Say the word “road trip” and you probably think of America and Route 66. The size of the States, along with the ever changing landscapes makes it the perfect place to hit the open road.
In an ideal world you’d be driving a Mustang convertible with no time limit. Whilst we can sort out the Mustang, we can’t help with your time constraints I’m afraid. But never fear, we’ve lined up a 1 week trip and a fortnight adventure for you, so you’re fixed either way!
Our two top American road trips
Yellowstone Route
- Fly to: Jackson Hole (JAC)
- Return to: Jackson Hole (JAC)
- Route type: Circular
- Total driving time: 19hrs 6mins
- Total driving distance: 1,113miles
- Good for: Geysers, mountains, bears, bison, moose, elk, and wolves.
- Top sights: Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore
From Jackson Hole, head up US Highway 89 to the Grand Teton National Park. Established in 1929, the Park is home to the Teton Range and is around 310,000 acres in size. Native species include grey wolves, moose, grizzlies, black bears, coyotes, and pronghorn antelope. There are a number of campsites here and some excellent hiking trails if you want to stretch your legs before you really hit the main part of the driving.
When you’re ready, continue north on Highway 89 to Yellowstone. Created in 1872, Yellowstone was the first National Park in the world. Its stunning landscapes, flora and fauna, and geological features were recognised as priceless treasures to be preserved at all costs. The Park’s herd of bison is the largest in the States whilst northwestern wolves also live in the Park. Other animals include elk, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, lynx, and white-tailed deer.
If you’re here for the geysers, Old Faithful is guaranteed to give a show but head to Steamboat Geyser to see eruptions of up to 300ft high.
From Yellowstone, head north on Grand Loop Road and drive around Yellowstone Lake to join Route 14 towards Cody. Named after William Cody (Buffalo Bill) who helped found the town, Cody is also the birthplace of Jackson Pollock. Time it right and you’ll be here for the Cody Stampede Rodeo, alternatively you’ll find the amateur Cody Nite Rodeo is on every night from June 1st to August 31st.
If you want a taste of the old west, head to Old Trail Town where over 20 western buildings have been restored.
From Cody, head north to Billings in Montana via Route 120 until you hit the State line and then Route 310.
Billings is home to a number of wonderful microbreweries and some excellent museums. Spend some time here soaking up the friendly atmosphere of the west. When ready, head towards Rapid City in South Dakota via Route 212.
If you’re passing through Crow Agency in June, keep an eye out for the Battle of the Little Big Horn Re-enactment. Commonly known as Custer’s Last Stand, it’s one of the most famous battles in American history.
I’ll be honest, the main reason for coming here is so you can say you’ve been to South Dakota. If you really want to impress people, drive up to North Dakota – the least visited state in America – all I’ll say is, it’s a very odd place.
Anyway, back to Rapid City. From here you should take a day trip out to the Badlands for spectacular scenery.
When you’re ready to continue the road trip, drive south down Highway 79 towards Hermosa and visit Mount Rushmore and the National Memorial. Work started in 1927 and the President’s faces were completed by 1939. Mount Rushmore attracts well over 2.25million visitors a year.
Continue down Highway 79 through Buffalo Gap and turn right onto Route 18 and follow the signs down to Casper via Interstate 25.
The 2nd largest city in Wyoming, Casper has a number of museums and historic attractions to recommend it. Fort Casper was the scene of a number of skirmishes between the local Indians and the military.
From Casper, drive back along Route 26 to Jackson Hole.
Easy Rider Route
- Fly to: Los Angeles International (LAX)
- Return to: New Orleans International (MSY)
- Route type: One way
- Total driving time: 39hrs
- Total driving distance: 2,448miles
- Good for: Seeing as much of Middle America as possible.
- Top sights: Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Valles Caldera National Preserve
California
In the film, Wyatt and Billy begin their journey in Ballarat but I’m afraid you’re going to have to start in Los Angeles and drive up to Death Valley via California State Route 14. (Yes I know the 1st scene involves buying and selling drugs but I don’t think you want to go down that route).
Ballarat was founded in 1896 as a supply point for the mines and is today a ghost town. Head south to Boron and on to Barstow. From Barstow, head east on I-40 staying on as much of Route 66 as possible.
Continue east towards Amboy and Roy’s Gas Station. Roy’s is an original Route 66 fixture and has been visited by actors such as Harrison Ford and Anthony Hopkins. It’s home to a wonderful retro 1950’s sign and is worth stopping at.
Head back to Route 66 before joining I-40, follow this up through Needles and on up to Peach Springs.
Arizona
From Peach Springs you can divert down to take in the Grand Canyon. 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and with depths of over a mile, the Grand Canyon is one of the largest canyons on earth. The South Rim is home to a number of historic buildings worth visiting such as the Desert View Watchtower.
Get back on the road and head towards Cameron to join Route 89 before turning on to Route 160. Continue to Kayenta before turning on to Route 163 and Utah.
Utah
Time this right and you’ll drive through Monument Valley at sunset which is pretty spectacular. If you mistime it, it’s still pretty spectacular. Continue north on Route 163 up through Mexican Hat and on towards Bluff before turning south towards Tselakai Dezza and Mexican Water.
Arizona
Re-join Route 160 and head east.
New Mexico
Head down Route 550 to Coyote. Explore the Valles Caldera National Preserve on a day trip. The Preserve has been featured in a number of films including Serpahim Falls, The Missing, and The Lone Ranger.
Continue up Route 68 to Taos. Several scenes from Easy Rider where shot here including the commune scenes. From Taos, head into Las Vegas (the New Mexico one) where you’ll come across the jail.
From here the film’s route becomes disjoined. Head south to pick up I-40 and head east to Amarillo.
Texas
At Amarillo, turn on to Route 287 all the way across Texas through Wichita Falls to Forth Worth. From here, follow the signs to Dallas. Dallas is home to some of the best hotels and restaurants in the States. They specialise in Mexican, Tex-Mex, and BBQ down here so make sure you’re hungry! There’s a number of museums to visit as well as the Southfork Ranch for fans of the show.
If you can, catch a game of football and cheer on the Dallas Cowboys. Winners of 5 Super Bowls, the Cowboys are the 2nd most successful team in Super Bowl history.
When ready, leave town and pick up Route 80 before taking I-20 all the way to the state line.
Louisiana
South of Shreveport, turn right onto I-49 and follow this to Alexandria and Opelousas. Join Route 190 and head to Baton Rouge.
A mix of both Cajun and Creole, Baton Rouge is a fascinating and diverse town. There are some excellent museums and some great shopping opportunities so spend a couple of days here if you can.
Finally, hit I-10 and drive on into “Nawlins”.
One of the most famous places in the south, New Orleans has recovered well from Hurricane Katrina. Mardi Gras continues to attract numerous visitors whilst people still dance at funerals. The French Quarter is still the place to head to but there’s much more to take in since the events of 2005 and more recently, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The division between rich and poor, and black and white remain but the mix of cultures and races is what made New Orleans the city it is today.
It’s probably best if you skip the final scene, you won’t be popular if your rental car is blown up by a slightly deranged southerner who thinks it’s funny to shoot at people.
Head out on the highway
If you’re planning an American road trip (or have come back from one) let us know below or get a car rental quote here. We’d love to hear about your trip and any tips you might have. Alternatively, read our guide to planning a road trip for all the best tools for the job.
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