Experience the stark beauty of arid landscapes with Desert-tagged routes, from sunbaked highways to remote desert crossings.
The 🏜️ Desert tag marks routes that traverse arid landscapes, dry basins, and sunbaked terrain typical of the American Southwest and similar regions. These drives are often defined by sparse vegetation, rugged rock formations, and expansive, unbroken horizons under intense sunlight.
Desert-tagged segments offer a unique visual experience—shifting sands, red rock mesas, or salt flats depending on the location. They can be starkly beautiful but also challenging due to heat, limited shade, and fewer services along the way.
Drive the historic and scenic Arizona State Route 66 from Seligman to Kingman. This iconic segment of Historic U.S. Route 66 travels through desert plains, ghost towns, and tribal lands, showcasing classic Americana and the rugged beauty of Arizona’s high desert.
Travel 64 miles through one of the most iconic landscapes in America as U.S. Route 163 takes you from Kayenta, Arizona to Bluff, Utah. Explore Monument Valley, Forrest Gump Point, Mexican Hat, and more on this unforgettable scenic highway.
Drive 82 miles across the Navajo Nation on U.S. Route 160 from Tuba City to Kayenta, Arizona. Explore scenic desert landscapes, roadside stops, and historic points of interest along this vital east-west corridor in the American Southwest.
Cruise east on Interstate 40 from Tijeras to Edgewood, New Mexico, for 12 miles of high-desert scenery, roadside history, and mountain views just outside of Albuquerque. Explore Zuzax, Sedillo Hill, and the growing town of Edgewood along the way.
Travel 23 miles through New Mexico’s rugged high desert along County Road 7950 from Nageezi to Chaco Culture National Historical Park. A challenging but rewarding route offering panoramic views and ancient history.
Drive 43 miles south along US Highway 491 from Utah to Cortez, Colorado, passing through Dove Creek, Yellow Jacket, and Lewis in Colorado’s high desert farmland. This quiet, scenic stretch offers access to archaeological sites and panoramic rural views in the heart of…
Cruise across the high desert of central New Mexico on Interstate 40 from Edgewood to Clines Corners. This 31-mile stretch includes Moriarty, a historic Route 66 stop, and long desert vistas before arriving at the legendary Clines Corners travel center.
Travel the historic Route 66 along New Mexico State Road 333 from Albuquerque to Tijeras. Explore the Musical Highway, scenic views of the Sandia Mountains, and remnants of Americana in this short but memorable desert drive.
Cruise 16 miles south along Interstate 25 from Bernalillo to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Explore a high-desert route through Sandia Pueblo and into the heart of Albuquerque via the iconic “Big I” interchange with I-40.
Take a scenic 17-mile drive down U.S. Route 491 from Monticello, Utah to the Colorado border. Follow this quiet desert highway through wide-open canyonlands, past the Abajo Mountains and toward the distant Sleeping Ute Mountain.
Travel north through southeastern Utah on U.S. Route 191 from Bluff to Blanding. This 26-mile drive rises from the San Juan River valley to the high plateaus, passing through White Mesa and ending in the heart of Blanding.
Take a stunning 23-mile drive along U.S. Route 163 from Kayenta, Arizona to the Utah border. Pass through iconic Monument Valley scenery, Navajo Nation lands, and breathtaking desert vistas that feel straight out of a movie.