How long is Grand Loop Road?
Usa, north-america
230 km
2,518 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, buckle up for the Grand Loop Road – the ultimate Yellowstone National Park experience! This 140-mile paved route winds its way through the park's highlights in a giant figure-eight. You'll cruise past geysers, hot springs, and mud pots galore!
This isn't a straight shot, though. Get ready for some twists and turns, but nothing too crazy. Just keep an eye on the speed limit (around 45 mph) and watch out for wildlife – bison and bears don't follow traffic rules!
Speaking of time, plan to spend anywhere from 4 to 7 hours driving the whole loop. Summer can get super crowded, so patience is key. But trust me, the views are worth it!
You'll be climbing high, too, hitting elevations of 8,262 feet, 7,119 feet, and even 8,917 feet at some mountain passes. Heads up: some sections close completely during winter, so plan your trip accordingly. This historic road, originally envisioned back in 1915, is the perfect way to soak in the majesty of Yellowstone!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 230 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,518 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
Related Roads in north-america
hardDriving the treacherously steep Bella Coola Road in British Columbia
🇨🇦 Canada
Get ready for the Bella Coola Road – a 454-kilometer (282-mile) adventure across British Columbia that'll take your breath away! This isn't just a drive; it's an experience, linking Bella Coola with Williams Lake. Also known as Highway 20 or the Chilcotin Highway, this route carves its way from the Central Interior to the Central Coast, serving up a hefty dose of the Coast Mountains and Chilcotin Plateau. Think dramatic landscapes: desert canyons echoing near the Fraser River, and soaring glaciated peaks. The first 319 km is paved, taking you to Anahim Lake. After that, it's gravel road all the way. You'll definitely want to stay focused on those hairpin turns! This isn't a Sunday cruise; it's a "low gear, full concentration" kind of drive. The real kicker? "The Hill," a set of switchbacks leading up to Heckman Pass at 1,524 meters (5,000 feet). Then brace yourself for a thrilling 43 km (27 mi) descent into the Bella Coola Valley, featuring grades up to 18% (yikes!), which some say is the steepest in BC. Remember, uphill traffic has the right-of-way on those single-lane bits! Driving into Bella Coola is absolutely worth it! With limited services along the way, make sure you're prepared. Fill up the tank! You can make the whole trip in a day, especially in summer, but plan to take your time and soak in those views. Fun fact: Built in 1953, the road is nicknamed the "Freedom Road" by locals, who remember how isolated they were before its completion.
extremeWhy Street Road is the Nation's Deadliest
🇺🇸 Usa
Okay, picture this: you're cruising along a stretch of road in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, right in Bucks County. This isn't just any road; it's Knights Road meeting Street Road, and let me tell you, it's got a rep. We're talking about a one-mile section that's seen a whopping 144 crashes in just two years, leaving 170 people seriously injured or worse. Yikes! So, what's the deal? Well, Street Road is trying to be everything at once: a speedy main route and a local access street. Think poor lighting, aggressive drivers merging lanes like they're in a race, and tons of pedestrians trying to dodge traffic on wide, fast-moving roads. Basically, it's a recipe for disaster, and a prime example of how things can go wrong when roads try to do too much.
easySkyline Drive
🇺🇸 United States
Skyline Drive is an absolutely stunning 169-kilometer stretch that runs the full length of Shenandoah National Park, hugging the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains across Virginia. This beauty was actually carved out during the Great Depression as a works project, and boy, did they nail the routing. You'll find 75 different overlooks peppered along the way, each one gifting you those postcard-perfect vistas—westward to the Shenandoah Valley below and eastward across the rolling Piedmont. What really makes this drive special is how connected it is to the surrounding landscape. Over 800 kilometers of hiking trails branch off from the road, including a whopping 160-kilometer stretch of the legendary Appalachian Trail that crisscrosses the drive repeatedly. The route winds through thick hardwood forests that put on an absolute show every fall, and you'll pass rocky ridges where peregrine falcons have made an impressive comeback. Whitetail deer basically own this road—seriously, you'll see them constantly—and if you're lucky (or cautious, depending on your perspective), black bears roam the backcountry. Once you reach the southern terminus, Skyline Drive hands off seamlessly to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so you can just keep rolling south into North Carolina if the mountain vibes are treating you right.
easyDriving the Scenic Brackenrig Road Along Lake Rosseau in Ontario
🇨🇦 Canada
Okay, buckle up for a fantastic lakeside cruise on Brackenrig Road! You'll find this beauty hugging the eastern shore of Lake Rosseau in Ontario's Watt Township, about north of Port Carling. Officially known as Muskoka District Road 25, this fully paved gem stretches for about 10 km (6.15 miles) from Road 118 West (the Frank Miller Memorial Route) up to Road 4. The northern half saw some love back in 2011 with upgrades that widened the road and tamed some of the trickier corners – making it a smoother and safer ride. The construction even revealed some cool new road cuts along the way. But the real draw? Seriously stunning views of Lake Rosseau almost the entire way. If you're looking for a picturesque drive in southern Canada, this road is calling your name!