Ready to trade southern highways for snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, steaming hot springs, and some seriously wild roads?
You’ll find all of that on this Tennessee to Alaska road trip, a massive adventure stretching thousands of miles across the United States and Canada.
Along the way, you can drive legendary highways, hike beneath towering peaks, soak in naturally heated pools, and explore quirky roadside stops.
This itinerary breaks the journey into manageable stops and highlights the best things to see along the way, so keep reading to see what awaits between Tennessee and Alaska.
1. Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee’s capital, sits along the Cumberland River and is the perfect place to kick off your road trip to Alaska.
Known as Music City, it is home to the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, and Country Music Hall of Fame, which holds more than 2.5 million artifacts.
To explore, head downtown to Broadway, where neon signs, live country music, and famous honky-tonks like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge fill several busy blocks.
You can also explore the full-size Parthenon replica in the 132-acre Centennial Park, tour Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage estate, or try Nashville hot chicken at Prince’s Hot Chicken.
2. St. Louis, Missouri
Continue for 4 hours and 45 minutes from Nashville to St. Louis, Missouri, a lively Mississippi River city famous for its enormous 630-foot Gateway Arch.
It’s the tallest monument in the U.S., where you can ride the tiny tram to the top for sweeping views and explore local history at the free Museum at the Gateway Arch.
For something totally different, visit City Museum, a former shoe factory where you can crawl through tunnels, race down slides, and climb a 10-story spiral structure.
Afterward, grab toasted ravioli at Mama’s on The Hill or head to Forest Park, a 1,300-acre green space home to the Saint Louis Zoo and Saint Louis Art Museum.
3. Pella, Iowa
From St. Louis, drive 4 hours and 50 minutes to Pella, Iowa, where Dutch-style buildings, windmills, and colorful tulips give the town a unique look.
Start at the 124-foot Vermeer Windmill, the tallest working windmill in the U.S., before exploring the Historical Village’s 22 buildings and Wyatt Earp’s childhood home.
Downtown, wander through Molengracht Plaza, catch one of the Klokkenspel’s daily performances, and grab a flaky Dutch letter pastry from Jaarsma Bakery.
If you can, visit the city in early May for the three-day Tulip Time festival, when the streets fill with parades, traditional Dutch costumes, dancing, and food stands.
4. Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Once in South Dakota, head to Badlands National Park, a 244,000-acre landscape filled with striped rock formations, sharp pinnacles, open prairies, and fossil beds.
To take it all in, follow the 39-mile Badlands Loop Road past overlooks like Big Badlands, Panorama Point, and Yellow Mounds while keeping an eye out for bison.
You can also stretch your legs on the 1.5-mile Notch Trail, which climbs a log ladder and follows cliff edges before reaching a huge view across the White River Valley.
Fun fact: The park holds one of the world’s richest collections of Oligocene fossils, including ancient horses, saber-toothed cat-like predators, oreodonts, and rhinos.
5. Billings, Montana
A 6-hour drive from the Badlands is Billings, Montana’s largest city, set along the Yellowstone River beneath the towering sandstone cliffs known as the Rimrocks.
Here, you can check out Four Dances Natural Area, where trails cross 765 acres and lead past sagebrush and ponderosa pines to a rocky plateau with scenic views.
For a look into the past, visit Pictograph Cave State Park, where three caves once sheltered prehistoric hunters and Pictograph Cave holds over 100 ancient rock paintings.
Before leaving, walk through ZooMontana’s 70-acre grounds, browse the exhibits at Yellowstone County Museum, or pick up pastries from Stella’s Kitchen and Bakery.
6. Glacier National Park, Montana
Now point your wheels toward Glacier National Park, where more than 1 million acres of mountains, forests, waterfalls, and over 700 miles of hiking trails await.
Driving the 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road across 6,646-foot Logan Pass is a must, with plenty of overlooks for taking in glacial valleys, sharp peaks, and waterfalls.
If you’re up for a hike, take on the 15.2-mile Highline Trail, with chances to spot mountain goats and bighorn sheep along the way and visit Granite Park Chalet.
Save time for 10-mile-long Lake McDonald, the park’s largest lake, where colorful rocks show through clear water beneath peaks rising thousands of feet overhead.
7. Banff, Alberta
About 4 hours from Glacier is Banff, Alberta, a mountain town in Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park, established in 1885 and covering 2,564 square miles.
For the best views, ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, then follow the 0.6-mile boardwalk to Sanson’s Peak and its historic meteorological station.
Next, hike or bike the 0.75-mile Bow Falls Trail beside the Bow River, enjoying mountain scenery before reaching the rushing falls.
Round out your visit by strolling along Banff Avenue for some shopping, soaking in the 116°F Banff Upper Hot Springs, and watching for elk around town.
8. Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Next up is Dawson Creek, British Columbia, the official starting point of the legendary Alaska Highway and a major milestone on your drive north.
The highway was built in just eight months during World War II in 1942, stretching 1,387 miles through some of the most remote landscapes in North America.
While you’re here, snap a photo beside the Mile 0 Post, then visit Walter Wright Pioneer Village from May to September to see historic buildings and gardens.
The colorful murals scattered around downtown are also worth checking out before you stock up on fuel, snacks, and supplies for the road ahead.
9. Liard River Hot Springs, British Columbia
Along the Alaska Highway, stop at Mile 496 for Liard River Hot Springs, where steaming waters offer a relaxing break from the road.
It’s Canada’s second-largest hot spring, with about eight thermal pools and a public soaking area called Alpha Pool, where the water ranges from 108°F to 126°F.
You can reach it by following a flat boardwalk through a warm-water swamp and boreal forest, keeping an eye out for birds and moose along the way.
So bring your swimsuit and stay overnight at the park’s campground before continuing your journey toward Whitehorse.
10. Whitehorse, Yukon
Fresh from your Liard River soak, drive 6.5 hours to Whitehorse, Yukon’s capital, set beside the Yukon River and surrounded by mountains and boreal forest.
Here, you can check out the MacBride Museum, the Yukon’s first museum, to learn more about the people, culture, and events that shaped the territory.
Another cool stop is the Whitehorse Rapids Fish Ladder, the world’s longest wooden fish ladder, where you can watch migrating salmon and see rushing water.
For something different, check out the Ice Age exhibits at the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre or relax in the mineral pools at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs.
11. Anchorage, Alaska
Finally, cross into Alaska and reach Anchorage, the state’s largest city, set along Cook Inlet with the Chugach Mountains rising behind downtown.
For a closer look at the scenery, walk or bike the 11-mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, where you can spot moose, watch floatplanes overhead, and catch views of Denali.
Afterwards, explore the 26-acre Alaska Native Heritage Center, where six traditional village sites introduce the cultures and traditions of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples.
Before ending your epic road trip, drive the 127-mile Seward Highway through the mountains, watching for beluga whales, Dall sheep, and waterfalls along the way.
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