Great Lakes Road Trips

The scenic highlights of this trip are the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Lake Erie—two of northern Ohio’s best features. To get the most scenic bang for your buck, visit this area in autumn, when the trees display their finest colors.

The Adirondacks encompass not only rugged mountains but tranquil meadows and scores of picture-postcard lakes. Recreational pursuits span every season, and the fall foliage viewing is second to none. Saratoga Springs, Lake George and Lake Placid (where the U.S. ice hockey team won a “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games) are tourist hot spots.

One nickname for Illinois is the Corn State, and this trek across its central swath passes mile after mile of farmland. Corn and soybeans planted in the region’s rich black earth in spring are flourishing by summer; in fact “silty clay loam” is Illinois’ official state soil. Plan your trip for when the crops are at their verdant peak.

Some 1,800 islands, ranging from the size of a boulder to a whole town, occupy the St. Lawrence River, which can be reached from I-81 and Thousand Islands International Bridge. It’s a resort area, so along the way, visitors on the Watertown, N.Y. to Canada Scenic Highway can enjoy the idyllic countryside as well as activities such as boating and fishing for salmon and lake trout.

Sample a taste of Wisconsin along the Lower Wisconsin River Road Scenic Highway through the countryside. Prairie du Sac and Sauk City share terrain ranging from gently sloping farmlands to dramatic, rocky bluffs where bald eagles soar. Silver maple, cottonwood and American elm trees flourish along the tranquil Wisconsin River.

Along SR 73 are the beautiful Upper Cascade Lake and Lower Cascade Lake, which are flanked by mountainsides creating a stunning view. There are entrances to several hiking trails in Adirondack Park, and in Lake Placid the route passes by the Olympic Jumping Complex and the Olympic Sports Complex.

The Adirondack forest lines the road and stretches over the tops of the mountains along much of I-87, creating a spectacular fall display. South of Plattsburgh, the route crosses the Saranac River, popular for kayaking and canoeing. A slow-moving section of the Ausable River flows under the interstate toward the Ausable Chasm. South of Keeseville, mountains begin to emerge, forming a stately backdrop to Butternut Pond.

SR 3 passes through forests of balsam fir, beech, red and sugar maples, and white pine. Colors vary according to the season, from soft spring greens that deepen in brilliance during summer to cozy autumn hues like amber and copper. Winter’s sparkling white scenery is picture-postcard lovely, but definitely check weather and road conditions before setting out.

Grape Belt Scenic Thruway affords plentiful views of vineyards alongside I-90, a four-lane, divided highway; rows of grapevines extend far into the distance. Expansive fields include an occasional barn and silo dotting the landscape. Near the end of the byway you’ll see Chautauqua County Fairgrounds and a small portion of The State University of New York at Fredonia.

Watch your speed as you wind your way on SR 800 from Woodsfield to Barnesville. You may pass a horse and buggy or two—Ohio is Amish country, after all. This region of Ohio is known for its irregular hills, which provide plenty of scenic beauty. Stretch your legs at Monroe Lake Wildlife Area, which offers fishing, swimming and bird-watching.

Western Ohio’s Historic National Road is a straight-as-an-arrow drive from Kirkersville to the Illinois border. The majority of the trip follows US 40, which was built on top of the National Road in the 1920s. Break up the rural scenery with a stop in Columbus, the capital and largest city in Ohio.

The diverse scenery on Ohio's Western Lake Erie Coastal Trail runs the gamut from the marinas and beach-lined shores of massive Lake Erie to the nature-preserving Metroparks and verdant farmland of the Toledo outskirts. The route also meanders past golf courses, wineries and picturesque historic districts.

The New York Seaway Trail (SR 18) provides access to several state parks along Lake Ontario. East of Youngstown it is mainly a quiet, two-lane country road bordered by fields and solitary farmhouses. The trail turns south near Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site and passes homes with neat lawns, tall shade trees and views of the Niagara River.