5 US road trip destinations up to 500 miles: short routes for a big American road trip

Not every road trip across the USA has to be a many-week dash from ocean to ocean along the cult Route 66. Yes, in cross-country car travel there is its own romance: the change of time zones and geographical belts, original roadside motels and gas stations, the feeling of flying toward the horizon along an endless highway. But sometimes what stays in memory stronger is not a thousand miles in a straight line, but three or four days on the road, where behind every turn there is a reason to stop.

We present five routes shorter than 500 miles, each of which gives its own feeling of America. If you are looking for US road trip destinations for a short vacation, you can quite well start with them.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina. This is one of those routes where it is better not to hurry the car, but to enjoy the road meditatively, laying 3-4 days for the trip. The way is full of overlooks, morning mist in the lowlands, forest turns and small towns where coffee for some reason tastes better than in megacities.

Among the best American scenic drives, this route is especially good in autumn, when the slopes of the Appalachians become similar to an old patchwork blanket – red, copper, golden, a little uneven, but surprisingly alive. However, in summer it is also beautiful here: green, calm, without unnecessary fuss.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. At first glance, the route is not as spectacular as the coast or canyons. It does not throw itself at you with postcards and loud views. But gradually it pulls you in: with forests, old trails, historical stops and even picturesque swamps.

Natchez Trace will suit those who are tired of noisy roads and want to see a calmer America. Among scenic routes for road trips, this is one of the best options for an unhurried 3–4 day journey.

Oregon Coast Scenic Byway

363 miles along the Oregon coast goes from Astoria to Brookings, and it can be driven literally in one day. But to do so is to commit a crime against the very idea of travel. Here you need to stop, and stop often. Near cliffs, on beaches, by lighthouses, in towns with fish cafés and in those places where the ocean suddenly appears from behind a turn so sharply, as if someone had flung open a door into another world. It is no sin to give this route a whole week, so that it reveals itself fully.

Overseas Highway

The length of Overseas Highway in Florida is only 113 miles, but by impressions the route easily argues with much longer roads. It goes through Florida Keys, from Key Largo to Key West, over bridges and islands, where water is now on the right, now on the left, and sometimes it even seems that the road has turned into a ship and is sailing together with you.

It is recommended to stretch the trip for 2–3 days. Otherwise you will simply reach the end, but will not feel all the charm of this chain of islands, looking like a pearl necklace.

Scenic Byway 12

Another route deceptive by its small length. Scenic Byway 12 in Utah stretches only for 122 miles from Panguitch to Torrey. However, by the concentration of impressions, this is one of the strongest routes in the American Southwest. Red rocks, dry plateaus, sharp climbs, open sky, Bryce Canyon, Escalante, Boulder Mountain and the approach to Capitol Reef – all this fits into a weekend trip.

The landscape here changes as if someone is turning the pages of a huge geographical atlas. Here are the red walls of a canyon, here is a pale desert, here is a shady little forest, here again stone and emptiness. And you seem to be driving not for long, but the feeling is as if you have crossed a small continent.

How to prepare for the trip so as not to meet the tow truck

Even short routes do not cancel car-life wisdom: the road loves the prepared. We all know how a trip, stunning in its plans, was turning into disappointment. And not because of the weather or a dirty hotel, but because of a negligent attitude to one’s own car.

Start with the tires. Tires in a road trip are like shoes in a hiking walk: if they are bad, you certainly will not get pleasure. Check the oil and coolant, test the brakes in different modes, make sure the battery, headlights, air conditioner are working properly.

If the car was bought recently, especially before a long trip, it is useful to check its history and basic data in advance. For example, for Mazda, you can use the Mazda VIN decoder to clarify the trim, year, and main information about the car, and not guess while on the road. This way, you will be able to avoid unpleasant surprises or at least prepare for them.

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