The Best Road Trip Destinations in the USA

South Dakota is a lightly populated state in the Great Plains region of the north-central United States.  While South Dakota is amongst the top third of USA states in terms of land area, it has the fifth lowest population.  It is a state of flat terrain and large farms to the east, with a much more hilly and rugged environment to the west.  Content creator Toby Brusseau treats us to an aerial tour of this great state, home of the famous Mt. Rushmore in the western part of the state and a popular road trip destination.

Contributor and pilot LUX used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to create this aerial view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, USA.  The Blue Ridge is a sub-range of the Appalachian chain which runs roughly parallel to the USA's East Coast; this popular tourist draw runs through several states, with its largest portions lying in Virginia and North Carolina.  The name "Blue Ridge" derives from the bluish appearance of the peaks seen from a distance, a result of isoprene released from the mountains' trees. 

Pacific Coast Highway, also known as California Route 1, is a 659-mile long stretch of highway which runs in a generally north-south direction along California's Pacific Ocean coast.  Notable locations along this roadtrip worthy highway are Big Sur, the Golden Gate Bridge, Malibu, San Luis Obispo, and Mendocino Headlands. In this drone video, top AirVūz contributor Dave Yip stops at Mugu Rock, which overlooks the ocean and is one of the many incredible sights along this famed roadway.

Jackson Hole Valley sits in the Teton Mountain Range in western Wyoming. Because of its low lying valleys and steep mountain slopes, Jackson Hole was given its name from mountain men who described walking into the valley as the sensation of entering a hole. Visitors can enjoy Jackson Hole's proximity to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National park, which is known for its famous geysers, hot springs, wildlife, and epic mountain views.  

Glacier National Park is located in the northwestern corner of Montana. The destination park offers over seven hundred miles of hiking trails, breathtaking views of its lush alpine forests, rugged mountain landscape, and stunning clear lakes. Top AirVūz contributor thatdroneview created this stunning video of the nation's tenth national park.  The video features a well-edited mix of GoPro ground camera footage of Glacier National Park and aerial drone footage of the area outside of the park's boundaries.  

Starting in Kahului and ending in the lush green rainforest town of Hana, this 52 mile roadtrip-friendly stretch along the east coast of Maui offers views of fifteen Hawaiian waterfalls. Because of the 620 curves and 59 narrow bridges along this famous route, it can be difficult to see everything from the road. That is why pilot Allan Crawford sent his drone to the sky to capture these majestic waterfalls on his way to Hana, Hawaii. 

Contributor Alaska42 captured this drone footage near the base of the Olympic Peninsula in the USA's Pacific Northwest.  The video was shot around town Poulsbo, Washington, which lies on an inlet of a body of water called Liberty Bay and is popular with tourists.  The bay sits on the western (Olympic Peninsula) side of Puget Sound, across which lies Seattle.  The video captures the town's quaint harbor as well as the natural scenes which abound in the countless inlets and islands which populate the Sound.  

The imprecisely predefined "West LA" consists of a series of beach communities, most of which are independent cities.  The largest and most well known of these is Santa Monica, which lies more or less due west from downtown LA.  A city of nearly 90,000 residents as of 2018, its main pier is a popular attraction for tourists and locals.  In this drone video by Lucaspinhel, you'll get a bird's eye look at the famous pier, where actor Tom Hanks ended up when he  "ran clear to the ocean" in the movie Forrest Gump (1994)

Contributor and pilot TampaRandy created this drone tour of a stretch of the Florida Keys running from Islamorada and Seven Mile Bridge.  While it's not actually seven miles (it's 10.9k meters or about 6.8k miles), it was one of the longest bridges in the world when it opened in 1912 as a railway extension.  The popular drive is actually two bridges now; the more recent one was built in 1982.  The bridge was the filming scene in the 18th James Bond film License to Kill (1989) in which a truck is driven off of it.

Christopher Abbey used a drone to record an epic trip to popular Mt. Whitney in California. It's part of the Sierra Nevada chain of mountains which run down a portion of eastern part of the Golden State.  With a peak elevation of 4.5k meters (around 14.4k ft.), Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the chain, in the state of California, and in the continental United States.  The perfectly shaped peak was first scaled in 1873, following a series of failed attempts.  Its eastern face wasn't conquered until 1931.

Of Hawaii's many waterfalls, there are just a couple which consistently land amongst the top 15-20 falls in the world.  One of these is Akaka Falls, situated in a state park of the same name on Hawaii's "Big Island," about midway down its northeastern coastline.  Defined as a plunge-type waterfall, it drops the water of a waterway known as the Kolekole stream about 135 meters (just over 440 ft.) into a deep gorge. Don't miss these magnificent falls in this drone video by contributor Hawaii Aerial Visions. 

Top AirVuz contributor and pilot Bbloss created one of his trademark "Bloss Out" dronie shots from a famouns pass in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States. Engineers' Pass is located between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado, in the southwestern part of the state.  The pass has an elevation of about 3.9k meters above sea level (around 12.8k ft.), making it one of the highest mountain passes in the United States.  If you watch this all the way through, you will realize how small humans are! 

Cape Cod extends from the Massachusetts mainland just southeast of the city of Boston as a great arc sweeping into the Atlantic Ocean.  At the far tip of the cape is Provincetown, the site of the historic Mayflower landing in 1620.    While naturally connected to the mainland, Cape Cod Canal's construction in the early 1900's separated the cape.  In this drone video, top content creator iDrone Aerials gives us an aerial tour of this summer district, one of the most popular tourist spots on the USA's East Coast.  

Seward Highway is a 125-mile highway that runs from Seward to Anchorage Alaska. Drone pilot alaska42 captures the Alaska Railroad and the Turnagain Arm which is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the United States. Enjoy the mountainous beauty, dramatic shorelines, and charming train footage in this aerial film.

Blue Mountain Beach sits along Florida's Scenic 30A highway that runs along the state's panhandle. Located in South Walton County, this highway boasts white sandy beaches and azure waters making a perfect destination for all beach lovers. It's no wonder why AirVūz contributor and drone pilot 8 fifty productions stopped along the way to capture this incredible beach with his DJI Inspire.

I-Drone-Aerial created this beautiful drone video of one of the most visited lighthouses on the US East Coast.  Bodie Island lighthouse is located on an island of the same name, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  The Outer Banks, which lie on the state's northern Atlantic Coast, are notoriously difficult waters for ships.  The Bodie Island Lighthouse, opened in 1873, was critical to improving the safety of shipping in these treacherous waters.  The lighthouse is about 50 meters (about 155 ft.) in height.  

Flint Hills National Scenic Byway is a 47 mile stretch of highway that goes over the Flint Hills of Kansas. Some locations along this scenic byway are Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and Cottonwood Falls. AirVūz contributor tbommy88 sent his DJI Mavic Pro to fly over these vast rolling hills to capture the aerial views of this mid-western state.  The expansive, nonurban views are remarkable!

Planning a road trip this summer? The Travel Channel put together a list of the ‘20 Most Popular Road Trip Routes in the USA’ and AirVuz created an aerial compilation of drone videos from each of the locations. Take an aerial journey over each of the routes and then pack up your car and hit the road! From coast to coast and mountains to forests there is no shortage of beautiful aerial footage in this drone compilation. These popular drives will take you on an adventure and these drone videos are just the start!