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The best road trip stops and routes in the Midwest

The best road trip stops and routes in the Midwest

From the Great Lakes to local cuisine, this central region offers endless opportunities for every kind of roadtripper

Where can you find grasslands, fossils, sand dunes, and a Stonehenge replica made out of cars? The Midwest, that’s where. Lakeside shorelines are home to summer vacation communities, while heavy snowfall turns mountains into popular skiing and snowboarding destinations. And in the shoulder seasons, springtime blooms and fall foliage turn the landscapes into picture-perfect road trip routes. The Midwest is also home to the beginning section of Route 66, a can’t-miss for dedicated roadtrippers.

Top road trips in the Midwest

A collection of our favorite road trips to take in the Midwest

Sand dunes and dark skies: Can't-miss stops on a road trip around Lake Michigan

Sand dunes and dark skies: Can't-miss stops on a road trip around Lake Michigan
13 activities and events perfect for celebrating fall in the Midwest

13 activities and events perfect for celebrating fall in the Midwest
13 stops along the Great River Road from Illinois to Iowa

13 stops along the Great River Road from Illinois to Iowa
The ultimate Midwest college football stadium tour

The ultimate Midwest college football stadium tour
6 of the Midwest’s best ski and snowboarding destinations

6 of the Midwest’s best ski and snowboarding destinations
Route 66 Leg One: Chicago to St. Louis

Route 66 Leg One: Chicago to St. Louis

Extraordinary Places in the Midwest

Discover hidden gems, bucket-list-worthy stops, and more

Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate
Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes National Park
Maquoketa Caves State Park

Maquoketa Caves State Park
Carhenge

Carhenge
Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island
Jolly Green Giant Statue

Jolly Green Giant Statue
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National park spotlight: Badlands National Park

National park spotlight: Badlands National Park

Badlands offers something for everyone, including hikers, amateur geologists, dinosaur lovers, and stargazers. Wildlife spotters should keep their eyes peeled for American bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs.

Read more

Best Midwestern road trips by state

Best road trips in Illinois

12 of the ‘World’s Largest’ things tower over the small town of Casey, Illinois

12 of the ‘World’s Largest’ things tower over the small town of Casey, Illinois
Get your kicks on Illinois's Route 66

Get your kicks on Illinois's Route 66
5 one-tank road trips from Chicago, Illinois

5 one-tank road trips from Chicago, Illinois
Yes, Chef: 6 must-visit Chicago eateries to appease fans of ‘The Bear’

Yes, Chef: 6 must-visit Chicago eateries to appease fans of ‘The Bear’

Best road trips in Indiana

How to make the most of a road trip to Indiana Dunes National Park

How to make the most of a road trip to Indiana Dunes National Park
Here's how to fall in love with Indianapolis...in 48 hours

Here's how to fall in love with Indianapolis...in 48 hours
Visiting the ghosts and Gilded Age glamour of Indiana's West Baden Springs Hotel

Visiting the ghosts and Gilded Age glamour of Indiana's West Baden Springs Hotel
How Columbus, Indiana, became a living museum of modern architecture

How Columbus, Indiana, became a living museum of modern architecture

Best road trips in Iowa

Royal flush: Iowa's interstate rest areas are more than just a bathroom break, they're works of art

Royal flush: Iowa's interstate rest areas are more than just a bathroom break, they're works of art
Come for the alligators and stay for the history at Iowa’s National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Come for the alligators and stay for the history at Iowa’s National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
60 years after 'the day the music died,' rock and roll history lives on in Clear Lake

60 years after 'the day the music died,' rock and roll history lives on in Clear Lake

Best road trips in Kansas

The perfect I-70 road trip through Kansas

The perfect I-70 road trip through Kansas
Make the most of Kansas' 14 mile stretch of Route 66

Make the most of Kansas' 14 mile stretch of Route 66
History, culture, and basketball: 7 stops on a road trip to Lawrence, Kansas

History, culture, and basketball: 7 stops on a road trip to Lawrence, Kansas
There's No Place Like Wamego, Kansas's Oz-themed town

There's No Place Like Wamego, Kansas's Oz-themed town
Kansas is a fossil hunter's paradise—here's how and where to explore it

Kansas is a fossil hunter's paradise—here's how and where to explore it
From circus attraction to protected mascot to art project: How black squirrels took over a small Kansas town

From circus attraction to protected mascot to art project: How black squirrels took over a small Kansas town

Best road trips in Michigan

Where to stay, eat, and shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan

Where to stay, eat, and shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan
5 must-see stops on a road trip through Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula

5 must-see stops on a road trip through Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula
Disco balls and drag queens: Inside a thriving LGBTQ community along the shores of Lake Michigan

Disco balls and drag queens: Inside a thriving LGBTQ community along the shores of Lake Michigan
The Yoop Loop: Can't-miss stops on a road trip through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The Yoop Loop: Can't-miss stops on a road trip through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Ditch your car to experience Isle Royale, the least-visited national park in the contiguous U.S.

Ditch your car to experience Isle Royale, the least-visited national park in the contiguous U.S.
In Northern Michigan, a fairy tale village of 'Mushroom Houses' tells a story of resilience

In Northern Michigan, a fairy tale village of 'Mushroom Houses' tells a story of resilience

Best road trips in Minnesota

Minnesota’s SPAM Museum shines a spotlight on the world’s favorite canned mystery meat

Minnesota’s SPAM Museum shines a spotlight on the world’s favorite canned mystery meat
Paying tribute to Prince at Paisley Park, The Artist’s Minnesota studio and home

Paying tribute to Prince at Paisley Park, The Artist’s Minnesota studio and home
Paddling through the pandemic in Northeastern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters

Paddling through the pandemic in Northeastern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters
Want a unique winter thrill? Try driving an ice road across a frozen lake in Voyageurs National Park

Want a unique winter thrill? Try driving an ice road across a frozen lake in Voyageurs National Park

Best road trips in Missouri

Offbeat guide to Kansas City, Missouri

Offbeat guide to Kansas City, Missouri
Beyond 'Ozark': 11 must-see natural wonders from the home of the hit Netflix series

Beyond 'Ozark': 11 must-see natural wonders from the home of the hit Netflix series
Ribs, Rivers, and Really Big Slides: 48 Hours in St. Louis

Ribs, Rivers, and Really Big Slides: 48 Hours in St. Louis
Crispy edges, classic cars, and a cherry on top: St. Louis’ Chuck-A-Burger thrives on good food and nostalgia

Crispy edges, classic cars, and a cherry on top: St. Louis’ Chuck-A-Burger thrives on good food and nostalgia

Best road trips in Nebraska

Nebraska's Pompeii: Exploring a prehistoric graveyard at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park

Nebraska's Pompeii: Exploring a prehistoric graveyard at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
'Blood, sweat, and beers': Nebraska's Carhenge may be less mysterious than its English counterpart, but it's just as bizarre

'Blood, sweat, and beers': Nebraska's Carhenge may be less mysterious than its English counterpart, but it's just as bizarre
600,000 cranes descend upon rural Nebraska during the world’s largest crane migration, and it's a spectacular sight

600,000 cranes descend upon rural Nebraska during the world’s largest crane migration, and it's a spectacular sight

Best road trips in North Dakota

11 things to do on a North Dakota road trip

11 things to do on a North Dakota road trip
Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Best road trips in Ohio

8 great craft breweries to visit in Ohio

8 great craft breweries to visit in Ohio
Learn about Ohio’s role in abolition at these stops on the Underground Railroad

Learn about Ohio’s role in abolition at these stops on the Underground Railroad
Serenity and s’mores at the Mohican Treehouse Resort in Ohio’s Amish Country

Serenity and s’mores at the Mohican Treehouse Resort in Ohio’s Amish Country
Top 10 things to do in Ohio

Top 10 things to do in Ohio

Best road trips in South Dakota

Things to do on a South Dakota RV road trip

Things to do on a South Dakota RV road trip
Beyond the Black Hills: History covers the walls of South Dakota’s Wall Drug

Beyond the Black Hills: History covers the walls of South Dakota’s Wall Drug
Inside the excavation of a South Dakota sinkhole that swallowed more than 60 mammoths

Inside the excavation of a South Dakota sinkhole that swallowed more than 60 mammoths
The Black Hills come alive as 1,300 bison thunder across the prairie during South Dakota's annual Buffalo Roundup

The Black Hills come alive as 1,300 bison thunder across the prairie during South Dakota's annual Buffalo Roundup

Best road trips in Wisconsin

A summer road trip guide to Wisconsin’s Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest

A summer road trip guide to Wisconsin’s Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest
Eat cheese like a local at these 8 stops along the Wisconsin Cheese Trail

Eat cheese like a local at these 8 stops along the Wisconsin Cheese Trail
8 stops on a Gilded Age tour of Lake Geneva, known as the 'Newport of the Midwest' 

8 stops on a Gilded Age tour of Lake Geneva, known as the 'Newport of the Midwest' 
All aboard the Berry Bus: A trip down Wisconsin's Cranberry Highway

All aboard the Berry Bus: A trip down Wisconsin's Cranberry Highway
A minimalist’s nightmare: The House on the Rock overwhelms the senses at every turn

A minimalist’s nightmare: The House on the Rock overwhelms the senses at every turn
Reynold’s Pasty Shop has been feeding northern Milwaukee for six decades

Reynold’s Pasty Shop has been feeding northern Milwaukee for six decades

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