Friday Eye Candy: America’s Most Scenic Abandoned Highways

Unused roadways provide opportunities for exploration and recreation.

1 minute read

January 12, 2024, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Low shot of Route 66 signs on asphalt with small abandoned building on roadside on old Route 66 near Amboy, California.

Old Route 66 near Amboy, California. | Alex Garaev / Adobe Stock

In a slideshow on Jalopnik, Erin Marquis highlights some of the most scenic stretches of abandoned roads in the United States. Although now closed to cars for various reasons, these roads have, in some cases, become beloved community assets.

No two stretches of abandoned road are alike. Some have returned to nature, some serve as historic sites and other sit silently and forgotten besides busy roads, looking on at a future they never had or a past long removed.

The roads featured include parts of the former Route 66, which stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles and features kitschy diners and abandoned ghost towns, a stunning former highway that winds through red rocks in Arizona, Pennsylvania’s ‘Goat Path Expressway,’ a defunct suspension bridge in Arizona, and a former highway and popular biking destination above Los Angeles. 

Friday, January 5, 2024 in Jalopnik

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Historic stone structure surrounding natural spring in India with plaques.

Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’

Thousands of centuries-old buildings protect the region’s natural springs and serve as community wells and gathering places.

45 minutes ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Blue Bublr bikes parked at station on sidewalk in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee to Double Bike Share Stations

Bublr Bikes, one of the nation’s most successful, will add 500 new e-bikes to its system.

1 hour ago - OnMilwaukee

Frosted plexiglass kiosks for outdoor dining installed on Washington DC sidewalk.

DC Extends Application Window for Outdoor Dining Permits

District restaurants will have until the end of November to apply, but businesses with permits in rush hour parking lanes must end operations on July 31.

2 hours ago - DC News