The Best National Park Scenic Drives (No Hiking Required)

What Are the Best National Park Scenic Drives?

The best national park scenic drives put canyons, glaciers, and alpine tundra right outside the windshield: Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain are the two most famous, and both climb above 11,000 feet. Several of these roads close under snow for roughly half the year, so timing the trip matters as much as picking the route.

Key Takeaways

• Going-to-the-Sun Road and Trail Ridge Road are both high-alpine roads that close under snow for close to half the year.
• As of June 7, 2026, Zion eliminated its ranger-escort program for oversized vehicles — the Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel now has a hard size cutoff instead.
• Denali Park Road is currently drivable only to Mile 43 because of an active landslide-repair project; full access is not expected until 2027.
• Badlands Loop Road and most of Death Valley’s Badwater Road stay open year-round, weather permitting.
• None of the eight drives below require leaving the pavement to see the park’s signature view.

The Best Scenic Drives, Park by Park

Each of these roads was built (or later paved) specifically so visitors could take in a park’s defining terrain without hiking a step. Pull-offs, overlooks, and wildlife-viewing turnouts do the work that a trail would otherwise do.

Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park

Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road climbs from cedar forest at Lake McDonald to the 6,646-foot Logan Pass, with pull-offs at the Weeping Wall and Jackson Glacier Overlook that put waterfalls and receding ice within camera range without a single step off the shoulder.

The road doesn’t open on a fixed date. Plow crews start in April and have to cut through the Big Drift near Logan Pass, a snowbank that can run 80 feet deep, so the full road typically isn’t clear until late June or early July; it usually stays open into mid-to-late October, snow permitting, per Glacier National Park’s road-status updates.

Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuous paved highway in the country, topping out above 12,000 feet along the Alpine Visitor Center stretch, where tundra overlooks put elk, marmots, and views of the Never Summer Range a few steps from the parking lot.

It normally opens to through traffic in the last week of May and closes for the season sometime between mid-October and mid-November depending on snowfall — the park posts current status on a recorded road-conditions line rather than a fixed calendar date.

Zion–Mount Carmel Highway, Zion National Park

The Zion–Mount Carmel Highway through Zion National Park switchbacks up slickrock to a mile-long tunnel blasted through the sandstone in 1930, then drops toward Checkerboard Mesa — the pull-offs above the switchbacks are one of the only ways to see Zion Canyon’s full depth without a permit or a climb.

This one comes with a real size limit: as of June 7, 2026, Zion ended its ranger-escort program for oversized vehicles through the tunnel, so anything over 11 feet 4 inches tall, 7 feet 10 inches wide, or roughly 36 feet long (50 feet combined with a trailer) is no longer allowed on the highway at all, not just the tunnel.

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive runs the full 105-mile spine of Shenandoah National Park, with 75 overlooks facing the Shenandoah Valley on one side and the Piedmont on the other — a 35 mph speed limit and frequent pull-offs make it one of the easiest drives on this list for spotting white-tailed deer.

Unlike the high-alpine roads above, Skyline Drive doesn’t have a scheduled seasonal closure, but the park closes sections on short notice during ice or snow events, sometimes for days at a time in winter.

Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park

Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park loops past Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and the granite coastline of Ocean Drive before climbing Cadillac Mountain, where the summit road is one of the first places to see sunrise in the continental United States for part of the year.

Most of the loop and the Cadillac Summit Road close to vehicles from December 1 through mid-April, per the National Park Service, though a short ocean-side stretch past Sand Beach and the Jordan Pond section stay open year-round.

Badlands Loop Road, Badlands National Park

Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240) through Badlands National Park cuts straight through the eroded spires and canyons that give the park its name, with overlooks like Yellow Mounds and Pinnacles positioned right at the roadside — bighorn sheep and pronghorn are frequently visible from the car.

It’s open 24/7 year-round and doesn’t have a seasonal shutdown, though the park does close stretches temporarily during ice storms, so it’s worth checking conditions before a winter drive.

Artists Drive and Badwater Road, Death Valley National Park

In Death Valley National Park, Artists Drive is a one-way, nine-mile loop through the mineral-streaked hills of Artists Palette, and Badwater Road runs south to the 282-feet-below-sea-level salt flats at Badwater Basin — both are drive-up, no-hike overlooks.

Artists Drive has been closed by flash-flood debris more than once in recent years, most recently after fall 2025 storms, so it’s worth checking road status at nps.gov/deva before you go. Summer is the bigger obstacle here regardless: Death Valley regularly sees highs above 120°F between June and August.

Denali Park Road, Denali National Park

Denali Park Road threads 92 miles into Denali National Park, with Polychrome Overlook and the tundra flats near Eielson historically offering some of the best roadside odds in the country for spotting grizzlies, caribou, and Dall sheep.

Right now the road is only drivable to Mile 43, where a 2021 landslide destroyed a bridge; a replacement is under construction, and the National Park Service expects the closure to remain in place through the 2026 season, with full access not returning until 2027.

When Are These Roads Open? Seasonal Closures to Plan Around

Three of the eight drives above are only open for part of the year, and a fourth is only partially open right now for reasons that have nothing to do with weather. Here’s the seasonal picture at a glance:

1. Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier) — typically fully open late June or early July through mid-to-late October; the exact dates shift with snowpack.

2. Trail Ridge Road (Rocky Mountain) — typically opens the last week of May and closes to through travel between mid-October and mid-November.

3. Park Loop Road / Cadillac Summit Road (Acadia) — most of the loop closes to cars December 1 through mid-April; a short ocean-side section stays open all year.

4. Denali Park Road — open to Mile 43 only, a landslide-driven closure expected to last through 2026, with full reopening targeted for 2027.

Skyline Drive, the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway, Badlands Loop Road, and Death Valley’s Badwater Road are all technically open year-round, though each can close temporarily for storms, flooding, or ice.

How to Plan a Scenic-Drive-Only National Park Trip

A car-only itinerary still benefits from the same crowd and timing research a hiking trip would use — pull-offs at Logan Pass or Artists Palette get just as congested at peak hours as popular trailheads do.

Check each park’s monthly crowd and weather patterns before locking in dates — our multi-park road trip planning guide walks through sequencing several drives into one trip without back-tracking.

A few practical notes that apply across all eight roads:

• Fill the tank before you start — gas stations are sparse or nonexistent inside most of these parks.
• Golden hour traffic is real: overlooks on Going-to-the-Sun Road and Park Loop Road fill up in the two hours around sunset.
• Cell service drops out on most of these routes — download offline maps before you start driving.

If photography is part of the trip, our national park photography timing guide covers which hours give the best light at overlooks like these.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see national parks without hiking?

Yes. Roads like Going-to-the-Sun Road, Trail Ridge Road, and Badlands Loop Road were built specifically to bring visitors to overlooks, waterfalls, and wildlife-viewing turnouts without leaving the car. Most of the scenery that makes these parks famous, including alpine passes and canyon rims, is visible directly from paved pull-offs.

Is Going-to-the-Sun Road open in September?

Usually, yes. The road is typically fully open from early July through mid-to-late October, so September is within the normal open window. Because opening and closing depend on snowfall rather than a fixed date, it’s worth checking Glacier National Park’s current road-status page shortly before a trip.

Can you drive an RV through the Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel?

Only if it’s under the size limits. As of June 7, 2026, Zion removed the ranger-escort option for oversized vehicles, so anything over roughly 36 feet long (50 feet combined with a trailer), 7 feet 10 inches wide, or 11 feet 4 inches tall is banned from the highway entirely, not just the tunnel.

When does Trail Ridge Road usually open for the season?

Trail Ridge Road normally opens to through traffic in the last week of May, often close to Memorial Day, though a late, heavy-snow winter can push the opening into early June. Rocky Mountain National Park posts current conditions on its road-status line rather than committing to a fixed date in advance.

Is the entire Denali Park Road open to drive?

No, not currently. A 2021 landslide destroyed a bridge near Mile 43, and Denali Park Road has been closed beyond that point ever since. A replacement bridge is under construction, but the National Park Service expects the closure to remain through the 2026 season, with full road access not returning until 2027.