PHOTOS: 7 classic American road trips – chosen by travel bloggers!

Tired of the daily grind? A road trip is the perfect escape.

Home to vast stretches of open highway, the United States offers nearly endless road trip possibilities. To help narrow down your choices, we asked leading travel bloggers to share their favorite road trips. Read on for their top picks.

>> Are international road trips more your style? Read the companion post, “Top 6 Scenic Road Trips From Around The World”

1) Austin, Texas to Burning Man

Recommended by Erica Kuschel, Over Yonderlust

Driving to Burning Man (photo: OverYonderlust.com)

Region: Southwest
One Way Distance: 1,795 miles (at least)
Minimum Time: 30 hours
Watch Out For: Heat, sand and hipsters!

“Our favorite road trip has to have been the 5000 mile loop we made from Austin, Texas to Black Rock City, Nevada (Burning Man) and back. We got to hang out with friends in Phoenix, go to the Grand Canyon, met Abby from the Jungle Princess in Las Vegas, went to Burning Man, visited San Francisco, had dinner in Los Angeles with a friend, and drove home. I love the Southwest!” – Erica

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2) Hana Highway in Maui, Hawaii

Recommended by Ayngelina Brogan, Bacon is Magic and Maria Adcock, Bicultural Mama

Road tripping in Hana, Hawaii (Photo: Bacon is Magic)

Region: Hawaii
One Way Distance: The full stretch is 65 miles
Minimum Time: 2.5 hours
Watch Out For: Winding and sometimes unpaved roads, amazing views

“While everyone raves about the Road to Hana on Maui the real gem is the South East drive once you reach Hana and drive around. There are gorgeous scenic views as the island transitions from a lush, tropical forest to a dry, arid expanse.” – Ayngelina

“One of the most beautiful road trips that’s all about the journey and not necessarily the destination is the famous Road to Hana in Maui, Hawaii. The narrow and windy Hana Highway (Hwy. 36) runs along Maui’s northeastern shore. It is all about finding the secret waterfalls and botanical gardens while taking in sights of taro patches and gorgeous ocean views. Even if you can’t drive the entire stretch (with a 3 month old baby we only drove half of it), the experience is still worth it.” – Maria

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3) Vermont to New Hampshire

Recommended by Juno Kim, RunawayJuno.com and MasterTravelPhoto.com

Hiking the White Mountains in New Hampshire (photo: Runaway Juno)

Region: New England
One Way Distance: It depends. A couple miles to a couple hundred!
Minimum Time: Hours to days
Watch Out For: Farmer’s markets, hiking and local breweries

“My favorite road trip so far is New England in the USA. I drove through 11 states in 56 days in the United States last summer, and the Vermont-to-New Hampshire route was the best part. Every little town in Vermont and New Hampshire is very friendly, different and fun. I worked at a cute little cafe, went to a farmer’s market, checked out local breweries, and drove the small country roads. It’s so green and fresh. If you are going to take a road trip in the summer, I recommend the east coast, especially New England.” – Juno

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4) Taos, New Mexico to Austin, Texas

Recommended by Stephen Bugno, BohemianTraveler.com

White Sands National Monument in New Mexico (Photo: Bohemian Traveler)

Region: Southwest
One Way Distance: About 800 miles
Minimum Time: 13 hours 30 minutes
Watch Out For: World’s largest white sand dune

“Anywhere in the Western US is great for a road trip because of the wide open landscape and plethora of public lands. One of my favorite trips is from Taos, New Mexico to Austin, TX. You have the ancient American Indian cultures and their pueblos in New Mexico and well as some great hiking and skiing around Taos. The rest of New Mexico is highlighted by art and history in Santa Fe, the Very Large Array, lava flows, Carlsbad Caverns, petroglyphs, and the largest white gypsum sand dune field in the world. West Texas is so wide open, you won’t believe it. Stop in the Davis Mountains for stargazing at the McDonald Observatory, experience the desert at its best in Big Bend National Park before finishing with the incredible food, beer, and music scene in Austin, Texas.” – Stephen

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5) Wisconsin River Journey

Recommended by Ted Nelson, Wisconsin Outside

Canoe on a Wisconsin River sandbar (Photo: Wisconsin Outside)

Region: Midwest
One Way Distance: 430 miles from the river’s origin in Lac Vieux Desert to its mouth in Prairie du Chien
Minimum Time: 6 hours
Watch Out For: Adventure activities (hiking, canoeing, skiing)

“My favorite road trip would have to be Wisconsin. There is so much to do especially if you like the outdoors. Wisconsin has a great river system anchored by the mighty Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers, tremendous cross-country skiing, many beautiful hiking trails, several tasty craft breweries, music festivals in Milwaukee, and the Green Bay Packers if you like sports.” – Ted

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6) San Diego, California to Zion National Park

Recommended by Christy Woodrow, Ordinary Traveler

Angel's Landing Hike in Zion National Park (Photo: Downtown Traveler)

Region: West
One Way Distance: 490+ miles
Minimum Time: 8 hours
Watch Out For: Hiking, great photo ops & the chance to see classic Americana

“Our first taste of Utah was during a 3-day road trip from San Diego to Zion. Even though we sweated our way through the desert with no air conditioning in our car, it was one of our most memorable trips. Hiking and photographing Zion National Park was well worth it. We even stopped in Vegas for an all you can eat buffet!” – Christy

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7) Cheyenne, Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park

Recommended by Leslie Koch, Downtown Traveler

Vee Bar Ranch in Laramie, Wyoming (Photo: Downtown Traveler)

Region: West
One Way Distance: 450+ miles
Minimum Time: 8 hours
Watch Out For: Cowboys, small town fairs & America’s most popular park

“Wyoming is about as far as you can get from the frenzied pace of New York City. That’s what made our road trip through the “Cowboy State” so amazing! We started in Cheyenne, the capital city and home to Cheyenne Frontier Days, an annual festival with food, music, Native American dancing and a rodeo. Our next stop was Laramie, where we went horseback riding on a vast open plain at the Vee Bar Ranch. We passed through fields and tiny towns on the way to Cody, home of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, before entering Yellowstone National Park. We had a blast camping, hiking and swimming in this national treasure.” – Leslie

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What’s your favorite American road trip?

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