Top 20 'Escape-the-Interstate' Road Trip Planners to install for beginners finding America's best scenic routes. - Goh Ling Yong
There’s a certain magic to the American road trip. It’s a tapestry woven from endless horizons, quirky roadside attractions, and the freedom of the open road. But let’s be honest: spending eight hours staring at the gray, monotonous ribbon of an interstate highway can suck the magic right out of the experience. The real America, the one you've dreamed of, exists on the two-lane highways, the scenic byways, and the forgotten backroads that crisscross the country.
Escaping the interstate is about trading efficiency for experience. It’s about choosing the winding path through a national forest over the straight line through a string of identical service plazas. It’s for the driver who believes, as we do here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, that the journey itself is the true destination. For a beginner, though, navigating away from the well-trodden path can feel daunting. How do you find those hidden gems without getting hopelessly lost?
Thankfully, technology is on our side. Your smartphone can be the ultimate co-pilot, equipped with powerful apps designed specifically to help you discover America's best scenic routes. Forget just getting from point A to B; these tools help you build an adventure. Here are our top 20 'escape-the-interstate' road trip planners perfect for beginners ready to explore.
1. Roadtrippers
Roadtrippers is the undisputed champion of road trip planning for a reason. It’s an all-in-one platform that helps you plan your route while simultaneously discovering millions of points of interest along the way. Instead of just showing you the fastest route, it encourages you to explore what’s around you, from national parks to bizarre roadside attractions.
The app's interface is intuitive for beginners. You plug in your start and end points, and then you can add waypoints from categories like "Offbeat & Quirky," "Scenic Points," or "History & Culture." The premium version, Roadtrippers Plus, allows for more waypoints and unlocks features like offline maps and collaborative planning, which is well worth the small annual fee for any serious road warrior.
- Pro Tip: Use the "Extraordinary Places" overlay to find truly unique stops you won't see on any other map. Planning a drive through the Southwest? It might route you right past the Meteor Crater or a preserved stretch of historic Route 66 you would have otherwise missed.
2. Google Maps
Don't underestimate the tool you already have! While Google Maps defaults to the fastest route (usually the interstate), it has powerful features for those willing to dig a little. The "Avoid highways" option in your route settings is the most straightforward way to immediately see alternative backroads.
The real power for scenic driving, however, is in manual route customization. Once you have a route, you can click and drag the blue line to any other road on the map. See a squiggly little line that runs alongside a river? Drag your route onto it. Want to go through a small town instead of around it? Pull the route right down its Main Street. It’s a bit more hands-on, but it gives you complete control.
- Pro Tip: Create a multi-stop route. Add your start and end points, then click the "+" to add destinations. Use these stops to force Google Maps through specific state parks, scenic overlooks, or charming small towns, effectively building your own custom scenic route.
3. The Dyrt
If your ideal road trip involves more time under the stars than in a motel, The Dyrt is your essential companion. It’s the most comprehensive campground-finding app available, with millions of user-submitted reviews, photos, and tips for everything from national park campgrounds to free, dispersed "boondocking" spots on public land.
Escaping the interstate often means venturing into areas with fewer hotels. The Dyrt ensures you always have a place to stay. You can filter for tent sites, RV parks with full hookups, or remote backcountry spots. The PRO version unlocks offline maps and a trip planner, which are crucial when you’re deep in a national forest with zero cell service.
- Pro Tip: Use the "Public Lands" map layer in The Dyrt PRO to find free camping on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land. This is the ultimate way to get off the beaten path and save a significant amount of money.
4. Wanderlog
Wanderlog is a fantastic tool for the organized, collaborative traveler. It’s a trip planner that combines your route, itinerary, reservations, and budget all in one place. You can plan your days, add notes, and even import flight and hotel confirmations from your email.
What makes it great for escaping the interstate is its map-based planning. You can add a list of places you want to see—a quirky diner, a hiking trail, a scenic viewpoint—and Wanderlog will display them all on a map. You can then optimize the route between them, easily seeing how to connect your must-visit spots using local roads instead of highways.
- Pro Tip: Invite your travel companions to collaborate on the trip plan in real-time. Everyone can add their must-see spots, and the group can collectively build the perfect backroad adventure without endless text chains.
5. Scenic
Though originally designed for motorcyclists, Scenic is a hidden gem for any driver who loves a good, curvy road. The app is built around the joy of the drive itself, not just the destination. Its route generator has a "curvy" mode that will intentionally create a route with as many twists and turns as possible between two points.
This is the perfect tool for when you have a free afternoon and just want to go for a drive. Pick a starting point and a general direction, and let Scenic find the most engaging and beautiful backroads in the area. It also supports importing routes from others, so you can find and drive pre-made scenic loops shared by the community.
- Pro Tip: In the route settings, you can specify how "curvy" you want the route to be. On its highest setting, it will find roads you never knew existed, perfect for exploring the mountains of Colorado or the rolling hills of Vermont.
6. inRoute Route Planner
For the data-driven road tripper, inRoute is a dream come true. This powerful app lets you plan your route with an incredible level of detail. You can chart your course based on weather, elevation, road curviness, and daylight hours. It helps you avoid nasty weather or find the most thrilling mountain pass.
Planning a drive through the Rockies in late spring? inRoute can show you the elevation of your route, helping you avoid passes that might still be closed due to snow. It also shows you exactly where the sun will be, so you can plan to be at that perfect west-facing overlook right at sunset.
- Pro Tip: Use the "Curviness" chart to identify the most exciting stretches of your drive. If you see a long, flat section, you can manually adjust your route to find more engaging roads nearby.
7. Atlas Obscura
This isn’t a traditional route planner, but rather an indispensable discovery tool. Atlas Obscura is a user-generated guide to the world's most wondrous and curious places. It’s a database of hidden wonders, secret histories, and bizarre locations that you won’t find in any standard travel guide.
Before you set out, browse the Atlas Obscura map for things along your general corridor. You might find a secret garden, a museum of bad art, or the world's largest collection of teacups just a few miles off the interstate. You can then plug these unique waypoints into your main navigation app to build a truly one-of-a-kind trip.
- Pro Tip: Save all the intriguing spots in your area of travel to a custom list within the app. Then, when you're on the road and feel like a detour, just pull up your list and see what's nearby.
8. Roadside America
Similar to Atlas Obscura but with a specific focus on kitschy Americana, Roadside America is your guide to giant balls of twine, quirky statues, and retro tourist traps. It’s the perfect tool for embracing the fun and humor of the classic American road trip.
The app is organized by state and region, and it has a "Near Me" function that shows you what strange sights are just around the corner. The app's writers have a great sense of humor, and the descriptions alone are often worth the read. It helps you find the joy in the unexpected and turns a simple drive into a hilarious scavenger hunt.
- Pro Tip: Use the app’s "Petrified/Mummified" or "Giants" themes to plan a drive with a hilarious and specific goal in mind. It's a great way to keep kids (and adults) engaged.
9. National Park Service App (NPS App)
If your journey involves any of America’s 63 national parks, the official NPS App is non-negotiable. It’s a free, comprehensive guide to every single park unit. It contains interactive maps, self-guided tours, points of interest, hiking trail information, and, most importantly, real-time alerts.
The maps are downloadable for offline use, which is critical as cell service is often nonexistent in parks. You can find the best scenic drives within the parks, like the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier or the scenic loop in Acadia, and get information on trail conditions and ranger programs.
- Pro Tip: Before you enter a park, download the park's specific map and content for offline use. Check the alerts for road closures or wildlife warnings that could significantly impact your plans.
10. iOverlander
iOverlander is the bible for the overlanding, van life, and boondocking community, but its information is invaluable for any adventurous road tripper. It's a user-generated map that marks everything you need to live on the road: established campgrounds, informal wild campsites, water fill-up stations, propane suppliers, and even mechanics.
When you're exploring the remote backroads of Utah or Nevada, iOverlander is how you find that perfect, free campsite with a million-dollar view. The user comments provide crucial, up-to-date information on road conditions, cell service, and site-specific tips.
- Pro Tip: Read the comments on a potential campsite carefully. Users will often report if a road requires 4WD or high clearance, saving you from getting your vehicle stuck.
11. Harvest Hosts
For those traveling in a self-contained RV, Harvest Hosts offers a revolutionary way to spend the night. For a yearly membership fee, you get access to a network of over 5,000 wineries, breweries, farms, and attractions that invite you to stay overnight on their property for free.
This isn't just a place to park; it's an experience. You might spend the night at a beautiful vineyard in California, an alpaca farm in Colorado, or a historical museum in Ohio. It forces you off the highway and connects you with local business owners, creating unforgettable memories.
- Pro Tip: Always call or use the online request system ahead of time to confirm your stay. It's also customary to support your host by purchasing a bottle of wine, some fresh produce, or a souvenir from their gift shop.
12. AllTrails
A great road trip isn't just about the drive; it's about what you do when you stop. AllTrails is the ultimate app for finding hiking, biking, and running trails. With over 400,000 trails mapped and reviewed by millions of users, you can always find a way to stretch your legs.
While driving a scenic byway, pull over and use the "Near Me" feature in AllTrails. You'll likely discover a beautiful waterfall hike or a stunning viewpoint trail just a few hundred feet from the road. The user reviews and photos give you a great idea of the trail's difficulty and current conditions.
- Pro Tip: Download trail maps for offline use with the Pro subscription. This lets you track your location on the trail using your phone's GPS even without a cell signal, providing a huge safety benefit.
13. GasBuddy
Venturing onto America's backroads means leaving the comforting consistency of gas stations at every exit. In rural areas, stations can be 50 miles apart or more. GasBuddy is an essential tool for not only finding the cheapest gas but for finding gas, period.
Before heading into a remote stretch, use GasBuddy to see where your next reliable fill-up opportunity will be. Running out of fuel on a deserted county road is a surefire way to ruin an otherwise perfect day of exploration.
- Pro Tip: Don't push it. On backroads, adopt the "half-tank rule." When your tank gets to the halfway mark, start actively looking for the next gas station.
14. iExit
Okay, this one might seem counterintuitive, but hear us out. Sometimes, you need to use the interstate for a short stretch to connect two amazing scenic roads. iExit is a genius app that uses your location to tell you exactly what services (food, gas, lodging, etc.) are available at the upcoming exits on the highway.
This allows you to be strategic. Instead of pulling off at a random exit with a grim-looking gas station, you can see that a much better exit with a local coffee shop and cheaper gas is just two miles ahead. It helps you use the interstate efficiently and get back to the good roads faster.
- Pro Tip: Use iExit to find unique, non-chain restaurants just off the highway. It often lists local favorites that you'd miss if you only looked for the big, familiar logos on the blue signs.
15. Calimoto
Like Scenic, Calimoto is another app built for motorcyclists that car drivers should absolutely steal. Its core feature is a "twisty road" algorithm that is second to none. It analyzes roads based on how winding they are and creates round-trip routes designed for maximum driving pleasure.
Tell the app you have three hours to spare, and it will generate a spectacular loop that starts and ends at your current location, packed with the best driving roads in the region. It’s the ultimate antidote to a boring afternoon and a fantastic way to discover local gems.
- Pro Tip: Save your generated routes. Over time, you'll build a personal library of your favorite scenic drives that you can revisit or share with friends.
16. Polarsteps
Polarsteps automatically creates a beautiful, shareable travel journal of your road trip. The app runs in the background, tracking your route on a world map and intelligently creating "steps" for each place you visit. You can then add photos, videos, and notes to each step, building a rich, visual timeline of your adventure.
This is a fantastic, low-effort way to document your journey. At the end of a long day of driving, you don't have to try and remember every little town you passed through. It’s all there on your map. You can even order a beautifully printed photo album of your trip directly from the app.
- Pro Tip: Adjust the battery usage settings to find a balance that works for your phone. The app is quite efficient, but on a long trip, it's good to be mindful of power consumption.
17. Apple Maps
Once the underdog, Apple Maps has evolved into a powerful and beautiful navigation tool. Its "Look Around" feature provides stunning, high-resolution street-level imagery that often surpasses Google's. This is great for scouting out a scenic pull-off or the vibe of a small town before you even get there.
Apple Maps also features curated Guides from publishers like Lonely Planet and Culture Trip, as well as from users. These can be a great source of inspiration for finding scenic drives or interesting stops in a region you plan to visit.
- Pro Tip: On an iPhone, you can use Siri to "add a stop" to your route while you're driving. This is a safe, hands-free way to add that coffee shop or roadside attraction you just saw a sign for.
18. Here WeGo
The single biggest selling point for Here WeGo is its best-in-class offline maps. While other apps offer offline functionality (often behind a paywall), Here WeGo lets you download entire states or countries for free, with full search and turn-by-turn navigation.
When you're truly escaping the interstate and heading into the mountains, deserts, or vast plains of America, you will lose cell service. It’s not a question of if, but when. Having a reliable offline map is an essential safety net that ensures you can always find your way back to civilization.
- Pro Tip: Before you leave for your trip, download the maps for every state you plan to drive through. It takes up some storage space, but the peace of mind is priceless.
19. TripIt
For complex trips with multiple bookings, TripIt is a master organizer. You simply forward your confirmation emails for hotels, rental cars, or any pre-booked activities to the app, and it automatically builds a master itinerary for you.
While it's not a discovery tool, it helps manage the logistical side of a multi-week backroad adventure. Having all your confirmation numbers, addresses, and check-in times in one chronological, offline-accessible list reduces stress and keeps you focused on the drive.
- Pro Tip: Use the "Nearby Places" feature within a trip plan. It will show you restaurants, ATMs, and hospitals near your next hotel, which is incredibly useful when arriving in an unfamiliar town late at night.
20. Furkot
Furkot is a powerful, web-based trip planner for the meticulous adventurer. It has a bit of a learning curve, but its features are unmatched. Furkot helps you plan your trip around your daily driving limits, automatically calculating how far you can get each day based on your preferred driving hours.
It excels at finding lodging (hotels and campgrounds) along your route and can even show you sunrise and sunset times for each day of your trip. It integrates various points of interest, from national parks to roadside attractions, allowing you to build a highly detailed and realistic itinerary.
- Pro Tip: Plan your trip on a desktop computer for the best experience, then use the mobile-friendly website to access your itinerary on the road. The "Find" feature is incredibly powerful for adding stops like "ghost towns" or "waterfalls" to your route.
Your Adventure Awaits
The great American road trip is still very much alive; you just have to know where to look. Armed with these digital tools, you can confidently turn off the interstate and start discovering the scenic routes, charming towns, and hidden wonders that make this country so incredible. As a beginner, it's all about taking that first step—or in this case, that first turn onto a road less traveled.
At the end of the day, the best planner is the one that fits your style. Try a few of these apps, see what clicks, and don't be afraid to mix and match. The goal is to spend less time staring at your screen and more time staring out the window at the breathtaking scenery. Happy travels from all of us at Goh Ling Yong's blog!
Now it's your turn. What's your go-to road trip planner for finding scenic routes? Did we miss your favorite? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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