Drivers AtlasThe world's best roads

A weekend · the USA

A weekend driving in the United States

Scale first, corners second, with a handful of mountain roads that hold their own anywhere.

One night away, one great road as the centrepiece and no more than four hours of driving on either day. Anything more and the weekend stops being a break.

Days

2 days, 1 nights

Rough distance

323.1 mi

Daily average

161.6 mi

Best months

Depends entirely on the region, see the road pages for closures

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. Daily distances are set for enjoyable driving rather than maximum ground covered. How we score roads.

Last reviewed 24 April 2026

Day by day

How the trip breaks up

Day 1

Beartooth Highway

  • Beartooth Highway · 67.7 mi · 9.7 / 10. Swaths of switchbacks climb to 3337 metres past alpine lakes and snowfields.

About 161.6 mi and 5 hr 33 min behind the wheel including transit.

Day 2

Utah Scenic Byway 12

  • Utah Scenic Byway 12 · 123 mi · 9.6 / 10. Slickrock, the Hogback ridge with drops both sides, and red canyon after red canyon.

About 161.6 mi and 7 hr 4 min behind the wheel including transit.

Practical

Where to start and what it costs

Base yourself

Denver, Las Vegas, Asheville or San Francisco

Nights to book

1 night. On anything longer than five days, book two nights in the best base rather than moving hotel every evening.

Fuel and tolls

Budget for roughly 323.1 miles of driving plus any vignettes or tunnel fees for the countries you cross.

Other lengths

More time, or less, in the United States