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20 RV Roadtrips for Adventurous Retirees

1. The Ozark Mountains

1. The Ozark Mountains

Highway 21, Arkansas

There may not be a more beautiful sight than seeing the leaves change colors in the Ozark mountains. If your sense of adventure includes a challenging drive, then the mountain roads should fit the bill. Plus, there is no shortage of fresh air to offer a long needed relief from years in a (possibly) stuffy office.

(OakleyOriginals/Autumn in the Ozarks/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

2. U.S. Highway 163

2. U.S. Highway 163

Monument Valley, Arizona

The majestic stone buttes jutting out of the flat Western landscape are a symbol of the American West. Highway 163 runs through 64 miles of this gorgeous terrain in Navajo Nation. Goulding's Campground is on the Utah side if you want to camp nearby.

(Ken Lund/Monument Valley, U.S. 163 2/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

3. Garnet Byway

3. Garnet Byway

Missoula, Montana 

There's plenty of Big Sky country to drive through and plenty of places to camp—including one of our favorite RV Parks, the Polson Motorcoach and RV Resort. You can also trek around Glacier National Park while you're there. You'll never have a dull sight in view!

(Bureau of Land Management/My Public Lands Roadtrip: Garnet Ghost Town in Montana/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

4. Route 66

4. Route 66

Take a step into the past with the all-American Route 66. The roads are lined with businesses that hearken back to its heyday in the 1960s. It's also got no shortage of campgrounds and RV parks. There are entire websites devoted to helping you find a place to stay across the eight states that the classic highway winds through.   

(Vicente Villamón/Ruta 66, Route 66./CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

5. U.S. 1

5. U.S. 1

Florida Keys

This gorgeous highway runs along the Florida Keys and features the Seven Mile Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, as part of its 120-mile span. There are plenty of places to camp down, like Grassy Key RV Park & Resort or Geiger Key Marina. The Florida Keys offers plenty of fishing and watersports that you may not have bothered to do with children, but you're free now, so enjoy!

(Pom'/Overseas Highway, Keys, Florida/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

6. I-81

6. I-81

Virginia 

I-81 through Virginia is a classic American highway. With mountains, caverns, and historic locations, you'll always have somewhere to stop and smell the roses. From the Lexington KOA to Shenandoah Valley Campground, you'll never be worried about where to park, either.

(Taber Andrew Bain/I-81/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

7. I-70

7. I-70

West of Denver

I-70 is a favorite among road trip enthusiasts. The transcontinental highway was originally supposed to have Denver as its Westernmost point until lobbying pushed it through Utah. That's sort of ironic since the stretch West of Denver is generally regarded as the best part. This will be a worry free trip. Due to its popularity, I-70 has attracted many amenities. From Tiger Run RV Resort in Colorado to Butch Cassidy Campground near Aurora Utah, there are plenty of places to rest to your heart's content.

(David Herrera/Front Range and I-70 from Genesee Park/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

8. The Great U.S. 50 Yard Sale

8. The Great U.S. 50 Yard Sale

Lots of people take road trips to connect with the country they live in and getting to know its people may well be one of the best ways to do that. The Great U.S. 50 Yard Sale is this sort of trip. Of course, there are bountiful places to camp on a road that stretches across the country, from Lake Haven Mobile Home Park in Maryland to Lake Tahoe KOA in California.

(Ken Lund/Junction of U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 285, Poncha Springs, Colorado/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

9. U.S. 90

9. U.S. 90

Mississippi Gulf Coast

U.S. 90 runs along the Southern United States. Nearly all of it travels through country worth seeing, but the Mississippi Gulf Coast is phenomenal. There is plentiful opportunity to participate in pastimes like fishing, golfing, and coastal casinos. Plus, the highway is positively teeming with RV camps like Majestic Oaks RV Resort and Bay St. Louis RV Park.

George/Adobe Stock

10. Scenic Route 100 Byway

10. Scenic Route 100 Byway

Vermont

This 138-mile stretch of road runs through 20 towns across Vermont and the spine of the Green Mountain.  A statewide ban on billboards gives you some of the greatest views you'll ever have of the gorgeous land we inhabit. One of the many RV parks you might check out along the route is Lazy Lions located in Graniteville/South Barre. 

(Shiran Pasternak/Route 100/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

11. The Appalachian Trail

11. The Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is mostly known as a hiking trail (a truly epic journey of over 2,000 miles). But, for those who can't get away from it all for that long or are unable to walk that far, the good folks at Road Trip USA put together a series of maps that hew pretty close to the hiking trail and still let you take the journey from northern Maine down to Georgia. 

 

rabbitti/Adobe Stock

12. I-94

12. I-94

This incredible route takes you on a 400-mile trip across some of the most beautiful terrain that Montana has to offer. From Pompeys Pillar National Monument (the one spot on the Lewis and Clark expedition to actually be marked) to the State Parks at Billings, your eyes will always be met with wonders along the way. 

(Bureau of Land Management/Pompeys Pillar NM/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

13. Pacific Coast Highway

13. Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway is a designated All-American Road. This section of California SR1 runs from Mendocino County in the north all the way down to Orange County in the south. Be ready for perfect weather, redwoods, striking cliffs, and the majesty and drama of the Pacific Ocean.

kanonsky/Adobe Stock

14. Northern U.S. 1

14. Northern U.S. 1

Route 1 isn't just for driving through the Keys. It's actually the longest north-south road in the U.S. Through several long stretches it ventures inland, then travels alongside the Atlantic toward the north, especially in New England and Maine. If you're looking for a tour of the East Coast, consider this option!

Robert Styppa/Adobe Stock

15. Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway

15. Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway

If you're a fan of the Old West, you'll want to check out this 84-mile All-American Road through New Mexico. The Byway runs through ranches, ghost towns, mining camps, and more. Along the way, you’ll be surrounded by scenery like Sierra Blanca, which is lovely enough without considering its historical interest.

(National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

16. Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway

16. Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway

This 512-mile loop runs through Colorado and Utah and encompasses an incredible array of prehistoric wonders. These wonders include the Dinosaur National Monument (an area with over 800 paleontological sites), the Natural Bridges, Arches National Park, Canyonlands, and the Flaming Gorge. There's obviously plenty to see and do here!

(Bureau of Land Management/#mypubliclandsroadtrip 2016: On The Way To, Dinosaur Diamond Scenic and Historic Byway/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

17. Kentucky Bourbon Trail

17. Kentucky Bourbon Trail

This one may not be the biggest drive in the world. In fact, you may want to let someone else do the actual driving, depending on how many tours you plan on taking. But, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is informative, fun, and a great way to learn more about an American classic!

(Anthony/Jim Beam/CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

18. Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway

18. Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway

This 43.4-mile highway runs through northern Arizona. It starts at Jacob Lake and continues through dense forests of evergreens at Kaibab National Forest until it ends at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From there, you can hike the Bright Angel Point Trail or drive around the canyon area itself. There's plenty of exploring to be done!

(Grand Canyon National Park/Grand Canyon Nat. Park: S. Kaibab Trail As Seen From Yaki Point 0246/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

19. Olympic Peninsula

19. Olympic Peninsula

Highway 101 is an enormous, 330-mile loop around the entire Olympic Peninsula. Nearby towns like Port Townsend and Sequim are worth stopping by, but the real draw here is the scenery. Old-growth forests in Olympic National Park, Quinault Rain Forest, Puget Sound, and the mountains of the Olympic Range all make this route one of National Geographic's favorite drives on the planet!

 

opogpsum/Adobe Stock

20. Seward Highway

20. Seward Highway

Seward Highway is a 125-mile stretch that runs from Seward to Anchorage. The traffic here is so low that Alaska's highways don't have to comply with Interstate Highway design standards, as long as they meet current and probably future traffic demands. The road may be seldom-traveled, but that doesn't mean it's rough. In fact, the highway is frequently cited as one of the most scenic roads in the country.

(Sujohn Das/On the Way to Seward/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr)