Idaho road trip with ‘stunning views’ among best in the US. Here’s where to go
Love to travel? Idaho is home to one of the top road trips in the nation, according to Travel + Leisure.
The travel publication released its 2025 list of the 23 best road trips in the U.S.
“From the dramatic California coast to the history-lined thoroughfares of New England, the United States is brimming with scenic drives,” Travel + Leisure contributor Sarah Rose wrote in a July 6 article. “There’s no shortage of stunning views along the way ...”
Those vistas range from city skylines and charming coastal towns to secluded beaches, limestone caverns and snow-covered peaks. Here’s where to go in search of adventure.
Best road trip in Idaho? Explore Lemhi Pass
More than 200 years after explorer Meriwether Lewis crossed the Lemhi Pass in eastern Idaho and caught his first glimpse of the Columbia River, you can make your own mountain trek, according to Travel + Leisure.
Part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Lemhi Pass belongs to the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains and spans about 2 miles across the border between Montana and Idaho, the National Park Service said.
The remote pass in the Beaverhead Mountains offers views of “distant ranges of steep, rocky mountains,” as well as sagebrush, Douglas fir trees and lodge pole pine trees, according to Visit Montana.
“Determined visitors with a four-wheel drive can take in the historic view on Forest Service roads from either the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana or the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho,” Travel + Leisure said said.
The travel publication recommends visiting the Lewis and Clark Festival in Great Falls, Montana, to get “the full experience.”
What are top travel routes in Montana?
Want to venture farther into Montana? Travel + Leisure singled out two road trips in Big Sky Country, including Going-to-the-Sun Road.
The travel publication described the 50-mile route, which traverses Montana’s Glacier National Park, as “one of America’s most breathtaking drives.”
Travel + Leisure also recommended traveling the Beartooth Highway, a stretch of Highway 212 connecting Red Lodge, Montana, with Yellowstone National Park that boasts “steep switchbacks and expansive mountain views.”
Where should I drive in Pacific Northwest?
Travel + Leisure highlighted a number of road trips in the Pacific Northwest, including a sizeable stretch of Highway 101 along the Oregon coast that offers “unobstructed natural vistas.”
The publication showcased two can’t-miss drives in Washington state.
According to Travel + Leisure, the 365-mile stretch of Highway 101 known as the Olympic Peninsula Loop traces the perimeter of “one of the largest wilderness areas in the continental U.S.”
Highlights include the Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, as well as ocean pools crawling with sealife.
The Pacific Coast Paradise route, meanwhile, connects Seattle to Santa Barbara — “snaking past major cities, picture-perfect vineyards and national parks and forests along the way,” Travel + Leisure said.
