United States
40 scored roads in United States, reranked for motorhomes and campervans rather than for cars, with the fit score shown next to each one.
A motorhome is limited by width, height and turning circle rather than by power. Most graded alpine passes are built for coaches and are perfectly manageable, while a handful of famous roads are genuinely unsuitable and finding that out halfway up is expensive.
These country pages push single track, unclassified and very steep roads down the ranking and lift wide, well graded routes. Always check the posted restrictions against your real dimensions before you commit to a pass.
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. Checked against current closure and restriction notices for United States. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 11 June 2026
Ranked
01 · Montana and Wyoming
Swaths of switchbacks climb to 3337 metres past alpine lakes and snowfields.
67.7 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10 · Fit 10.5 / 10
Open only from late May to mid October
02 · Utah
Slickrock, the Hogback ridge with drops both sides, and red canyon after red canyon.
123 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10 · Fit 10.4 / 10
Snow on Boulder Mountain from November to April
03 · California
The Pacific coast at its most theatrical, cliff curves above the open ocean.
90.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10 · Fit 10.4 / 10
Landslide closures are frequent, check before setting out
04 · Colorado
A mining road cut into the San Juan cliffs with sheer drops and no barrier.
24.9 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10 · Fit 10.3 / 10
Snow, avalanche and no guardrails in winter
05 · Alaska
Turnagain Arm tides on one side, glaciers on the other, all the way to the sea.
126.8 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Ice and avalanche control closures in winter
06 · Colorado
The highest continuous paved road in America, tundra above the treeline the whole way.
47.8 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Closed from mid October to late May
07 · Wyoming
Switchbacks over Dead Indian Pass into a canyon nobody else seems to know about.
47.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Closed by snow in winter above Dead Indian Pass
08 · California
Yosemite high country, granite domes and meadows, then a drop to Mono Lake.
62.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Closed from November to late May or June
09 · Hawaii
Sea level to 3055 metres in 38 km, 29 switchbacks and a crater at the end.
23.6 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Sunrise entry needs a reservation, cold at the top
10 · Utah
Switchbacks out of Zion Canyon into a mile long tunnel with windows cut in the rock.
24.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Escort required for large vehicles in the tunnel
11 · Washington
Glacier peaks, turquoise reservoirs and long clean sweepers with almost no traffic.
70.8 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Closed between Ross Dam and Winthrop from November to April
12 · Colorado
A full loop of the San Juans taking in Coal Bank, Molas and Lizard Head passes.
118.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Snow closes sections in winter
13 · Tennessee and North Carolina
Wide, fast and empty, the grown up alternative to the Tail of the Dragon next door.
42.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Ice and closures possible in winter
14 · Arizona
Red rock Sedona at one end, pine forest at the other, with a hairpin climb between.
28 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Ice on the switchbacks in winter
15 · Hawaii
620 curves and 59 bridges through rainforest and waterfalls on Maui's north shore.
52.2 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Rain and one lane bridges, take your time
16 · Colorado
No guardrails, thin air and switchbacks to the highest paved road in North America.
28 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Open only from late May to early September
17 · Tennessee and North Carolina
318 curves in 11 miles, the most famous stretch of asphalt in America.
11.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.0 / 10
Busy with bikes at weekends, heavily policed
18 · Oregon
Headlands, sea stacks and empty cliff curves for the whole length of the Oregon shore.
366.6 mi · Rating 9 / 10 · Fit 9.9 / 10
Coastal fog and winter storms
19 · New Hampshire
White Mountain sweepers with no services and the best autumn colour in America.
34.2 mi · Rating 9 / 10 · Fit 9.9 / 10
Spectacular but very busy during October leaf season
20 · Utah and Arizona
The straight every film crew shoots, buttes rising straight out of the desert floor.
44.7 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · Fit 9.9 / 10
Summer heat and sudden dust storms
Before you go
Measure height including the aerial, roof box and satellite dish. The number on the paperwork is often not the number that hits the bridge.
A heavy vehicle on a long alpine descent will fade brakes quickly. Pick a gear that holds the speed without the pedal and stay in it.
Wild camping rules vary enormously across Europe and enforcement has tightened. A booked pitch removes the whole problem.
Common questions
Most major passes are built for coaches and are fine for a standard motorhome. The exceptions are narrow unclassified roads and a handful of passes with posted width restrictions.
Hardknott Pass, Wrynose Pass and the Bealach na Ba are all explicitly unsuitable. Many Highland single track roads are legal but very hard work in a wide vehicle.