts — the cliff edges are actively unstable.
Check before you drive
- Landslip and storm closures on the coastal section, which happen most winters.
- Bushfire warnings and total fire ban days in summer.
- Whether you're comfortable driving on the left if you're visiting.
Watch out for
- Wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk, especially through the Otways.
- Sudden weather off the Southern Ocean, even in summer.
Nearbyly tip
Sleep in Port Campbell and be at the Twelve Apostles for sunrise — the same view, warm light, and a fraction of the people.
No. 4
Transfăgărășan
Făgăraș Mountains, Transylvania, Romania
Built between 1970 and 1974 on Nicolae Ceaușescu's orders as a strategic military crossing of the Făgăraș Mountains, the Transfăgărășan climbs to just over 2,000 metres and then dives through a tunnel to the other side.
The northern ramp is the famous one: an unbroken sequence of hairpins stacked in the open, with the glacial cirque of Bâlea Lake at the top.
Why you should drive it
The northern ascent has no trees to hide behind — you can see the entire road above you at once, and then look back down on the whole thing from the lake. Very few passes give you that view of themselves.
It is the most theatrical mountain road in Eastern Europe, and it comes with a cable car, a glacial lake, a waterfall and a medieval fortress on the same drive.
The drive
- From the north, the road runs gently through villages before the mountains stand up in front of you.
- Past Bâlea Waterfall the switchbacks begin and the road climbs relentlessly in the open, hairpin after hairpin.
- The Bâlea Tunnel — long, unlit and dripping — punches through the ridge at the top.
- The southern side is longer, quieter and greener, running down past Vidraru Dam and the Poenari fortress steps.
Don’t miss
- Bâlea Lake at the summit.
- Bâlea Waterfall and the cable car that runs up to the lake.
- Vidraru Dam on the southern descent.
- Poenari Citadel — 1,400-odd steps up to the real fortress of Vlad III.
Best direction
North to south. The dramatic hairpin ramp is on the northern side, and climbing it beats descending it.
How long it really takes
3 to 4 hours straight through. A full day with the lake, the cable car, the dam and the fortress.
Quick facts
- Best time
- July to early October.
- Crowds
- Seasonal
- Driving
- Challenging
- Length
- About 151 km / 94 miles (DN7C)
- High point
- About 2,042 m / 6,699 ft
- Surface
- Paved; condition varies by section
- Season
- High section typically open around July to October
- Note
- Bâlea Lake is reachable by cable car when the road is closed
Sustained steep hairpins, variable pavement, an unlit tunnel and weekend traffic that includes both motorbike groups and very slow tourists.
Know before you go
- Weekends in August are the busiest and the top car park effectively fills.
- Fuel stations are scarce on the mountain sections — fill up in Cârțișoara or Curtea de Argeș.
- Weather at the lake can be near freezing while the valleys are hot.
Do
- Start early; afternoon cloud regularly swallows the summit.
- Carry cash for small stalls and parking.
- Take the tunnel slowly — it's unlit and wet.
Don't
- Don't plan it in June without checking; the high section is often still closed.
- Don't rely on overtaking — sight lines on the ramp are short.
Check before you drive
- The official opening dates of the high section — they shift year to year with snow.
- Current road works; resurfacing closures are common.
- Whether you need a vignette (rovinietă) for Romanian national roads.
Watch out for
- Bears near roadside stalls where people feed them; do not stop for them.
- Livestock and unlit vehicles on the lower sections.
Nearbyly tip
Drive up for sunrise and you'll have the hairpins to yourself — the coach and motorbike traffic doesn't get going until mid-morning.
No. 5
Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163)
Campania, Italy
The Strada Statale 163 Amalfitana runs along a cliff face between Sorrento and Salerno, threading through towns stacked vertically above the Tyrrhenian Sea. It opened in the 1850s and has never been widened, which is exactly the problem and exactly the appeal.
It is one of the most beautiful roads in Europe and one of the most stressful to drive, often at the same moment.
Why you should drive it
Because the towns only make sense from the road above them — the way Positano cascades, the way Amalfi hides in its ravine, the way lemon terraces are stitched into cliffs that shouldn't hold anything.
Nowhere else in Europe packs this much colour, terrace agriculture, and vertical town-building into 30 miles of coastline.
The drive
- From Sorrento the road climbs over the peninsula, then drops onto the south coast with the first Positano view arriving without warning.
- Positano to Amalfi is the tightest section — blind corners, buses reversing, and scooters using gaps you didn't know existed.
- Amalfi itself sits at the mouth of a gorge, and the detour up to Ravello is the best 20 minutes on the whole coast.
- East of Amalfi the road relaxes through Minori and Maiori before running into Salerno.
Don’t miss
- Ravello and the belvedere at Villa Cimbrone.
- The Fiordo di Furore bridge.
- Amalfi's cathedral steps.
- A short stop in Atrani, one bay east of Amalfi and a fraction as busy.
Best direction
Sorrento to Salerno. Eastbound puts you on the inland lane — further from the drop, and much easier when a bus takes the whole road.
How long it really takes
Under 2 hours without stopping, if traffic allows. Realistically a full day, or two with Ravello.
Quick facts
- Best time
- April to early June, or late September to October.
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Driving
- Challenging
- Length
- About 50 km / 31 miles (Sorrento–Salerno)
- Route
- SS163 Amalfitana
- Surface
- Paved, very narrow with blind corners
- Season
- Open year-round; landslip closures occur
- Parking
- Scarce and expensive in every town
The terrain is easy; the traffic is not. Two-way sections narrower than two buses, constant scooters, and nowhere to pull over.
Know before you go
- A small car is a genuine advantage here, not a compromise.
- Ferries between Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Salerno are often faster than driving in July and August.
- Hotel parking should be confirmed before booking, not after.
Do
- Drive it early morning, before the coach schedule starts.
- Fold your mirrors in the narrowest sections — locals do.
- Let buses have the road; they know the corners better than you do.
Don't
- Don't rent a large car or a motorhome for this coast.
- Don't stop on the road for a photo — use the marked belvederes.
Check before you drive
- Summer traffic-control schemes — alternate-plate access days have been used in peak season.
- ZTL restricted zones in the coastal towns.
- Landslide closures, most likely after winter storms.
Watch out for
- Scooters overtaking on blind bends.
- Pedestrians walking in the roadway inside the towns.
Nearbyly tip
Base yourself in Salerno or Sorrento and drive the coast one way, ferry back — you see the whole thing twice from two completely different angles.
No. 6
The Ring Road (Route 1)
Circles the island, Iceland
Route 1 is a single road that loops the entire island — roughly 1,330 km of two-lane pavement past glaciers, black sand plains, fjords, lava fields and waterfalls that are visible from the driver's seat.
It is the only entry in this guide measured in days rather than hours, and the only one where the drive is the whole trip.
Why you should drive it
Because Iceland's scenery is spread out, not concentrated, and the Ring Road is the thread that connects glacier lagoons, the east fjords, Lake Mývatn and the south coast waterfalls into a single trip.
There is no other road in the world where the landscape changes this completely, this often, on one continuous loop with no navigation decisions to make.
The drive
- The south coast is the greatest-hits stretch: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Reynisfjara's black sand, and the Vatnajökull outwash plains.
- Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach mark the point where the icecap reaches the road.
- The east fjords are the quiet section — long, slow, sea-level curves with almost nobody on them.
- The north brings Mývatn's geothermal ground and Goðafoss, and the west finishes with Borgarfjörður and the run back to Reykjavík.
Don’t miss
- Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and the icebergs on Diamond Beach opposite.
- Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, minutes apart on the south coast.
- The Mývatn geothermal area, including Hverir's steaming ground.
- A detour onto the Snæfellsnes peninsula if you have an extra day.
Best direction
Counter-clockwise (south coast first). You reach the strongest scenery early, which is insurance against losing a day to weather later.
How long it really takes
Physically drivable in about 17 hours of driving. Seven to ten days is the version worth doing; under five means seeing the road, not Iceland.
Quick facts
- Best time
- June to early September for the full loop in daylight.
- Crowds
- Seasonal
- Driving
- Moderate
- Length
- About 1,330 km / 826 miles
- Surface
- Mostly paved; short gravel sections remain in places
- Season
- Open year-round, but winter closures are frequent
- Fuel
- Long gaps in the east and north — refuel above half a tank
- Tunnels
- Some are tolled; one is single-lane with passing bays
Easy in summer daylight, genuinely serious in winter. Wind is the real hazard, not gradient — gusts can take a car door off.
Know before you go
- F-roads into the highlands are a different category entirely and require a 4x4 — the Ring Road does not.
- Fuel is usually pay-at-pump by card, and some rural pumps need a PIN.
- Accommodation outside Reykjavík books out months ahead in summer.
Do
- Refuel more often than you think you need to.
- Hold the car door with both hands in wind — this is the single most common rental damage claim.
- Build in one spare day for weather.
Don't
- Don't stop on the road itself for photos; use the marked pull-offs.
- Don't drive off-road anywhere in Iceland — it's illegal and heavily fined.
Check before you drive
- Daily road conditions and closures before every leg, not just at the start.
- Wind and storm warnings — orange and red alerts mean stay put.
- Whether your rental includes sand-and-ash and wind-damage cover.
Watch out for
- Sheep on the road throughout summer.
- Single-lane bridges on the south coast, approached at speed.
- Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara — people are killed there.
Nearbyly tip
Drive the east fjords in the evening. It's the emptiest section of the loop and the low northern light on the water is the part nobody photographs.
No. 7
Milford Road (State Highway 94)
Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand
Seventy-five miles from Te Anau to Milford Sound, through beech forest, glacial valleys and a raw rock tunnel bored through the mountains at Homer Saddle. It is a dead-end road: you drive in, and you drive back out the same way.
It also runs through one of the wettest inhabited places on earth, which is why the valley walls sprout hundreds of temporary waterfalls after rain.
Why you should drive it
The Eglinton and Hollyford valleys, the mirror lakes, the alpine amphitheatre before the Homer Tunnel — the fjord is the finale, but the drive is the film.
The road delivers you into Fiordland by land, which almost nothing else does, and the last hour of it is as good as the fjord at the end.
The drive
- From Te Anau the road runs flat along the lake, then enters the Eglinton Valley — a wide glacial trench lined with red beech.
- Mirror Lakes and Knobs Flat break the valley up; the Divide is the low pass into the Hollyford.
- The road then climbs into a rock bowl with no visible exit until the Homer Tunnel appears — unlined, steep and single-lane under traffic lights.
- The far side drops fast down the Cleddau Valley to the sound.
Don’t miss
- Mirror Lakes, early, before wind ruffles the surface.
- The Chasm — a ten-minute walk to water-carved rock.
- The alpine bowl at the eastern portal of the Homer Tunnel.
- A boat out onto the sound once you arrive.
Best direction
There's only one way in. Drive in early and out in the afternoon, which also puts the light behind you both ways.
How long it really takes
About 2 hours each way without stops. Give the round trip a full day, with a cruise booked for early afternoon.
Quick facts
- Best time
- October to April.
- Crowds
- Busy
- Driving
- Moderate
- Length
- About 120 km / 75 miles from Te Anau
- Route
- State Highway 94, dead end at Milford Sound
- Tunnel
- Homer Tunnel, single-lane, signal-controlled
- Fuel
- Last reliable fuel is Te Anau
- Driving side
- Left
Mostly straightforward, but the alpine section is steep, avalanche-prone in winter and often wet, with a dark unlined tunnel in the middle.
Know before you go
- There is no fuel, and very limited food, between Te Anau and the sound.
- Mobile coverage is absent for most of the drive.
- Sandflies at Milford are relentless — bring repellent, not optimism.
Do
- Leave Te Anau by 7am to beat the coach convoy.
- Stop at the tunnel portal and look up at the rock walls while you wait for the light.
- Go even if it's raining — rain is when the waterfalls appear.
Don't
- Don't feed or approach kea at the tunnel; they destroy car trim.
- Don't count on filling up anywhere past Te Anau.
Check before you drive
- Avalanche risk and road status in winter and spring — chains may be required to be carried.
- Tunnel signal wait times and any convoy restrictions.
- Whether your cruise operator has rescheduled for weather.
Watch out for
- Avalanche zones with no-stopping signs — obey them.
- One-lane bridges and blind corners on the descent.
Nearbyly tip
Book the earliest or latest cruise of the day. Both sit outside the coach schedule, and the sound is a different place without four buses on the wharf.
No. 8
Chapman's Peak Drive
Cape Peninsula, Western Cape, South Africa
Nine kilometres and 114 curves cut into a near-vertical rock face between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, following the boundary between granite below and sandstone above. It opened in 1922 and has been closed, blasted, netted and rebuilt many times since.
It's short enough to drive in fifteen minutes and good enough that people drive it twice.
Why you should drive it
The road is carved into the cliff with the Atlantic directly below, and the curve above Hout Bay is one of the most photographed pieces of tarmac on the continent for good reason.
It is the best coastal engineering-and-view combination in Africa, ten minutes from a major city, and it ends at one of the great beaches.
The drive
- From Hout Bay the road climbs quickly out of the harbour and the drop opens on your right.
- The middle section runs under overhangs and rockfall canopies, with pull-outs directly above the water.
- The high point looks back over Hout Bay and the Sentinel.
- The descent into Noordhoek opens onto the long white sweep of Noordhoek Beach.
Don’t miss
- The main viewpoint above Hout Bay.
- Noordhoek Beach at the southern end.
- Combining it with Cape Point and Boulders Beach for a full peninsula loop.
Best direction
Hout Bay to Noordhoek. Southbound puts you on the ocean side, so the pull-outs are on your side of the road.
How long it really takes
15 minutes end to end. An hour with stops; a full day as part of the Cape Peninsula loop.
Quick facts
- Best time
- October to April, in late afternoon.
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Driving
- Relaxed
- Length
- About 9 km / 5.6 miles
- Curves
- 114
- Toll
- Yes — payable at the gate
- Season
- Open year-round, weather-dependent
- Driving side
- Left
Well-surfaced, well-protected and short. Exposed, but the engineering does the reassuring for you.
Know before you go
- The toll is per vehicle and there is a free turn-around before the gate if it's closed.
- The pull-outs are the only safe stopping places and they are small.
- Don't leave anything visible in a parked car at either end.
Do
- Drive it at golden hour, when the cliff face turns orange.
- Pair it with the Cape Point loop rather than driving out just for the 9 km.
- Watch for cyclists — this is a training route.
Don't
- Don't stop on the road itself; the lanes are narrow under the overhangs.
- Don't assume it's open — check the same morning.
Check before you drive
- Whether the road is open — it closes for high wind, rockfall and fire.
- Current toll price and payment methods.
- Event closures; cycling and running races shut it several times a year.
Watch out for
- Rockfall after heavy rain, and the associated short-notice closures.
- Strong south-easterly wind, which can be alarming on the exposed section.
Nearbyly tip
If the gate is closed, drive up to the viewpoint on the Hout Bay side anyway — the best single view is before the toll.
No. 9
Highway 1 through Big Sur
Central Coast, California, United States
Ninety miles of two-lane highway between Carmel and San Simeon, pinned to a coastline where the Santa Lucia Range drops straight into the Pacific. Completed in 1937, it remains one of the great feats of American road building and one of the most fragile.
There is essentially nothing on it: a few inns, a handful of restaurants, redwood canyons, and a lot of coastline.
Why you should drive it
The road holds a constant balance between cliff and ocean for ninety miles, punctuated by concrete arch bridges spanning canyons that had no other solution.
It is the definitive American coastal drive, and unlike most icons it has stayed almost entirely undeveloped.
The drive
- Southbound from Carmel, Point Lobos sets the tone before the coast opens up.
- Bixby Creek Bridge arrives about 13 miles in and is the picture everyone has seen.
- The middle section runs through the redwood pocket of Big Sur Valley, then back out to open cliff.
- South of Julia Pfeiffer Burns the road empties out, and the last stretch to San Simeon has elephant seals hauled out beside it.
Don’t miss
- Bixby Creek Bridge, from the pullout north of it.
- McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
- Pfeiffer Beach and its purple sand, down an easily missed side road.
- Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery near San Simeon.
Best direction
North to south. Southbound puts you in the ocean-side lane, which turns every viewpoint into a simple right turn.
How long it really takes
About 3 hours nonstop. A full day with stops and lunch; two if you sleep in Big Sur.
Quick facts
- Best time
- September and October, when the coastal fog is thinnest.
- Crowds
- Busy
- Driving
- Moderate
- Length
- About 90 miles / 145 km (Carmel–San Simeon)
- Route
- California State Route 1
- Surface
- Paved two-lane, winding, frequent pullouts
- Services
- Very limited — fuel is scarce and expensive
- Closures
- Landslides have closed sections for months at a time
Continuous curves with a drop on one side and slow-moving traffic that rarely uses turnouts. No technical difficulty, just a long time at attention.
Know before you go
- Cell coverage is absent for most of the corridor — download maps first.
- Accommodation in Big Sur is limited and priced accordingly.
- Parking at popular pullouts is tight; several are day-use-fee state parks.
Do
- Use turnouts to let faster traffic pass; it's the law in California.
- Go midweek if you can — weekend traffic changes the drive completely.
- Fill the tank in Carmel or Cambria.
Don't
- Don't stop in the traffic lane for a photo, however good the light is.
- Don't count on afternoon arrival for McWay Falls parking.
Check before you drive
- Whether the full route is open — slide closures are frequent and can last a season.
- Fog forecasts; summer mornings are often whited out.
- Fuel range, since gaps of 40+ miles with no station are normal.
Watch out for
- Coastal fog that can cut visibility to a few car lengths.
- Cyclists and rockfall debris on blind curves.
Nearbyly tip
Summer fog usually burns off in the afternoon — if the morning is grey, do the redwood inland stops first and save the coast for later in the day.
No. 10
Blue Ridge Parkway
Virginia and North Carolina, United States
469 miles of ridge-top parkway from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, built without a single traffic light, billboard or commercial truck.
It was designed in the 1930s specifically as a road to be enjoyed rather than used, and it's still the most-visited unit of the U.S. National Park System.
Why you should drive it
Because the parkway does something no highway does: it follows the ridge line rather than the valley, so you're driving along the top of the Appalachians with the view falling away on both sides for hundreds of miles.
It is the longest sustained scenic drive in the United States, and in October it is the best fall-colour road in the world.
The drive
- The Virginia half is gentler — pasture, split-rail fences, mill sites and long rolling ridges.
- The Roanoke area is the one urban interruption, and also where the Peaks of Otter sit.
- In North Carolina the terrain gets serious: Grandfather Mountain, the Linn Cove Viaduct curling around the mountainside, and the highest sections of the whole road.
- The southern end climbs past Mount Mitchell — the highest point east of the Mississippi — and finishes near Cherokee.
Don’t miss
- Linn Cove Viaduct at Milepost 304, the road's engineering signature.
- Mabry Mill at Milepost 176.
- Craggy Gardens for rhododendron in June.
- The spur up Mount Mitchell.
Best direction
South from Virginia. The landscape escalates as you go, which makes the North Carolina half feel earned.
How long it really takes
The full parkway needs 3 to 5 days at the 45 mph limit. Most people drive a 100-mile section in a day.
Quick facts
- Best time
- Mid-October for colour; June for rhododendron.
- Crowds
- Seasonal
- Driving
- Relaxed
- Length
- 469 miles / 755 km
- Speed limit
- 45 mph or lower throughout
- Highest point
- 6,053 ft / 1,845 m near Richland Balsam
- Services
- No fuel on the parkway — exit to nearby towns
- Season
- Year-round, but high sections close for ice and snow
Wide, well-graded, slow and designed for touring. The only demands are tunnels, fog and wildlife.
Know before you go
- There is no fuel anywhere on the parkway itself; plan exits.
- Milepost numbers are the navigation system — everything is referenced by them.
- October weekends near Asheville are genuinely congested.
Do
- Use the overlooks; there are hundreds and they're the whole point.
- Check colour reports and chase elevation — high sections turn first.
- Plan food and fuel stops off the parkway in advance.
Don't
- Don't expect to average highway speed; 45 mph is the ceiling, not the target.
- Don't drive it at dusk in deer season if you can avoid it.
Check before you drive
- Section closures — the Park Service closes stretches for weather, slides and construction.
- Fall-colour timing, which shifts by elevation over several weeks.
- Tunnel clearances if you're driving something tall.
Watch out for
- Dense ridge fog that arrives with no warning.
- Deer and, in North Carolina, black bears near the roadside.
- Ice on high sections well outside winter.
Nearbyly tip
In October, drive the high North Carolina sections first thing and drop to lower elevations later in the week — you can follow peak colour downhill instead of missing it.
Keep exploring
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