COVID-related lockdowns closed the borders of many countries, severely restricting our opportunities for international travel. Luckily for those who’ve got the travel bug, there are over four million miles of roads within the United States. That translates to nearly endless opportunities for road-tripping through a multitude of landscapes. Deserts, prairies, mountains, and seaside cliffs are just a few of the sights that a summer road trip can offer. 

Reviewing suggested itineraries on such sites as Condé Nast Traveler and Wanderlust Crew, as well as multiple travel guides, 24/7 Tempo selected the best summer road trips around the United States, with a few routes that dip into Canada (which is opening its border to fully vaccinated American travelers in August). Only trips longer than 300 miles were selected, because a road trip by definition involves more than an easy day’s drive.  

National Parks make perfect road trip destinations, and a few of the best routes will allow travellers to visit multiple ones in a single trip. A drive from Jackson, Wyoming, to St. Mary, Montana, for example, traverses Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks. Here are the most visited National Parks in 2020.

Click here to see the best road trips to take before summer ends

Some trips focus less on natural sights and instead offer a cultural experience. A drive from Nashville to New Orleans via Memphis is a musical immersion that provides dozens of opportunities to explore country music, the roots of blues, and the birthplace of jazz. A trip down old Route 66 will reveal small-town relics of the once-popular motorist thruway, including vintage gas stations, vernacular architecture, and old-fashioned diners — and be sure to keep an eye out for the strangest roadside attraction in every state.