# The best Southern road trips

A Southern road trip is not a drive between cities; it is the country in between. The interstates were built to skip it. This atlas was built to find it: 91 routes on the old federal highways, river roads and parkways, every one shadowing the interstate it replaces, with roughly 1000 stops chosen for story rather than sponsorship. Below are the drives we would hand a first-timer, then every route by region, state and theme. Each links to a free guide with a map, segment-by-segment stops, the best season to go, and the itineraries that chain it into a longer trip.

## Start here: twelve essential Southern drives

1. [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61) — The most storied road in American music, Memphis to Natchez through the Delta. Memphis → Natchez, ~320 mi, 2–4 days.
2. [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/natchez-trace) — 444 miles without a billboard, Natchez to Nashville on a National Park road. Natchez → Nashville, ~444 mi, 3–4 days.
3. [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge) — America's longest slow road, southern half: Roanoke to Cherokee and the Smokies. Roanoke → Cherokee (+ Smokies spurs), ~400 mi, 3–5 days.
4. [Skyline Drive & the Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/skyline-brp-va) — The Virginia ridgeline end to end, Front Royal to Roanoke. Front Royal → Roanoke, ~225 mi, 2–3 days.
5. [The Overseas Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/overseas-hwy) — Forty-two bridges over turquoise water to Key West. Miami → Key West, ~165 mi, 2–3 days.
6. [Kings Highway & the Lowcountry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us17-lowcountry) — The coast road since 1735: Wilmington to Savannah through the Lowcountry. Wilmington → Savannah, ~290 mi, 3–4 days.
7. [US 90: The Creole Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-coast) — The Old Spanish Trail's middle act, New Orleans to Pensacola on US 90. New Orleans → Pensacola, ~270 mi, 2–3 days.
8. [The Civil Rights Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/civil-rights) — Jackson to Birmingham through the Black Belt, the movement's ground truth. Jackson → Birmingham, ~430 mi, 3–4 days.
9. [Bayou Teche & the Cajun Prairie](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cajun-corridor) — Bayou Teche and the Cajun prairie, built around a Saturday-morning accordion jam. New Orleans → Eunice, ~230 mi, 2–3 days.
10. [The Crooked Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crooked-road) — Virginia's mountain music trail, Bristol to Floyd. Bristol → Floyd, ~210 mi, 2–3 days.
11. [Outer Banks & the Sound Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/outer-banks) — NC 12, two ferries and the Albemarle backwaters. Dismal Swamp → New Bern, ~300 mi, 3–4 days.
12. [Bourbon, Bluegrass & Shakers](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/bourbon-68) — US 68 and the old Kentucky pikes, Lexington to Mammoth Cave. Lexington → Mammoth Cave, ~180 mi, 2–3 days.

## How much time do you have?

Routes by the length of the drive, itineraries by their number of days; each list shows up to 8.

### A day (10 routes)

- [US 90: Rice & Rails](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ost-west) — Lafayette → Orange, TX, ~130 mi, 1 day
- [The Booth Escape Route](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/booth-escape-route) — Washington → Port Royal, ~95 mi, 1 day
- [Hank's Lost Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/lost-highway) — Montgomery → Mobile, ~170 mi, 1 day
- [The Florida Cracker Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cracker-trail) — Bradenton → Fort Pierce, ~145 mi, 1 day
- [The Big Water](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/big-water) — Around Lake Okeechobee (loop), ~115 mi, 1 day
- [The Old Ninety Six District](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-96) — Augusta → Abbeville, ~100 mi, 1 day
- [Plains & Andersonville](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/plains-andersonville) — Macon → Plains, ~90 mi, 1 day
- [The Pig Trail & Eureka](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/pig-trail) — Ozark → Eureka Springs, ~85 mi, 1 day

All routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes

### A weekend (50 routes)

- [US 41: Dixie Highway, Nashville to Chattanooga](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-nashville) — Nashville → Chattanooga, ~220 mi, 2 days
- [Hill Country: Austin to San Antonio the Long Way](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country-tx) — Austin → San Antonio, ~175 mi, 2 days
- [River Road & the Felicianas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/river-road) — New Orleans → Natchez, ~200 mi, 1–2 days
- [Alabama's Coastal Connection](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/coastal-connection) — Dauphin Island → Pensacola, ~95 mi, 1–2 days
- [The Buffalo River Loop](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/buffalo-river-loop) — Loop from Harrison, ~100 mi, 1–2 days
- [The Hill Country Ramble](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country) — Memphis → Tupelo, ~130 mi, 1–2 days
- [The Constitution Route & 231](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/constitution-va) — Charlottesville → Sperryville, ~75 mi, 1–2 days
- [The Overhill Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/overhill) — Chattanooga → Gatlinburg, ~175 mi, 2 days

All routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes

### A long weekend or a week (39 itineraries)

- [A Reader's Central Kentucky: Bardstown to Shaker Village](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/reader-central-kentucky) — 3 days, ~160 mi, from Bardstown, KY
- [Presidents & Pinot](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/presidents-pinot) — 3 days, ~160 mi, from Charlottesville
- [Lowcountry Long Weekend](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/lowcountry-weekend) — 3 days, ~210 mi, from Charleston
- [The Overseas Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/keys-overseas) — 3 days, ~210 mi, from Miami
- [Crooked Road Ramble](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/crooked-weekend) — 3 days, ~220 mi, from Bristol (start Thursday)
- [Mosby to the Bloody Angle](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/nova-loop) — 3 days, ~240 mi, from Alexandria / DC
- [Forgotten Coast Oyster Run](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/forgotten-weekend) — 3 days, ~250 mi, from Pensacola
- [Cradle & Surrender: Jamestown to Appomattox](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/cradle-and-surrender) — 3 days, ~260 mi, from Williamsburg

All itineraries: https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips

### Two weeks or more (4 itineraries)

- [The Deep South Grand Circle](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/deep-south-circle) — 14 days, ~1700 mi, from Memphis
- [The Eastern Crescent](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/eastern-crescent) — 15 days, ~1800 mi, from Washington, DC
- [The Long Way to the Opry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/music-epic) — 21 days, ~3000 mi, from Nashville (loop)
- [The Whole Hog](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/whole-hog) — 28 days, ~4300 mi, from Memphis (loop)

All itineraries: https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips

## By region

The longest, the shortest and the stop-richest route of each region; every region has its own guide.

### Gulf Coast (10 routes)

Shrimp boats, live oaks, beach kitsch and five flags of empire — the Old Spanish Trail's whole Southern act, St. Augustine's mile zero to the Sabine River. US 90 and US 98 do everything I-10 can't.

- [US 90: The Florida Backbone](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ost-florida) — Longest: St. Augustine → Pensacola, ~400 mi, 2–3 days
- [Alabama's Coastal Connection](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/coastal-connection) — Shortest: Dauphin Island → Pensacola, ~95 mi, 1–2 days
- [US 90: The Creole Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-coast) — Most stops: New Orleans → Pensacola, ~270 mi, 2–3 days

All Gulf Coast routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/gulf

### Deep South (21 routes)

The Delta, the Black Belt, and the Georgia heartland: blues, civil rights, Faulkner, kudzu, tamales and the deepest history per mile in America. The spiritual center of the whole trip.

- [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/natchez-trace) — Longest: Natchez → Nashville, ~444 mi, 3–4 days
- [Plains & Andersonville](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/plains-andersonville) — Shortest: Macon → Plains, ~90 mi, 1 day
- [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61) — Most stops: Memphis → Natchez, ~320 mi, 2–4 days

All Deep South routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/deep-south

### Upper South (31 routes)

Shenandoah battlefields, mountain fiddles, bourbon warehouses and the Blue Ridge running like a spine. Valleys where the Civil War never quite ended and the music never stopped.

- [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge) — Longest: Roanoke → Cherokee (+ Smokies spurs), ~400 mi, 3–5 days
- [Old Salem to Mayberry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mayberry-old-salem) — Shortest: Winston-Salem → Mount Airy, ~70 mi, 1 day
- [The Dragon & the Skyway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dragon-skyway) — Most stops: Loop from Gatlinburg, ~280 mi, 2–3 days

All Upper South routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/upper-south

### Atlantic Coast (9 routes)

Barrier islands, Gullah Geechee country, pirate lore and 400 years of port-town history from the Outer Banks to St. Augustine. US 17 — the old Kings Highway — is the thread.

- [Outer Banks & the Sound Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/outer-banks) — Longest and Most stops: Dismal Swamp → New Bern, ~300 mi, 3–4 days
- [US 13: The Eastern Shore](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/eastern-shore-13) — Shortest: Cape Charles → Chincoteague, ~90 mi, 1–2 days

All Atlantic Coast routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/atlantic

### Florida Peninsula (10 routes)

Old Florida below the tourist line: springs and cracker cattle, treasure fleets, mermaid shows since 1947, the beach road Flagler built and the swamp road that nearly broke the men who built it. Nearly everything here predates the Mouse, and most of it outclasses him.

- [US 41: The Tamiami Trail North, Tampa to Naples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tamiami-north) — Longest and Most stops: Tampa → Naples, ~250 mi, 2–3 days
- [Old Dixie: Cassadaga to Kissimmee](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-dixie-cassadaga) — Shortest: Cassadaga → Kissimmee, ~75 mi, 1 day

All Florida Peninsula routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/florida

### Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel (7 routes)

The trans-Mississippi South: quartz mountains, America's first national river, Cash and Hemingway on the strange long hill of Crowley's Ridge, duck calls on the Grand Prairie, and earthquake country where the river once ran backward. Arkansas was the atlas's biggest missing state. Not anymore.

- [Crowley's Ridge Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crowleys-ridge) — Longest: Piggott → Helena, ~200 mi, 2 days
- [The Pig Trail & Eureka](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/pig-trail) — Shortest: Ozark → Eureka Springs, ~85 mi, 1 day
- [The Buffalo River Loop](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/buffalo-river-loop) — Most stops: Loop from Harrison, ~100 mi, 1–2 days

All Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/ozarks

### Beyond the Sabine (3 routes)

The frame-breaker shelf. US 90 and the Camino Real both keep going west of the Sabine, so the atlas follows them to the missions and stops. Texas is its own country; these two roads are the South's exit ramps into it.

- [El Camino Real: The Texas Act](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/camino-real-tx) — Longest: San Augustine → San Antonio, ~330 mi, 3–4 days
- [Hill Country: Austin to San Antonio the Long Way](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country-tx) — Shortest and Most stops: Austin → San Antonio, ~175 mi, 2 days
- [US 90 West: To the Alamo](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-west) — Orange → San Antonio, ~330 mi, 3–4 days

All Beyond the Sabine routes: https://dixieroadtrip.com/regions/sabine

## By state

- [Alabama](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/alabama) — 12 routes
- [Arkansas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/arkansas) — 7 routes
- [Florida](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/florida) — 15 routes
- [Georgia](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/georgia) — 13 routes
- [Kentucky](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/kentucky) — 7 routes
- [Louisiana](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/louisiana) — 7 routes
- [Mississippi](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/mississippi) — 12 routes
- [North Carolina](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/north-carolina) — 10 routes
- [South Carolina](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/south-carolina) — 6 routes
- [Tennessee](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/tennessee) — 17 routes
- [Texas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/texas) — 4 routes
- [Virginia](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/virginia) — 16 routes
- [West Virginia](https://dixieroadtrip.com/states/west-virginia) — 3 routes

## By theme

- **Music & Juke Joints (18 routes)** — [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61), [Bayou Teche & the Cajun Prairie](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cajun-corridor), [The Crooked Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crooked-road), [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/natchez-trace), [The Hill Country Ramble](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country), [US 70: Broadway of America](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us70-broadway)
- **Eats & Institutions (48 routes)** — [Bourbon, Bluegrass & Shakers](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/bourbon-68), [US 41: Dixie Highway, Nashville to Chattanooga](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-nashville), [Bayou Teche & the Cajun Prairie](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cajun-corridor), [Golden Isles & the First Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/golden-isles), [Highway 64: Shiloh to Lookout Mountain](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tn-64), [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61)
- **Oddities & Roadside Wonders (56 routes)** — [Sherman to the Swamp](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ga-441), [The Dragon & the Skyway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dragon-skyway), [US 41: The Tamiami Trail North, Tampa to Naples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tamiami-north), [The Forgotten Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/forgotten-coast), [US 64: The Waterfall Byway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/waterfall-byway), [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61)
- **Cult Classics & Pop Lore (11 routes)** — [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge), [The Forgotten Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/forgotten-coast), [Old Salem to Mayberry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mayberry-old-salem), [Outer Banks & the Sound Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/outer-banks), [US 301: The Ghost Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us301-ghost-road), [A1A: Flagler's Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/a1a-flagler)
- **Civil War (14 routes)** — [Bull Run to the Bloody Angle](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/nova-civilwar), [Grant's Vicksburg Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/grant-campaign), [The Valley Pike](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/valley-pike), [Sherman's March to the Sea](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/sherman-march-sea), [Sherman's Carolinas Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/shermans-carolinas), [Lee's Retreat](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/lees-retreat)
- **Civil Rights (6 routes)** — [The Civil Rights Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/civil-rights), [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61), [The Black Belt & Gee's Bend](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/black-belt-gees-bend), [Kings Highway & the Lowcountry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us17-lowcountry), [The Arkansas Delta](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/arkansas-delta), [Lee's Retreat](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/lees-retreat)
- **History & Markers (71 routes)** — [US 90: The Creole Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-coast), [River Road & the Felicianas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/river-road), [The Dragon & the Skyway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dragon-skyway), [Outer Banks & the Sound Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/outer-banks), [The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/trail-of-tears-north), [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/natchez-trace)
- **Natural Beauty (61 routes)** — [The Dragon & the Skyway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dragon-skyway), [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/natchez-trace), [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge), [Alabama's Coastal Connection](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/coastal-connection), [The Buffalo River Loop](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/buffalo-river-loop), [US 41: The Tamiami Trail North, Tampa to Naples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tamiami-north)
- **Small Towns (44 routes)** — [Kings Highway & the Lowcountry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us17-lowcountry), [US 90: The Creole Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-coast), [US 41: The Tamiami Trail North, Tampa to Naples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tamiami-north), [The Buffalo River Loop](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/buffalo-river-loop), [The Old Ninety Six District](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-96), [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge)
- **Literary South (9 routes)** — [Sherman to the Swamp](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ga-441), [The Hill Country Ramble](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country), [Crowley's Ridge Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crowleys-ridge), [US 84: Wiregrass to Mockingbird](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mockingbird-84), [US 49: Jackson to the Sound](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us49-piney-woods), [Cross Creek & the Springs](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cross-creek-springs)
- **Honky-Tonks & Dives (1 route)** — [The Overseas Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/overseas-hwy)
- **Iconic Stays (3 routes)** — [Skyline Drive & the Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/skyline-brp-va), [The Midland Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/midland-trail), [The Pig Trail & Eureka](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/pig-trail)
- **NASCAR Cathedrals (1 route)** — [US 58: The Last Capital Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us58-last-capital)
- **Battlefields: Other Wars (5 routes)** — [US 41: Dixie Highway, Nashville to Chattanooga](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-nashville), [Alabama's Coastal Connection](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/coastal-connection), [SC 11: The Cherokee Foothills](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cherokee-foothills), [The Old Ninety Six District](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-96), [VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/va5-colonial)
- **Local Tours & Outfitters (3 routes)** — [The Quiet Zone](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/the-quiet-zone), [The Inner Banks](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/inner-banks), [US 64: The Waterfall Byway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/waterfall-byway)
- **Vineyards & Wine Trails (1 route)** — [VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/va5-colonial)
- **National Parks (2 routes)** — [Skyline Drive & the Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/skyline-brp-va), [Arkansas 7: The Scenic Seven](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/scenic-7)
- **State Parks (7 routes)** — [The Bootheel: US 61 North](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/bootheel-61), [US 127: The Plateau & the Sale](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us127-plateau), [The Florida Cracker Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cracker-trail), [Cross Creek & the Springs](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cross-creek-springs), [North Georgia Gold & Apples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/north-georgia-gold), [Old Salem to Mayberry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mayberry-old-salem)
- **Campgrounds (1 route)** — [Talimena & the Ouachitas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/talimena)

## Every route, compared

| Route | States | Miles | Days | Avoids | Region |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [US 90: The Florida Backbone](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ost-florida) | FL | 400 | 2–3 | I-10 | Gulf Coast |
| [The Forgotten Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/forgotten-coast) | FL | 280 | 2–3 | I-10 | Gulf Coast |
| [US 90: The Creole Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-coast) | LA, MS, AL, FL | 270 | 2–3 | I-10 | Gulf Coast |
| [Bayou Teche & the Cajun Prairie](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cajun-corridor) | LA | 230 | 2–3 | I-10 & the Basin bridge | Gulf Coast |
| [River Road & the Felicianas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/river-road) | LA, MS | 200 | 1–2 | I-10 | Gulf Coast |
| [Cane River & El Camino Real](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cane-river-camino) | MS, LA | 180 | 2 | I-49 | Gulf Coast |
| [Poverty Point & the Delta Parishes](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/poverty-point-delta) | LA | 130 | 1–2 | I-20 | Gulf Coast |
| [US 90: Rice & Rails](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ost-west) | LA, TX | 130 | 1 | I-10 | Gulf Coast |
| [LA 1: End of the Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/la1-end-of-road) | LA | 110 | 1–2 | US 90 four-lane | Gulf Coast |
| [Alabama's Coastal Connection](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/coastal-connection) | AL, FL | 95 | 1–2 | I-10 | Gulf Coast |
| [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/natchez-trace) | MS, AL, TN | 444 | 3–4 | I-55 / I-65 corridor | Deep South |
| [The Civil Rights Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/civil-rights) | MS, AL | 430 | 3–4 | I-20 / I-85 / I-65 | Deep South |
| [The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/trail-of-tears-north) | GA, TN, KY | 350 | 3 | I-75 / I-24 | Deep South |
| [Sherman to the Swamp](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/ga-441) | GA | 330 | 3–4 | I-75 / I-16 / I-95 | Deep South |
| [US 11: The Valley South](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us11-valley-south) | TN, GA, AL, MS | 330 | 3–4 | I-59 | Deep South |
| [The Blues Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blues-61) | TN, MS | 320 | 2–4 | I-55 | Deep South |
| [The Old Federal Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-federal-road) | GA, AL | 230 | 2–3 | I-85 / I-65 | Deep South |
| [US 341: The Golden Isles Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us341-golden-isles) | GA | 225 | 2 | I-75 / I-16 | Deep South |
| [The Free State of Jones](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/free-state-of-jones) | MS | 200 | 2 | I-59 / US 84 four-lane hurry | Deep South |
| [Sherman's March to the Sea](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/sherman-march-sea) | GA | 185 | 2 | I-16 | Deep South |
| [The Chattahoochee Trace](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/chattahoochee-trace) | GA, AL | 180 | 2 | I-75 (by 90 miles) | Deep South |
| [Hank's Lost Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/lost-highway) | AL | 170 | 1 | I-65 | Deep South |
| [US 84: Wiregrass to Mockingbird](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mockingbird-84) | AL | 170 | 2 | I-10 (by 60 miles) | Deep South |
| [Grant's Vicksburg Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/grant-campaign) | MS | 165 | 1–2 | I-20 | Deep South |
| [The Black Belt & Gee's Bend](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/black-belt-gees-bend) | AL | 165 | 2 | I-65 (by 70 miles) | Deep South |
| [US 49: Jackson to the Sound](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us49-piney-woods) | MS | 160 | 1–2 | I-55 / I-10 | Deep South |
| [The Shoals](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/muscle-shoals) | MS, AL | 150 | 2 | I-22 / I-65 | Deep South |
| [North Georgia Gold & Apples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/north-georgia-gold) | GA | 130 | 1–2 | GA 400 / I-575 | Deep South |
| [The Hill Country Ramble](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country) | TN, MS | 130 | 1–2 | I-22 | Deep South |
| [US 41: Dixie Highway & the Atlanta Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-41) | TN, GA | 120 | 1–2 | I-75 | Deep South |
| [Plains & Andersonville](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/plains-andersonville) | GA | 90 | 1 | I-75 | Deep South |
| [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge) | VA, NC, TN | 400 | 3–5 | I-81 / I-40 / I-26 | Upper South |
| [Highway 64: Shiloh to Lookout Mountain](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tn-64) | TN | 340 | 2–3 | I-40 / I-24 | Upper South |
| [The Dragon & the Skyway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dragon-skyway) | TN, NC | 280 | 2–3 | I-40 (by 200 miles) | Upper South |
| [Gold, Clay & Longleaf](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/piedmont) | NC, SC | 250 | 2–3 | I-85 / I-77 | Upper South |
| [Bull Run to the Bloody Angle](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/nova-civilwar) | VA | 240 | 2–3 | I-95 / I-66 | Upper South |
| [US 58: The Last Capital Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us58-last-capital) | VA | 230 | 2 | I-85 | Upper South |
| [Skyline Drive & the Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/skyline-brp-va) | VA | 225 | 2–3 | I-81 (running parallel below) | Upper South |
| [The Wilderness Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/wilderness-road) | VA, TN, KY | 220 | 2–3 | I-75 / I-81 | Upper South |
| [US 41: Dixie Highway, Nashville to Chattanooga](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-nashville) | TN | 220 | 2 | I-24 | Upper South |
| [US 60: The Mutton Line](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mutton-line) | KY | 220 | 2 | I-64 / the parkways | Upper South |
| [The Crooked Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crooked-road) | VA | 210 | 2–3 | I-81 | Upper South |
| [US 70: Broadway of America](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us70-broadway) | TN | 210 | 2 | I-40 | Upper South |
| [The Valley Pike](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/valley-pike) | VA | 200 | 2–3 | I-81 | Upper South |
| [Bourbon, Bluegrass & Shakers](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/bourbon-68) | KY | 180 | 2–3 | I-64 / I-65 | Upper South |
| [The Overhill Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/overhill) | TN | 175 | 2 | I-75 | Upper South |
| [The Quiet Zone](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/the-quiet-zone) | WV | 160 | 2 | I-79 (by 60 miles) | Upper South |
| [US 127: The Plateau & the Sale](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us127-plateau) | TN, KY | 160 | 2 | I-40 | Upper South |
| [Moonbows & the Gorge](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/moonbows-gorge) | KY | 150 | 2 | I-75 (mostly) | Upper South |
| [US 11: The Valley Road South](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/valley-pike-south) | VA | 150 | 1–2 | I-81 | Upper South |
| [The Middle Tennessee Pike](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/middle-tn-pike) | TN, AL | 140 | 2 | I-65 | Upper South |
| [US 23: The Country Music Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/country-music-highway) | KY | 140 | 1–2 | I-64 | Upper South |
| [The Midland Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/midland-trail) | WV | 120 | 1–2 | I-64 | Upper South |
| [US 64: The Waterfall Byway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/waterfall-byway) | NC | 120 | 2 | I-40 (by 50 miles) | Upper South |
| [SC 11: The Cherokee Foothills](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cherokee-foothills) | SC | 115 | 1–2 | I-85 | Upper South |
| [Lee's Retreat](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/lees-retreat) | VA | 110 | 1–2 | I-85 | Upper South |
| [US 11E: The Great Valley Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/great-valley-11e) | TN | 110 | 1–2 | I-81 / I-26 | Upper South |
| [The Old Ninety Six District](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-96) | GA, SC | 100 | 1 | I-20 | Upper South |
| [US 52: The Mine Wars Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/coal-mine-wars) | WV | 100 | 1–2 | I-77 (by a county) | Upper South |
| [The Booth Escape Route](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/booth-escape-route) | DC, MD, VA | 95 | 1 | I-95 | Upper South |
| [The Constitution Route & 231](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/constitution-va) | VA | 75 | 1–2 | US 29 | Upper South |
| [Old Salem to Mayberry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mayberry-old-salem) | NC | 70 | 1 | I-74 | Upper South |
| [Outer Banks & the Sound Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/outer-banks) | VA, NC | 300 | 3–4 | I-95 (by 200 miles) | Atlantic Coast |
| [Kings Highway & the Lowcountry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us17-lowcountry) | NC, SC, GA | 290 | 3–4 | I-95 | Atlantic Coast |
| [US 301: The Ghost Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us301-ghost-road) | VA, NC, SC | 290 | 2–3 | I-95 (that's the point) | Atlantic Coast |
| [Sherman's Carolinas Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/shermans-carolinas) | SC, NC | 280 | 2–3 | I-95 / I-40 | Atlantic Coast |
| [Golden Isles & the First Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/golden-isles) | GA, FL | 210 | 2–3 | I-95 | Atlantic Coast |
| [The Inner Banks](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/inner-banks) | NC | 120 | 1–2 | US 64 bypass | Atlantic Coast |
| [The Northern Neck](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/historyland-neck) | VA | 110 | 1–2 | I-95 | Atlantic Coast |
| [US 13: The Eastern Shore](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/eastern-shore-13) | VA | 90 | 1–2 | I-95 (by an entire bay) | Atlantic Coast |
| [VA 5 & the Colonial Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/va5-colonial) | VA | 90 | 1–2 | I-64 | Atlantic Coast |
| [US 41: The Tamiami Trail North, Tampa to Naples](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tamiami-north) | FL | 250 | 2–3 | I-75 | Florida Peninsula |
| [The Nature Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/nature-coast) | FL | 230 | 2–3 | I-75 (by 60 miles) | Florida Peninsula |
| [The Overseas Highway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/overseas-hwy) | FL | 165 | 2–3 | nothing (there is only one road) | Florida Peninsula |
| [The Florida Cracker Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cracker-trail) | FL | 145 | 1 | I-4 (by 80 miles) | Florida Peninsula |
| [A1A: Flagler's Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/a1a-flagler) | FL | 135 | 1–2 | I-95 | Florida Peninsula |
| [The Space & Treasure Coast](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/space-treasure) | FL | 135 | 1–2 | I-95 | Florida Peninsula |
| [Cross Creek & the Springs](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/cross-creek-springs) | FL | 130 | 1–2 | I-75 | Florida Peninsula |
| [The Big Water](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/big-water) | FL | 115 | 1 | Florida's Turnpike | Florida Peninsula |
| [The Tamiami Trail](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/tamiami) | FL | 110 | 1–2 | I-75 (Alligator Alley) | Florida Peninsula |
| [Old Dixie: Cassadaga to Kissimmee](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/old-dixie-cassadaga) | FL | 75 | 1 | I-4 | Florida Peninsula |
| [Crowley's Ridge Parkway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crowleys-ridge) | AR | 200 | 2 | I-55 | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [The Bootheel: US 61 North](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/bootheel-61) | TN, AR, MO | 175 | 1–2 | I-55 | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [Arkansas 7: The Scenic Seven](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/scenic-7) | AR | 160 | 2 | I-49 (by 80 miles) | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [The Arkansas Delta](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/arkansas-delta) | AR | 150 | 1–2 | I-40 / I-55 | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [Talimena & the Ouachitas](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/talimena) | AR, OK | 130 | 1–2 | I-30 | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [The Buffalo River Loop](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/buffalo-river-loop) | AR | 100 | 1–2 | US 65 (and every other four-lane) | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [The Pig Trail & Eureka](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/pig-trail) | AR | 85 | 1 | I-49 | Ozarks, Ouachitas & the Bootheel |
| [El Camino Real: The Texas Act](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/camino-real-tx) | TX | 330 | 3–4 | I-45 / I-35 | Beyond the Sabine |
| [US 90 West: To the Alamo](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us90-west) | TX | 330 | 3–4 | I-10 | Beyond the Sabine |
| [Hill Country: Austin to San Antonio the Long Way](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/hill-country-tx) | TX | 175 | 2 | I-35 | Beyond the Sabine |

## Frequently asked questions
### What is the best road trip in the South?

There is no single answer, but two drives are the atlas's standard first recommendation: the Natchez Trace Parkway, 444 miles from Natchez to Nashville with no billboards or trucks, and the Blues Highway, US 61 from Memphis to Natchez through the Mississippi Delta. Both can be driven in three to four days.

### How many days do you need for a Southern road trip?

Most routes in this atlas take one to four days; a long weekend covers one route well, a week covers a region, and the two-week itineraries loop the whole Deep South or the Eastern Seaboard. Plan on roughly 150 back-roads miles a day.

### When is the best time of year for a Southern road trip?

October and March through May. Summer is hot and humid everywhere south of Tennessee, late summer is hurricane season on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and the mountain parkways are at their best in mid-October for fall color.

### Which states count as the South?

This atlas covers thirteen states, each with its own guide: Alabama (12 routes), Arkansas (7), Florida (15), Georgia (13), Kentucky (7), Louisiana (7), Mississippi (12), North Carolina (10), South Carolina (6), Tennessee (17), Texas (4), Virginia (16) and West Virginia (3).

### Do these road trips use interstates?

No. Every route in the atlas avoids the interstate it replaces and follows the older federal highways, river roads and parkways; the interstate is named on each route page in case you need to bail out.

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Canonical URL: https://dixieroadtrip.com/southern-road-trips  
Publisher: Dixie Media (Dixie Road Trip, https://dixieroadtrip.com/)