Best scenic drives in Texas
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Best scenic drives in Texas
There’s no shortage of scenic drives to take in the United States. According to the National Scenic Byway Foundation, there are 184 designated byway routes with beautiful vistas, as well as historic and cultural sites across the country. That means, no matter where you are in the U.S., a stunning drive isn’t too far away.
Some drives have reached celebrity status, one of the most well known being Historic Route 66, which stretches from downtown Chicago to Santa Monica Pier in California. For nearly 100 years, travelers have been hitting the 2,448-mile road that has more than 250 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Other famous drives include the Pacific Coast Highway in California, which hugs 650 miles of the state’s coast; the Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic 444-mile route from Tennessee to Alabama and Mississippi; and the highest fully paved road in North America, Colorado’s Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, which sits at a cool 14,264 feet at its peak.
Of course, there are plenty more drives that may not be as famous but are just as alluring. The Highland Scenic Highway in West Virginia gives riders a picturesque view through the Monongahela National Forest. Make a pit stop in the Cranberry Glades for an unusual site: bogs full of carnivorous plants. Further north, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway in New Hampshire is a particularly beautiful drive as the leaves turn in the fall and won’t take you too long to drive—it’s on the shorter side at only 34.5 miles long.
For those looking to take to the open road, Stacker compiled a list of the best scenic drives in Texas using data from Tripadvisor as of March 2024. Note that Tripadvisor ranks attractions using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a drive with a 5/5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4/5.
Once you locate the closest scenic drive near you, gather your favorite passengers, turn on an epic playlist, and take in the beauty that Texas has to offer.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and are not of the specific drives listed.
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#16. River Road
– Rating: 4/5 (1 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#15. Big Creek Scenic Area
– Rating: 4/5 (4 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#14. The Twisted Sisters
– Rating: 4.5/5 (3 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#13. Texas Mountain Trail
– Rating: 4.5/5 (4 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#12. Dagger Flat Auto Trail
– Rating: 4/5 (11 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#11. Goodnight Memorial Trail
– Rating: 5/5 (3 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#10. Beach Loop
– Rating: 4/5 (53 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#9. El Camino Del Rio
– Rating: 5/5 (75 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#8. River Road Park
– Rating: 4.5/5 (142 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#7. Crystal Beach
– Rating: 3.5/5 (174 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#6. Boardwalk Beast
– Rating: 4/5 (149 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#5. Davis Mountain Scenic Loop
– Rating: 4.5/5 (113 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#4. Bluebonnet Trail
– Rating: 4.5/5 (169 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#3. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (323 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#2. Willow City Loop
– Rating: 4.5/5 (501 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#1. Scenic Drive – Overlook
– Rating: 4.5/5 (1,069 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Sheeka Sanahori, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
