Summer is the season that opens the national parks fully — roads that spent months buried under snow, passes that were inaccessible since October, and high-altitude routes that exist for only a few months a year. Some of the finest scenic drives in the country are only possible right now.
These five routes are worth planning a summer trip around — each one offers something that can't be experienced any other time of year.
1. Going-to-the-Sun Road — Glacier National Park, Montana
Why Summer: Going-to-the-Sun Road is only fully open in summer — typically from late June through mid-October, depending on snowpack. The 50-mile road crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass at 6,646 feet, passing through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in North America. In summer, the alpine meadows on either side of the road are covered in wildflowers, waterfalls pour off the cliffs, and the views of glaciated peaks extend in every direction.
What to Watch For: The Garden Wall — a sharp ridge of rock running along the road near Logan Pass, with the Highline Trail carved into its face. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are regularly spotted near the road at elevation. The view from the Loop — a hairpin turn on the western side — looking back up at the road carved into the cliff face is one of the most impressive engineering sights in any national park.
Pro Tip: Vehicle reservations are required for Going-to-the-Sun Road during peak hours — book at recreation.gov as soon as possible. Arrive at Logan Pass before 8am for parking. The road is best driven west to east in the morning light, east to west in the afternoon.
2. Trail Ridge Road — Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Why Summer: Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, reaching 12,183 feet at its peak. It's only fully open in summer — typically from late May through mid-October — and crosses a landscape of alpine tundra that exists above the treeline, where the vegetation is arctic and the views extend across the entire Front Range. In summer, elk graze on the tundra alongside the road and the wildflowers in the meadows below are outstanding.
What to Watch For: The Tundra Communities — the zone above 11,000 feet where trees can't survive and the landscape looks more like Alaska than Colorado. The view from the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 feet across the Never Summer Mountains. Elk on the tundra in the early morning, often right alongside the road.
Pro Tip: Timed entry permits are required at Rocky Mountain from late May through October — book at recreation.gov. The road can close temporarily due to afternoon thunderstorms; check conditions before heading up. Drive west to east for the best morning light on the tundra.
3. Tioga Road — Yosemite National Park, California
Why Summer: Tioga Road — Highway 120 through the high country of Yosemite — is closed by snow from November through late May or early June. When it opens, it reveals a Yosemite that most visitors never see: the high Sierra above 8,000 feet, with granite domes, alpine lakes, and meadows that make the valley feel like a different park entirely. Tuolumne Meadows, at the center of the Tioga Road corridor, is one of the finest alpine settings in the Sierra Nevada.
What to Watch For: Olmsted Point — a granite overlook with a view of Half Dome from a completely different angle than the valley. Tenaya Lake, a clear alpine lake set in an open granite basin that's one of the most beautiful spots in the park. The Tuolumne Meadows area at dawn, when the light on the surrounding domes is extraordinary and the meadow is quiet.
Pro Tip: Tioga Road can open anywhere from late May to mid-June depending on snowpack — check the park website for current status. The road is open until the first major snowfall in fall, typically October. Tuolumne Meadows has a campground and lodge — both book out fast in summer.
4. Beartooth Highway — Shoshone National Forest / Montana Border
Why Summer: The Beartooth Highway runs 68 miles between Red Lodge, Montana and the northeast entrance of Yellowstone, crossing the Beartooth Plateau at nearly 11,000 feet. Described by Charles Kuralt as the most beautiful drive in America, the road is only open in summer — typically May through October — and passes through a landscape of high tundra, glacial lakes, and mountain panoramas that has no equivalent in the lower 48. It is not technically inside a national park, but it connects directly to Yellowstone and is worth planning a trip around.
What to Watch For: The switchbacks climbing out of Red Lodge — a series of tight turns that gain thousands of feet of elevation in a short distance, with views back across the Montana plains. The plateau at the top, where the road runs across a vast high-altitude landscape with lakes on both sides. Grizzly bears and mountain goats are sometimes spotted near the road at elevation.
Pro Tip: The highway can close temporarily for summer snowstorms — check WYDOT and MDOT road conditions before driving. Allow 2-3 hours for the full route with stops. Red Lodge, Montana is a charming small town at the eastern end worth spending a night in.
5. North Cascades Highway — North Cascades National Park, Washington
Why Summer: The North Cascades Highway (SR-20) runs through the heart of the North Cascades — a range of jagged, glacier-covered peaks in northern Washington that receives more snow than almost any other range in the lower 48. The highway is closed from November through late April every year, and when it opens in summer it reveals mountain scenery that rivals anything in the Alps. The drive from the western lowlands through the park to the dry eastern side passes through a landscape that changes dramatically within a few miles.
What to Watch For: Diablo Lake — a turquoise glacial lake visible from the highway overlook, the color created by glacial flour suspended in the water. The jagged peaks of the Picket Range visible from multiple points along the route. The dramatic transition from wet, forested western slopes to the dry, open eastern valleys as the road crosses the Cascades.
Pro Tip: Cell service is nonexistent for much of the route — download offline maps before you go. The drive from Seattle to the eastern end at Winthrop takes about four hours with stops. Winthrop itself is a well-preserved western town worth spending a night in on the eastern end of the route.
Final Thoughts
The drives on this list are only possible in summer — roads that spent months under snow, passes that open for just a few months a year, and high-altitude routes that exist in a window between snowpack and the first fall storm. This is the season to take them. Your America the Beautiful Pass covers entry at every national park on this list. Pick a route and go while the roads are open.
