A good road trip is a handful of long days surrounded by short ones. These guides map the classic American routes with realistic daily mileage, overnight stops that are worth sleeping in and the stretches where gas and food are far apart.

Start with the roundup of the best road trips in the USA to choose a route, then use the Utah Mighty 5 itinerary as a model for how a national park loop is paced. For trip logistics that apply to any route, see our general road trip planning guides under Trip Planning.

Good road trips share a pattern: no more than five to six hours of driving most days, a lodging booked in advance for the parks and small towns that fill up, and a car you trust. Shoulder seasons usually give the best weather and the best rates.

The Utah Mighty 5 loop is a useful template, since it shows how to chain five parks into a week without constant backtracking.

Part of USA Destinations & National Parks guides. Browse the other topics there to keep planning.