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Mirror Lake Scenic Byway topped a new ranking thanks to its alpine lakes and mountain views.
When considering America’s most stunning road trips, there are many popular choices. But with incredible mountain views, waterfalls, and lakes, it's no surprise Utah's Mirror Lake Scenic Byway came out on top.
The 42-mile stretch was named the most beautiful road in the United States by racing organization FLBR Motorsport. In fact, the route had the highest mentions of the key word “beautiful” compared to all other routes the study looked at.
“Its alpine lakes and mountain scenery appear to leave the strongest impression on travelers,” FLBR Motorsport wrote about the drive in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure.
The drive sits less than two hours from the Salt Lake City metro area, and offers opportunities for hiking, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and more activities along the way, according to the Utah Office of Tourism. Travelers should note, however, it is a seasonal road and closed to cars during the winter due to heavy snow accumulation. The road is typically open to regular traffic from mid-May to mid-fall.
The road is free to drive, but travelers who stop at recreation areas may be required to pay a park fee.
"This is one of Utah's most dazzling roads with unreal scenery and plenty of options for bite-sized and big adventures alike," the tourism office wrote. "The Mirror Lake Scenic Byway is perfect for anyone looking to get away from the city and dive deep into nature. Thick forests, glacially carved valleys, mountain lakes, and towering alpine summits are all part of the journey."
In second place was Colorado’s 117-mile Silver Thread Scenic Byway, which is anchored by San Juan Mountain views. That was followed by the 43-mile Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee and North Carolina. Colorado’s San Juan Skyway and Wyoming’s Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway rounded out the top five.
Other popular road trip-worthy drives were the Great Smoky Mountains Foothills Parkway, which came in seventh place overall; the Big Sur Coast Drive in California, which came in at No. 41; and Hana Highway on the island of Maui, which came in at No. 42. While lauded for its stunning waterfalls and ocean views, Hana Highway is also difficult to traverse.
To come up with its study, FLBR Motorsport analyzed 45 different roads across the country, tapping Tripadvisor data to do it, including mentions of the word “beautiful,” the average Tripadvisor rating, and the total number of Tripadvisor reviews. The study is completely based on traveler reviews from people who experienced each of the routes firsthand.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
