Rustic Routes: 3 Illinois Routes Named Among America’s Best Hidden Gem Road Trips.

• Survey of 3,011 regular road trippers on the best hidden gem routes.
• Historic Route 66 Detour (Joliet); Great River Road Scenic Drive (Alton) + Shawnee Forest & Garden of the Gods Loop (Carbondale) included.
• Infographic.

As summer season is in full swing, Gunther Kia carried out a survey of 3,011 regular road trippers asking them to rank the best hidden gem road trips in America. While Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway still draw the crowds, this survey highlighted lesser-known routes that offer just as much scenic beauty with far fewer tourists. These underrated routes aren’t just beautiful – they’re refreshingly uncrowded, locally loved, and rich with hidden history.

The top 10 are as follows:

#1. Olympic Peninsula Rainforest Circuit – Washington
Route: Port Angeles → Forks → Lake Quinault → Port Townsend → Port Angeles
Time on the road: ~5.5 hours
Highlights: Circle through temperate rainforests, driftwood beaches, and moss-covered trails where elk wander through morning mist. Visit tide pools, quiet coastal towns, and ancient groves that feel completely untouched.

#2. Big Island South Loop – Hawaii
Route: Hilo → Volcano → Naʻālehu → Captain Cook → Kailua-Kona → Hilo
Time on the road: ~5.5 hours
Highlights: Circle black sand beaches, lava fields, and coffee farms high on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Stop to explore Volcanoes National Park and end the day with sunset over the Kona coast.

#3. Blue Ridge Parkway Mountain Loop – North Carolina
Route: Asheville → Little Switzerland → Blowing Rock → Linville Gorge → Asheville
Time on the road: ~5.5 hours
Highlights: Drive one of the country’s most scenic routes with views that shift from wildflower fields to deep mountain hollows. Stop for pie at a roadside café or linger at an overlook with nothing but sky and trees.

 #4. San Juan Skyway Scenic Loop – Colorado
Route: Durango → Silverton → Ouray → Telluride → Dolores → Durango
Time on the road: ~6.5 hours
Highlights: Cruise over high mountain passes and into historic mining towns, with jaw-dropping views of jagged peaks around every bend. Stop for hot springs in Ouray, a gondola ride in Telluride, and quiet alpine lakes tucked into the forest.

#5. Black Hills Scenic Loop – South Dakota
Route: Rapid City → Custer → Spearfish → Deadwood → Rapid City
Time on the road: ~5.5 hours
Highlights: Drive through granite peaks, pine forests, and open grasslands where bison roam and mountain views surprise around every bend. Stop for ghost towns, Wild West history, and backroad trails tucked into the hills.

#6. Pennsylvania Dutch Country Circuit – Pennsylvania
Route: Lancaster → Ephrata → Intercourse → Lititz → Lancaster
Time on the road: ~4 hours
Highlights: Roll past Amish farms, horse-drawn buggies, and roadside stands selling shoofly pie and handmade quilts. Every stop offers a glimpse into a slower, simpler way of life rooted in tradition.

#7. Shenandoah Valley Scenic Loop – Virginia
Route: Staunton → Luray → Strasburg → Lexington → Staunton
Time on the road: ~5.5 hours
Highlights: Cruise between mountains and farms where stone walls line the roads and Civil War landmarks sit beside local wineries. Hike into caverns or linger on a porch swing overlooking endless valley views.

#8. Hells Canyon Scenic Byway – Oregon
Route: La Grande → Enterprise → Joseph → Halfway → Baker City → La Grande
Time on the road: ~6 hours
Highlights: Wind through river gorges, alpine meadows, and tiny frontier towns tucked against Oregon’s rugged northeast corner. Stop for art in Joseph, canyon overlooks, and ghost town quiet in Halfway.

#9. Maui Upcountry & North Coast Drive – Hawaii
Route: Kahului → Makawao → Kula → Hana → Paia → Kahului
Time on the road: ~6 hours
Highlights: Climb through eucalyptus forests and lavender farms in Maui’s upcountry, then wind down the famous Road to Hana for waterfalls, bamboo groves, and ocean cliffs. It’s a full-senses experience—cool air, crashing waves, and roadside fruit stands.

#10. Central Nevada Loneliest Road Loop – Nevada
Route: Fallon → Austin → Eureka → Ely → Fallon
Time on the road: ~6 hours
Highlights: Travel the “Loneliest Road in America,” where rugged basins, forgotten saloons, and high desert passes give a surreal, wide-open beauty. Stop at tiny towns with big stories and watch wild mustangs roam in the distance.

Three Illinois hidden gem road trip routes were recognized among the best in the country:

#23. Historic Route 66 Detour
Route: Joliet → Pontiac → Springfield → Lincoln → Joliet
Time on the road: ~4.5 hours
Highlights: Explore the kitschy, nostalgic charm of Illinois’ stretch of Route 66—old diners, neon signs, and roadside oddities included. Dive into car culture, murals, and Americana history at every stop.

#74. Great River Road Scenic Drive
Route: Alton → Grafton → Quincy → Nauvoo → Alton
Time on the road: ~5.5 hours
Highlights: Drive along the Mississippi River, passing bluffs, vineyards, and quaint river towns where paddleboats still dock. Stop for fried catfish, historic architecture, and sunset over the water.

#91. Shawnee Forest & Garden of the Gods Loop
Route: Carbondale → Giant City → Garden of the Gods → Metropolis → Carbondale
Time on the road: ~5 hours
Highlights: Wind through the sandstone cliffs and forest trails of southern Illinois, where Garden of the Gods offers surreal rock formations and sweeping views. Stop for wine tastings or hunt for Superman statues in Metropolis.

Infographic showing the best hidden gem road trips

“These routes prove you don’t have to follow the crowds to have an unforgettable road trip,” says Joseph Gunther IV of Gunther Kia. “From rainforest to desert, every one of these drives offers a sense of discovery that’s getting harder to find. They’re the kinds of places where you can roll down the windows, lose track of time, and feel like the road belongs entirely to you.”