By Victoria Pearson Entertainment 18.06.2024

7 Must-Do Scenic Road Trips To Take This Fourth of July Weekend

From coastal highways to mountain passes, these are the long-weekend drives worth packing extra bags for.

There are few holidays more suited to a road trip than Fourth of July weekend. The weather is warm, the days are long, and there’s something deeply satisfying about trading airport queues and overpacked resorts for an open road, a good playlist, and a few days spent somewhere that feels just far enough from home.

The trick, of course, is choosing a route that feels generous (without requiring two weeks of annual leave) – you want scenery without the stress.

Whether you’re craving ocean cliffs, mountain air, lake towns, or desert landscapes, these scenic road trips are all doable in a few days – provided you leave early, book ahead, and accept the fact that the best parts of the journey are often the unplanned ones.

Pacific Coast Highway, California

Best for: Ocean views and cinematic pullovers.

There aren’t many road trips with the same instant name recognition as California’s Pacific Coast Highway, and for good reason. Winding along the edge of the state, this is the kind of drive that makes even a quick coffee stop feel like a scene from a film: cliffs cascading down into impossibly blue water, cypress trees bent by the wind, surfers peeling off wetsuits in beach car parks, and tiny coastal towns designed for wandering without much of a plan.

For a few-day Fourth of July trip, don’t feel like you need to tackle the entire route. A San Francisco to Santa Barbara itinerary gives you a little bit of everything: Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo and the vineyards of Santa Ynez. The joy is in taking it slowly. Stop for lunch somewhere with an ocean view, stretch your legs on a coastal trail, and let the drive itself be the point.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina

Best for: Slow mornings and wildflowers

If your idea of a summer road trip involves rolling hills and blue-green mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway is hard to beat. Stretching through the Appalachian Highlands, the route is less about getting somewhere quickly and more about surrendering to the pace of the road (and an abundance of wildflowers)

For a long weekend, focus on a manageable stretch rather than trying to cover the whole parkway. North Carolina’s Asheville makes an easy base, with plenty of access to beautiful drives, hikes, breweries and restaurants. From there, you can head north toward Craggy Gardens and Linville Falls, or south toward the Great Smoky Mountains if you want a little more drama (which, let’s be honest, we all do).

Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

Best for: Going full holiday mode

Driving the Overseas Highway feels almost absurdly holiday-ish, in the best possible way. The route from Miami to Key West crosses a string of islands via bridges, with water often visible on both sides and the sense that the mainland has been quietly left behind.

It’s about 182 kilometres, which means the drive itself is very doable in a long weekend, though you’ll want to stretch it out with stops along the way. Key Largo is known for snorkelling and diving, Islamorada is made for seafood lunches and sunset drinks, and Marathon gives you access to the famous Seven Mile Bridge. By the time you reach Key West, you’ll have fully adjusted to the island rhythm: slower, saltier and possibly in search of key lime pie.

Coastal Maine, Portland to Acadia

Best for: Lobster rolls and New England charm

A Maine coast road trip is summer distilled: clapboard houses, rocky coves, working harbours, pine trees, lobster shacks, and the occasional lighthouse appearance. If you want something that feels romantic without trying too hard, this one is for you.

For a few days, start in Portland, where you can eat extremely well before heading north along the coast. Camden makes a beautiful overnight stop, with its harbour and seamless access to coastal walks. From there, continue toward Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, where you can spend a day exploring granite peaks, carriage roads, beaches and forested trails.

Scenic Byway 12, Utah

Best for: Red rock landscapes and big-sky drama

If you want your Fourth of July road trip to feel a little more cinematic, Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 delivers in spades. The route connects some of the state’s most extraordinary landscapes, passing near Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Capitol Reef National Park. Think red rock, sandstone cliffs, high desert air and views that make conversation briefly unnecessary (a pre-requisite for any road trip worth its salt, in our opinion).

This one is a brilliant choice for travellers who like their road trips laced with adventure. Base yourself around Bryce Canyon or Torrey, then build the weekend around scenic drives, short hikes and long, golden-hued evenings. Trust us: you don’t have to be an expert hiker to enjoy it – a lot of the beauty can be experienced from the road – but the more time you give yourself to stop and explore, the better.

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Best for: Moody Pacific Northwest beauty

A road trip that somehow includes mountains, beaches, rainforest, and lakes in one compact loop? The Olympic Peninsula has it all. Starting from Seattle, you can take a ferry or drive around toward Port Angeles, then spend a few days circling through some of Washington’s most quietly spectacular landscapes.

Highlights include Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, the Hoh Rain Forest, and the wild beaches along the western coast. It’s the sort of trip where the scenery keeps changing just when you think you’ve wrapped your head around it: one minute it’s all mossy and green, the next it’s driftwood, sea stacks, and grey-blue ocean.

North Shore Scenic Drive, Minnesota

Best for: Lake views and waterfalls

Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive follows Lake Superior from Duluth toward the Canadian border, and it has all the makings of a perfect long-weekend road trip. We’re talking dramatic lake views, small towns, waterfalls and enough places to pull over that the drive never feels like simply getting from A to B.

Start in Duluth, then make your way north through Two Harbors, Grand Marais and (if your schedule allows), on toward Grand Portage. Along the way, you’ll find state parks, lighthouses, beaches, bakeries, and the kinds of freshwater views that can easily be mistaken for the sea.