Routes + Highways Reference
115+ RV routes across the US
Scenic byways, low-clearance realities, fuel logistics, regional guides, and heritage drives. Hand-written. Drive times as ranges, RV restrictions verified against state DOTs and NPS.
51 guides
Scenic byways
Curated scenic byways across the US — Pacific Coast Highway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Going-to-the-Sun Road, and 40+ more. RV reality, vehicle restrictions, seasonal windows.
Pacific Coast Highway — Big Sur (Carmel to San Simeon)
The 90-mile cliff suspension that defines California-1. Drive it slowly, in a small rig, with current Caltrans status open in another tab.
California Highway 1 — San Francisco to Mendocino (the under-driven PCH)
The 175-mile stretch of CA-1 north of San Francisco gets a fraction of Big Sur's traffic and offers the same cinematic coast.
PCH Southern California — Dana Point to Santa Monica
Urban coastal driving with beach campground access — not the cinematic cliff drive, but the easiest RV route on the California coast.
Oregon Coast US-101 — Astoria to Brookings
363 miles of Pacific cliffs, dunes, and lighthouses with the densest public-park RV infrastructure in the lower 48.
Going-to-the-Sun Road — Glacier NP, Montana
The most-restricted famous-RV road in the US. A 21-foot length limit, a vehicle reservation system, and a 50-mile alpine crossing engineered in the 1930s.
Million Dollar Highway — US-550, Ouray to Silverton
25 miles of mountain road through the San Juans with no guardrails on the worst drop-offs. Class B only, in our honest opinion.
Beartooth Highway US-212 — Red Lodge to Cooke City
Charles Kuralt called it America's most beautiful drive. 68 miles, two states, one 10,947-foot pass, and a Yellowstone gateway.
Trail Ridge Road — Rocky Mountain NP
48 miles over a 12,183-ft alpine ridge — the highest paved continuous road in any US national park.
Independence Pass — CO-82, Aspen to Twin Lakes
12,095-ft summit, 35-foot length limit, the highest paved pass on the Continental Divide.
Loveland Pass US-6 — Colorado's hazmat-required Continental Divide crossing
11,990 ft over the divide. The route required for hazardous-materials vehicles around the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel.
Tioga Pass — CA-120 over the Sierra Nevada
9,945-ft Sierra crossing. Yosemite's eastern gateway. Annual seasonal closure mid-November through late May.
Sonora Pass CA-108 — the Sierra crossing most RVs should avoid
30-foot length limit, 26% grade in places, narrower than Tioga, and a real challenge even in a small rig.
Pikes Peak Highway — to the 14,115-ft summit by RV
America's most accessible 14,000-ft summit by paved road. RV-restricted, toll-required, and worth understanding before you commit.
Mount Evans Scenic Byway (Mount Blue Sky) — 14,265 ft summit
The highest paved road in North America. 30-foot length limit. Limited season. Free, but reservations required.
Utah Scenic Byway 12 — Torrey to Panguitch
All-American Road. 124 miles connecting Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Bryce Canyon. The hogback ridge.
Blue Ridge Parkway — full 469 miles
The longest linear park in the National Park System. 469 miles. 26 tunnels. 45 mph speed limit. RV-friendly from start to finish.
Skyline Drive — Shenandoah National Park
105 miles along the spine of the Shenandoah. 75 overlooks. 35 mph speed limit. The original ridge parkway.
Tail of the Dragon US-129 — RV warning
11 miles. 318 curves. Built for motorcycles and sports cars. RVs do not belong here.
Cherohala Skyway — Tellico Plains TN to Robbinsville NC
43 miles. RV-friendly. Federal scenic byway. The Smokies route the Dragon-bound motorcycle traffic ignores.
Overseas Highway US-1 — Florida City to Key West
113 miles. 42 bridges. The iconic 7-Mile Bridge. RV-friendly with the right reservations.
Tamiami Trail — US-41 across the Everglades
275 miles. Two-lane. Big Cypress + Everglades crossing. The route Disney drivers don't see.
Natchez Trace Parkway — Nashville to Natchez
444 miles. NPS-managed. No commercial vehicles. No billboards. No traffic lights. An RV traveler's parkway.
Outer Banks Scenic Byway — NC-12 from Corolla to Ocracoke
138 miles. Three barrier islands. Two free ferries. Six lighthouses. The most accessible barrier-island RV route in the US.
Apache Trail — AZ-88 from Apache Junction to Roosevelt
40 miles. Half paved. Half unpaved. The dirt section is closed indefinitely. RV planning needs to address this.
US-163 — the Monument Valley scenic drive
The iconic Forrest Gump highway runs through the heart of the Navajo Nation. Photography rules apply.
San Juan Skyway loop — 233-mile Colorado scenic loop
Durango. Mancos. Cortez. Dolores. Telluride. Placerville. Ridgway. Ouray. Silverton. Back to Durango. The San Juan Mountains' grand loop.
Alaska Highway — the US section (Tok to Anchorage)
The final leg of the 1,387-mile WWII corridor. Frost heaves, moose strikes, glaciers, and the longest border-to-Anchorage drive on earth.
Seward Highway — Anchorage to Seward
125 miles. All-American Road. Bore tide turnouts. Beluga whale viewing. Glacier vistas. The most accessible Alaska scenic byway.
Denali Highway — Paxson to Cantwell
135 miles of remote Alaska Range scenic. Mostly gravel. Genuinely empty country. Plan for a slow day.
Hana Highway — Maui, Hawaii (RV warning)
64 miles. 620 curves. 59 one-lane bridges. Only the smallest camper-vans can drive this road.
Acadia Park Loop Road — Maine
27 miles. NPS scenic byway. Cadillac Mountain sunrise (reservation required). Limited large-RV access.
Cascade Loop — Washington
440 miles. Pacific to alpine to high desert and back. Washington's everything-loop in a week.
Olympic Peninsula loop — US-101 Washington
330 miles. Rainforest, alpine, Pacific coast in one trip. The only US loop circling a national park with three distinct ecosystems.
Black Hills loop — Needles Highway + Iron Mountain Road
Two of the most engineered scenic roads in the US. Needles Highway has 8-foot tunnels — Class B only.
Route 66 — western section (Albuquerque to Santa Monica)
The most intact RV-driveable Route 66 segment. Where the Mother Road still feels like itself.
Tunnel of Trees — M-119, Michigan
27 miles. Tree canopy. Lake Michigan bluffs. Class B + small Class C only.
Texas Hill Country loop
200-mile Hill Country loop through Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Luckenbach, and Enchanted Rock. RV-friendly.
High Road to Taos — Santa Fe to Taos via the Sangre de Cristo foothills
85 miles through historic villages founded in the 1700s. RV-friendly with respect for local communities.
Turquoise Trail — NM-14, Albuquerque to Santa Fe
50 miles. National Scenic Byway. The slow alternative to I-25 through Madrid and Cerrillos.
Hawaii Volcanoes Byway — Crater Rim Drive + Chain of Craters Road
Big Island's volcanic interior. RV-friendly within Hawaii Volcanoes NP with caveats.
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway — WY-296 Cooke City to Cody
47 miles. The route Chief Joseph used in the Nez Perce flight of 1877. RV-friendly Wyoming alternative.
Avenue of the Giants — Humboldt Redwoods CA
31 miles. Old-growth coast redwoods. RV-friendly. The redwood drive most travelers come for.
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway — Prairie Creek Redwoods
10 miles. NPS-managed parkway through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. RV-friendly with caveats.
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway — Wheeler Peak loop
84 miles around the highest peak in New Mexico. RV-friendly Sangre de Cristo loop.
Finger Lakes wine byway — New York
100+ miles of scenic loops around Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka Lakes. RV-friendly wine country.
Great Lakes Seaway Trail — Lake Erie to St Lawrence River
518 miles. National Scenic Byway. Lake Erie + Lake Ontario + St Lawrence River. The longest waterfront RV scenic in the US.
Colonial Parkway — Jamestown to Yorktown
23 miles. NPS-managed parkway. Three historic sites of colonial Virginia in 30 minutes of driving.
Rio Grande Gorge rim byway — Taos to Wild Rivers
30 miles. Rio Grande Gorge rim. BLM dispersed camping. RV-friendly back-road experience.
Rocky Mountain Front — US-89 Montana
75 miles. The Rocky Mountain Front rising abruptly from the plains. Glacier east-side access.
Minnesota North Shore Scenic Drive — MN-61
150 miles. Lake Superior shore. Eight state parks. RV-friendly Boundary Waters approach.
Old Fall River Road — Rocky Mountain NP
Unpaved, one-way uphill only, RV-unsuitable. Use Trail Ridge Road instead.
22 guides
Clearance + restrictions
Low-clearance bridges, mountain pass elevations, steep grades, RV-banned roads. The reference for routing decisions.
US RV low-clearance master reference
13'6" is the federal minimum but it's an aspiration, not a guarantee. Real US clearance is much lower in places.
Eastern US low-clearance reality
New York to Massachusetts. Where the historical infrastructure meets modern RVs. Plan carefully.
NYC low-clearance reality — RVs in New York City
Most NYC bridges are sub-13 feet. Most parkways are RV-prohibited. Where RVs can actually drive.
Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels — RV clearance reference
Four tunnels remain on the modern PA Turnpike. 13'9" minimum. Most RVs OK.
US mountain passes — 10,000+ ft paved RV reference
When you're crossing the Rockies in an RV, altitude is the constraint. This is the list.
US steep grade highways — 6%+ posted grades
Where the descent matters more than the climb. The list every RV traveler should review.
Roads where RVs cannot go — US reference
Parkways. Posted-low bridges. Scenic byways with length limits. Where RVs are explicitly excluded.
Trucks-only routes — RV qualifies
Where the truck route exists, your big-rig RV typically uses it.
Hazmat-restricted tunnels — US RV propane considerations
Federal hazmat restrictions apply to placard-required transport, not standard RV propane. Reference + alternatives.
RV smart routing apps — Garmin RV, CoPilot, TruckerPath
The apps that route by your rig's height and weight, not a car's.
I-70 Colorado mountain passes — RV reference
The marquee mountain interstate. Three passes, two tunnels, four canyons in 200 miles.
I-5 Grapevine — Tejon Pass California
6% sustained. CHP brake checks. The Los Angeles approach.
I-15 Cajon Pass — California LA-Vegas corridor
5-6% sustained. The LA-Las Vegas RV corridor's main mountain crossing.
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass — Washington
Seattle's mountain interstate. 6% grades. Winter chain country.
I-80 Donner Summit — California / Nevada
Sacramento to Reno via the Sierra Nevada. 7,200 ft summit.
NYC truck routes — RV-legal routes
NYC DOT publishes the legal truck-and-RV routes. Use them.
Storrow Drive Boston — RV STAY OUT
Sub-13 ft bridges. Weekly truck strikes. Storrowing is a thing. Don't be the RV.
DC parkway restrictions — federal RV-prohibited routes
The federal parkways in the DC area prohibit commercial vehicles and RVs. Use I-95 / I-495.
Baltimore Harbor + Fort McHenry Tunnels — RV reference
I-895 Harbor + I-95 Fort McHenry. RV-friendly with standard propane.
Chicago RV routes — Tri-State Tollway preferred
I-294 around Chicago is the RV-friendly bypass. Through-traffic uses it.
US bridge strike history — a reference for caution
Documented bridge strikes by RVs and trucks. Don't be the next one.
RV + trailer length legal rules — US state-by-state
State laws on combined RV + trailer length. Critical for fifth-wheel + towed-vehicle setups.
16 guides
Fuel + logistics
Diesel stations, propane fill, dump stations, water, cell coverage, Starlink, fuel cost calculator. The operational reality.
Diesel station locator strategy for RV travelers
Where to find diesel reliably + how to avoid running dry.
Gas station RV pump access reality
Why some stations don't accommodate RVs + which chains do.
Largest US fuel stops — RV traveler reference
The four major chains for RV travel + what makes each useful.
Boondocking fuel cache strategy
Plan fuel like you plan water when you're 100 miles from the nearest station.
US propane fill directory
Where to get propane refilled (not just exchanged) across the US.
US dump station strategy
Where to empty grey + black tanks reliably.
US RV potable water fill strategy
Where to fill freshwater tanks reliably.
RV cell coverage by carrier
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile by region + reality.
Starlink Roam for RV travel
Satellite internet for off-grid RV. $150/month. Genuine game-changer for boondocking.
RV fuel cost calculator — per route
How to estimate fuel cost accurately for any RV trip.
Cross-country RV fuel budget reality
What it actually costs to drive an RV from coast to coast.
US border crossing fuel rules
RV-specific fuel and propane rules for US-Canada + US-Mexico crossings.
Towed vehicle fuel + flat-tow rules
Dinghy towing reality for RV travelers.
EV charging for electric RVs
Electric Class B campervans + emerging RV EV market.
Sustainable RV travel
Reducing the footprint of RV travel.
RV solar power for boondocking
Watts, batteries, and the practical reality of off-grid RV power.
15 guides
Region guides
Multi-state RV regional routes — Pacific Northwest, Four Corners, Rocky Mountain loops, Sierra Nevada, and more.
Pacific Northwest RV routes
Cascade Loop, Olympic Peninsula, Oregon Coast, North Cascades. The full PNW RV route circuit.
Sierra Nevada RV loops
Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Tahoe, Mammoth. The High Sierra circuit.
Mojave + Sonoran desert RV routes
Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Mojave, Saguaro. The desert circuit.
Four Corners region RV routes
Utah's five national parks, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly. The Southwest archaeological circuit.
Rocky Mountain RV loops — CO, WY, MT
RMNP + Yellowstone + Grand Teton + Glacier. The full Northern Rocky circuit.
Texas Hill Country RV regional routes
Wine country, German-heritage towns, LBJ Ranch, Enchanted Rock. The integrated Hill Country experience.
Florida Keys + Everglades regional routes
Keys, Everglades, Big Cypress, Biscayne. The southern Florida RV circuit.
New England fall foliage RV routes
Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. The classic fall RV circuit.
Great Lakes region RV routes
Lake Michigan + Lake Superior + Lake Erie. The Great Lakes lakeshore circuit.
Upper Midwest RV routes
Badlands, Black Hills, prairies, North Dakota oil country, Iowa rolling hills.
Deep South RV regional routes
Louisiana Cajun country, Mississippi blues + Delta, Alabama Civil Rights, Georgia coast.
Mid-Atlantic RV regional routes
Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania. Colonial + coast + Appalachian.
Pacific Crest driving parallels — RV routes near the PCT
Drive through the same landscape the PCT crosses. RV-friendly parallel routes.
Continental Divide RV drives
RV routes paralleling the Continental Divide Trail. Spine of the Rockies.
Trans-Canada Highway via US — northern transcontinental
The northern transcontinental US route paralleling the Canadian Trans-Canada Highway.
11 guides
Special + heritage
Cultural and heritage routes — Lewis & Clark, Underground Railroad, Trail of Tears, Selma to Montgomery, Lincoln Highway.
Route 66 revised — what's actually driveable today
The original 2,448-mile Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985. This is what's driveable now.
Lewis & Clark expedition retrace
RV-friendly route following the 1804-1806 Corps of Discovery. With honest framing of Indigenous impact.
Lincoln Highway — America's first transcontinental
1913-1925 first paved transcontinental US highway. The RV heritage drive.
Underground Railroad heritage routes
NPS Network to Freedom. The freedom-seeker network. Multi-state interpretive routes.
Oregon Trail + California Trail RV retrace
Pioneer wagon trail retrace. 19th-century migration. RV-friendly paralleling highways.
Civil War battlefield RV circuit
Gettysburg, Antietam, Vicksburg, Shiloh. With USCT + enslaved-perspective interpretation.
Cesar Chavez + Mexican-American heritage RV route
Farmworker movement + Mexican-American civil rights. RV-friendly heritage route.
Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights heritage route
The 1965 voting rights march. 54 miles. NPS National Historic Trail.
Trail of Tears commemorative drive
Honoring the 1838-1839 forced removal. Multi-state heritage route with respect.
Indigenous heritage RV routes
Respectful RV travel through Indigenous lands and to interpretive sites.
Hawaii Volcanoes NP RV reality — limited access
Hawaii is the hardest US state for RV travel. Honest framing for travelers.
About PickRV's route reference
PickRV. Every page hand-written. Drive times as ranges, never fake precision. Vehicle restrictions verified against state DOTs, FHWA, and NPS. Always verify current conditions with state DOT 511 systems before departure. Weather may close roads without notice.