Road trips have long been romanticised. The notion of just flinging your stuff into a car and following that thin mustard yellow line of tarmac all the way to the horizon, or weaving through forested mountains to bucolic cabins with scant sense of urgency, is up there on a lot of people’s travel bucket lists. But we think that when it comes to the best-known US road trips, there’s more than the Pacific Coast Highway and Route 66. There has to be. This is a country with over 4 million miles of public road, after all. So, instead of joining the masses on a trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway or across the Overseas Highway, why not try Nevada’s quirky Extraterrestrial Highway or Hawaii’s effortlessly beautiful Road to Hana. Read on to discover the best alternative road trips in the USA.
- Extraterrestrial Highway, Nevada
- Cheese Trail, Vermont
- Mendocino to Redwoods National Park, California
- Road to Hana, Hawaii
- Enchanted Highway, North Dakota
Extraterrestrial Highway
Nevada
It’s no secret that the United States has a penchant for the wacky and weird (we’re looking at you unicorn hunting licenses), and alien activity is no exception. Nevada has long been the country’s extraterrestrial epicentre – mostly thanks to the elusive Area 51 – and residents are said to regularly spot floating lights and tic-tac shaped dots in the sky. So why not get in on the action along its alien-dedicated Extraterrestrial Highway (also known as Nevada State Route 375)? Stop at E.T. Fresh Jerky to pick up some snacks for the 98-mile drive, visit the Alien Research Center and snap selfies with larger-than-life aliens holding ‘Welcome Earthlings’ signs.
Image by Zoe Fiji
Cheese Trail
Vermont
Road tripping is hungry work and Vermont knows it. Home to over 150 varieties of cheese, this East Coast state has more cheese producers than any other region in the US. So, naturally, a cheese trail that incorporates the majority of them had to be added to our list of alternative US road trips. A 280-mile loop running from the town of Plymouth up to the Canadian border, you’ll have the choice of over 40 farms and factories; head to Taylor Farm in Londonderry for maple-smoked and nettle leaf cheeses (as well as the chance to feed its resident animals), and the Cabot Annex to be delighted by numerous cheeses, butters and yoghurts. If cheese isn’t your thing, no sweat. The Great Mountain State is also known for its maple syrup and ice cream. We recommend Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks and Ben & Jerry’s (located near the Cabot annex in Waterbury) – naturally.
Mendocino to Redwoods National Park
California
Turns out there’s more to California than the Pacific Coast Highway and it’s called Highway 101. Escape the crowds and camera flashes of Los Angeles and San Francisco and head to the coastal village of Mendocino, where you’ll be swapping skyscrapers for saltbox cottages and sidewalks for scenic trails along its steel-blue sea coastline. Continue across the 240-mile Highway 101 and the views only get better. From storybook scenes featuring vast prairies, wild rivers and charming saloons to the pièce de résistance Redwoods National Park, which is home to the world’s largest trees, this is a road trip you’ll want to have your camera sitting shotgun for.
Image by Sarah Van Rij
Road to Hana
This may not be one of the most alternative road trips in the USA, but it’s a good one. Connecting Kahului to Hana on Maui, this 64-mile route takes only three hours to drive. But you’ll want to allocate more time than that – trust us. Between its 600 bends there are dense rainforests, sun-bleached beaches and epic waterfalls to ogle at, as well as lava tubes and laid-back beach towns; the perfect pitstop for a bite to eat. If you want to stretch your legs, we recommend the 0.8-mile Waikamoi Ridge Trail (just past Ho’okipa) or the longer four-mile Pipiwai Trail that leads to the famous Ohe’o Gulch and Waimoku Falls. For more Instagram-worthy shots, head to Maui’s Garden of Eden Arboretum & Botanical Garden at mile 10. Apart from its plethora of tropical flowers and wildlife, you can spot Keopuka Rock, which acted as the fictional Isla Nublar in the original Jurassic Park.
Image by L'oeil d'Eos
Enchanted Highway
North Dakota
If you’re after big views, like sweeping plains and never-ending highways hugged by crimson cliffs views, then look no further than the Enchanted Highway. Despite spanning just 32 miles from Gladstone to the small town of Regent, this road trip certainly lives up to its name. From sepia landscapes to large metal sculptures designed by local sculptor Gary Greff, this is the perfect road trip for any art enthusiast. Stop at Geese in Flight first, Greff’s largest scrap metal installation, which was recognised as the world's largest of its kind by the Guinness Book of World Records. From there you’ll have seven more to enjoy (aka to get out of the car and take pictures of). But trust us, if you time it right for sunset and catch the structures at golden hour, you’ll understand why they named it the Enchanted Highway.
Written by Naomi Pike
Header Image by Birgit Sfat