As the leaves start to turn and cooler days roll in, there’s no better time to hit the road and take in some of the best autumn scenery the US has to offer.
From winding mountain roads surrounded by colorful foliage to scenic routes with sweeping views, some states are particularly well suited to a fall road trip.
To find out, FLBR Motorsport looked at scenic drives across the US and compared the number of designated scenic byways, Tripadvisor ratings and reviews, as well as how often reviewers mentioned “scenic” and “fall”. The states were then ranked based on their overall score.
1. Colorado
Colorado takes the top spot with the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. It has 11 designated scenic byways, the highest figure among the states analyzed, alongside a 4.7 Tripadvisor rating from more than 1,800 reviews. Of these, 512 mention “scenic” and 274 mention “fall”.
2. Virginia
Virginia follows with Skyline Drive, which has a 4.7 Tripadvisor rating from 2,812 reviews. It recorded 436 reviews mentioning “scenic” and 582 mentioning “fall”, the highest number of fall-related reviews in the study.
3. Florida
Florida’s Overseas Highway takes third place, with the largest number of Tripadvisor reviews in the study at more than 7,000. It has a 4.5 rating, while 613 reviews mention “scenic”, the highest number of scenic mentions among the states analyzed. Just nine reviews mention “fall”.
4. Arizona
Arizona’s Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway ranks fourth, with a 4.8 Tripadvisor rating from more than 3,300 reviews. It recorded 777 reviews mentioning “scenic”, the highest figure in the study, alongside 108 mentioning “fall”.
5. Utah
Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 comes in fifth, with nine designated scenic byways and a 4.9 Tripadvisor rating, the highest among the top five states. It recorded 414 reviews mentioning “scenic” and 68 mentioning “fall”.
6. South Dakota
South Dakota takes sixth place with the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. It has a 4.7 Tripadvisor rating from 999 reviews, with 303 mentioning “scenic” and 471 mentioning “fall”, the second-highest number of fall-related reviews in the study.
7. California
California’s Artist’s Drive ranks seventh, with five designated scenic byways and a 4.6 Tripadvisor rating from 1,813 reviews. It recorded 110 reviews mentioning “scenic” and 94 mentioning “fall”.
8. Tennessee
Tennessee’s Cherohala Skyway takes eighth place, with eight designated scenic byways, the second-highest figure in the study. It has a 4.8 Tripadvisor rating, although its 143 total reviews make it one of the least-reviewed routes among the top 10. Of these, 28 mention “scenic” and 41 mention “fall”.
9. Wyoming
Wyoming’s Chief Joseph Scenic Byway ranks ninth, with six designated scenic byways and a 4.9 Tripadvisor rating, the highest rating in the top 10. It has 189 reviews in total, with 91 mentioning “scenic” and 15 mentioning “fall”.
10. Texas
Texas rounds out the top 10 with Scenic Drive – Overlook. It has a 4.5 Tripadvisor rating from 1,072 reviews, with 339 mentioning “scenic”. Only 13 reviews mention “fall”, the lowest number of fall-related mentions among the top 10.
The least scenic states for a fall drive
45. Missouri
Missouri comes in last with the Blue Buck Knob Scenic Byway. It has one designated scenic byway and a 2.0 Tripadvisor rating based on just one review. The review mentions “scenic”, while none mention “fall”.
44. Louisiana
Louisiana’s Boom Or Bust Byway ranks second from the bottom, with two designated scenic byways and a 3.5 Tripadvisor rating from just two reviews. Neither review mentions “scenic” or “fall”.
43. Kansas
Kansas takes the final place in the bottom three with the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway. It has two designated scenic byways and a 3.5 Tripadvisor rating from six reviews. Three reviews mention “scenic”, while two mention “fall”.
The full ranking:
| Rank | State | Road | Number of designated scenic byways | Tripadvisor ranking | No. of reviews | No. of reviews mentioning “scenic” | No. of reviews mentioning “fall” | Total score |
| 1 | Colorado | Peak to Peak Scenic Byway | 11 | 4.7 | 1848 | 512 | 274 | 67.34 |
| 2 | Virginia | Skyline Drive | 2 | 4.7 | 2812 | 436 | 582 | 64.05 |
| 3 | Florida | The Overseas Highway | 6 | 4.5 | 7006 | 613 | 9 | 63.37 |
| 4 | Arizona | Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway | 3 | 4.8 | 3303 | 777 | 108 | 62.12 |
| 5 | Utah | Scenic Byway 12 | 9 | 4.9 | 1200 | 414 | 68 | 54.39 |
| 6 | South Dakota | Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway | 2 | 4.7 | 999 | 303 | 471 | 52.07 |
| 7 | California | Artist’s Drive | 5 | 4.6 | 1813 | 110 | 94 | 38.32 |
| 8 | Tennessee | Cherohala Skyway | 8 | 4.8 | 143 | 28 | 41 | 36.45 |
| 9 | Wyoming | Chief Joseph Scenic Byway | 6 | 4.9 | 189 | 91 | 15 | 35.51 |
| 10 | Texas | Scenic Drive – Overlook | 1 | 4.5 | 1072 | 339 | 13 | 34.48 |
| 11 | Oregon | Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge | 6 | 4.7 | 529 | 38 | 43 | 33.83 |
| 12 | Minnesota | Grand Rounds Scenic Byway | 6 | 4.8 | 156 | 24 | 35 | 33.14 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | Talimena National Scenic Byway | 4 | 4.6 | 229 | 109 | 82 | 32.98 |
| 14 | Montana | Beartooth Highway | 1 | 4.9 | 908 | 171 | 28 | 32.57 |
| 15 | West Virginia | Highland Scenic Highway | 5 | 4.7 | 117 | 47 | 38 | 31.57 |
| 16 | Maine | Schoodic National Scenic Byway | 6 | 4.8 | 41 | 16 | 0 | 31.43 |
| 17 | New Mexico | Turquoise Trail | 8 | 4 | 267 | 98 | 12 | 31.30 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | Route 6A (The Old King’s Highway) | 4 | 4.6 | 335 | 71 | 23 | 29.96 |
| 19 | South Carolina | Ashley River Road National Scenic Byway | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 29.57 |
| 20 | Illinois | Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 29.53 |
| 21 | Nevada | Mt. Charleston Scenic Byway | 3 | 4.7 | 150 | 40 | 14 | 27.59 |
| 22 | North Carolina | Outer Banks National Scenic Byway | 3 | 4.8 | 49 | 13 | 3 | 26.96 |
| 23 | Alabama | Talladega Scenic Drive | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 26.57 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26.57 |
| 25 | Idaho | Pend Oreille Scenic Byway | 4 | 4.5 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 25.65 |
| 26 | Michigan | River Road Scenic Byway | 2 | 4.6 | 94 | 39 | 12 | 25.03 |
| 27 | Arkansas | Pig Trail National Scenic Byway | 2 | 4.7 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 24.48 |
| 28 | Washington | Strait Of Juan De Fuca Scenic Byway | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 24.24 |
| 29 | Kentucky | Country Music Highway | 6 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 24.23 |
| 30 | Iowa | Loess Hills Scenic Byway | 2 | 4.5 | 41 | 11 | 28 | 23.74 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | Kancamagus Scenic Byway | 3 | 4.3 | 131 | 15 | 11 | 23.31 |
| 32 | Connecticut | Route 146 Scenic Drive | 2 | 4.4 | 79 | 29 | 4 | 22.74 |
| 33 | Nebraska | Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway | 1 | 4.6 | 27 | 11 | 14 | 22.56 |
| 34 | New York | Riverside Drive | 3 | 4.3 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 22.29 |
| 35 | Maryland | Dans Rock Scenic Overlook | 3 | 4.3 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 22.27 |
| 36 | North Dakota | Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway | 2 | 4.4 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 21.84 |
| 37 | Vermont | Stowe Mountain Auto Toll Road | 1 | 4.4 | 292 | 8 | 22 | 21.64 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | Longhouse National Scenic Byway | 3 | 4.2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 21.62 |
| 39 | Mississippi | Mississippi Delta | 1 | 4.4 | 46 | 2 | 1 | 20.20 |
| 40 | Indiana | Ohio River Scenic Byway | 3 | 3.8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 18.17 |
| 40 | Ohio | Ohio River Scenic Byway | 3 | 3.8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 18.17 |
| 42 | Georgia | Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway | 1 | 4.1 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 17.97 |
| 43 | Kansas | Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway | 2 | 3.5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14.18 |
| 44 | Louisiana | Boom Or Bust Byway | 2 | 3.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14.00 |
| 45 | Missouri | Blue Buck Knob Scenic Byway | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.03 |
Methodology
The study ranked U.S. states based on five factors: number of designated scenic byways, Tripadvisor rating, total number of Tripadvisor reviews, reviews mentioning “scenic”, and reviews mentioning “fall”.
Each factor was normalized before being combined into a final score, allowing states with different levels of review activity and scenic byways to be compared consistently.
Source: Tripadvisor, U.S. Department of Transportation
