SEA · United States
The North Cascades Highway, Hurricane Ridge and the whole Olympic loop are within a day, and the Oregon coast starts five hours south.
Great roads in range
7
First road from the terminal
Hurricane Ridge Road, about 2 hr 20 min
Best months
June to October
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 4 June 2026
Ranked
01 · Washington
Glacier peaks, turquoise reservoirs and long clean sweepers with almost no traffic.
About 2 hr 49 min from the airport · 70.8 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed between Ross Dam and Winthrop from November to April
02 · Washington
A climb from sea level to an Olympic ridge with the Strait of Juan de Fuca behind you.
About 2 hr 20 min from the airport · 18 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Winter access limited to weekends and chains
03 · British Columbia
Fjord walls on one side, coastal peaks on the other, all the way to Whistler.
About 4 hr 25 min from the airport · 74.6 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
Snow at altitude in winter
04 · British Columbia
An empty mountain road of long climbs and glacial lakes beyond Whistler.
About 6 hr 40 min from the airport · 61.5 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Steep grades and snow in winter
05 · Oregon
Headlands, sea stacks and empty cliff curves for the whole length of the Oregon shore.
About 3 hr 47 min from the airport · 366.6 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Coastal fog and winter storms
06 · Oregon
America's first scenic highway, hand built curves past Multnomah Falls and gorge viewpoints.
About 4 hr 25 min from the airport · 75.2 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Waterfall corridor gets very busy in summer
07 · British Columbia
Three mountain passes, canyon walls and long empty straights through the interior.
About 4 hr 40 min from the airport · 155.3 mi · Rating 8.8 / 10
Snow and avalanche control at Allison Pass in winter
Practical
Consolidated rental facility off site, so allow extra time. All wheel drive is worth it outside summer.
June to October. 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.