The Best Road Trip Ever, According To Science

Mar 6, 2016

There's nothing quite like the freedom of packing up a suitcase and hitting the open road. Thanks to our nation's highway system, it couldn't be easier to visit landmarks in each and every one of the 48 continental United States in one trip. 

Recently, scientists devised the "perfect road trip" - a colossal trek through all 48 continental states that visits 50 different landmarks. What makes this route so special? It doesn't really matter where you live. The map is essentially one big loop around the country, so just hop on the path in whatever state you live in. You might have heard of or visited some of these landmarks already, but others you may not have ever heard of. The route is curated in such a way that it takes you to the sights everyone talks about, like the Statue of Liberty or Grand Canyon, while also showing you America's lesser known treasures along the way.

With summer only a few short months away, now is the perfect time to start planning a fun road trip. This map is just a starting point, so be sure to do some more research and customize it so that you see everything you want. Well, what are you waiting for? Design the perfect playlist, stock up on snacks, fuel up the car, and let's go!

Here is the route in all its glory. Below, you'll find a list of the 50 landmarks it hits along the way.

Randy Olson

1. Grand Canyon, AZ

2. Bryce Canyon National Park, UT

3. Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID



4. Yellowstone National Park, WY

5. Pikes Peak, CO

6. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

7. The Alamo, TX

8. The Platt Historic District, OK

National Park Service

9. Toltec Mounds, AR

10. Elvis Presley’s Graceland, TN

Joseph Novak

11. Vicksburg National Military Park, MS

12. French Quarter, New Orleans, LA

13. USS Alabama, AL

14. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL


15. Okefenokee Swamp Park, GA

16. Fort Sumter National Monument, SC

17. Lost World Caverns, WV


18. Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, NC

19. Mount Vernon, VA

20. White House, Washington, DC

21. Colonial Annapolis Historic District, MD

22. New Castle Historic District, Delaware

23. Cape May Historic District, NJ

24. Liberty Bell, PA



25. Statue of Liberty, NY

26. The Mark Twain House & Museum, CT

27. The Breakers, RI

28. USS Constitution, MA

29. Acadia National Park, ME

30. Mount Washington Hotel, NH

31. Shelburne Farms, VT

32. Fox Theater, Detroit, MI

33. Spring Grove Cemetery, OH


34. Mammoth Cave National Park, KY

35. West Baden Springs Hotel, IN

36. Abraham Lincoln’s Home, IL

37. Gateway Arch, MO

38. C. W. Parker Carousel Museum, KS

Trip Advisor

39. Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion, IA

40. Taliesin, WI

41. Fort Snelling, MN

42. Ashfall Fossil Bed, NE

University of Nebraska State Museum

43. Mount Rushmore, SD

44. Fort Union Trading Post, ND


45. Glacier National Park, MT

46. Hanford Site, WA

47. Columbia River Highway, OR

48. San Francisco Cable Cars, CA

49. San Andreas Fault, CA

50. Hoover Dam, NV

Ansel Adams

H/T: Shareably

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