LAS · United States
The cheapest way into the American Southwest. Valley of Fire is under an hour, Zion is under three and Byway 12 is a comfortable day.
Great roads in range
8
First road from the terminal
Valley of Fire Road, about 1 hr 41 min
Best months
October to April
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Drive times are estimates from the terminal to the start of each road, padded for mountain routing. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 15 June 2026
Ranked
01 · Utah
Slickrock, the Hogback ridge with drops both sides, and red canyon after red canyon.
About 6 hr 25 min from the airport · 123 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Snow on Boulder Mountain from November to April
02 · Utah
Switchbacks out of Zion Canyon into a mile long tunnel with windows cut in the rock.
About 4 hr 44 min from the airport · 24.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Escort required for large vehicles in the tunnel
03 · Nevada
Bright red sandstone waves either side of a smooth, almost empty two lane.
About 1 hr 41 min from the airport · 18 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Very hot from June to September
04 · Arizona
Red rock Sedona at one end, pine forest at the other, with a hairpin climb between.
About 6 hr 58 min from the airport · 28 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
Ice on the switchbacks in winter
05 · California
Los Angeles's mountain playground, hours of clean sweepers above the basin.
About 7 hr 13 min from the airport · 65.9 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Snow closures on the high sections in winter
06 · California
Yosemite high country, granite domes and meadows, then a drop to Mono Lake.
About 9 hr 25 min from the airport · 62.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed from November to late May or June
07 · California
The Santa Monica Mountains run every Los Angeles driver knows, ending at the Pacific.
About 7 hr 58 min from the airport · 21.1 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Heavily policed at weekends
08 · Utah and Arizona
The straight every film crew shoots, buttes rising straight out of the desert floor.
About 10 hr 6 min from the airport · 44.7 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Summer heat and sudden dust storms
Practical
The biggest and cheapest rental centre in the country, including convertibles and muscle cars at sensible rates.
October to April. Prices and availability move sharply either side of those months, so lock the car in before the flights if you want anything more interesting than a diesel hatchback.