4 EV-Friendly Road Trips for Summer

These byways offer ample charging stations to keep range anxiety at bay

two women sitting in a convertible with a dog

Travelers who drive electric vehicles (EVs) can find many EV-friendly scenic byways across the country.

Getty Images

Gigi Ragland,

AARP

En español

Published May 30, 2024

Road-tripping season is upon us. Every summer, the call of the open road beckons to millions of Americans. This is especially true for older adults. A recent AARP report found that 63 percent of travelers 50-plus are planning a road trip this year.

If you drive — or want to drive — an electric vehicle (EV), the good news is that roadways have become increasingly accommodating to EVs.

Since inception, EV drivers planning a road trip have been concerned about the number of available charging stations, also known as range anxiety. But the EV charging infrastructure is improving. Travel destinations such as hotels and restaurants are adding EV charging stations across the U.S. and the Department of Transportation plans to build nearly 500,000 charging stations by 2030.

In addition to the increase in charging stations, improvements in battery technology have boosted EV range. For example, EVs could travel 73 miles per charge in 2011. Today, an EV gets about 270 miles per charge.

This summer, EV drivers may want to consider taking a road trip on one of America’s Byways. Charging stations are available along national scenic byways and All-American Roads across the country. These routes thread through small town communities and historic sites and showcase the heritage and beauty of the land.

To keep any range anxiety in check, a number of smartphone apps can help you pinpoint charging stations, including PlugShare, ChargeFinder, ChargeHub and A Better Routeplanner.

Here are four EV-friendly scenic byways and places to stay where you can charge your car overnight.

The Pacific Ocean is your copilot along the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway in California.

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San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway, California

All-American Road (57 miles)

California leads the nation in the number of public EV charging stations, which makes road-tripping easy. You’ll find most EV charging stations spaced no more than 60 miles apart along the route.

Although the distance might seem short, you’ll want to spend several days taking in the uncrowded beaches, historic landmarks and scenic beauty along this portion of the Pacific Ocean. Stroll the easy coastal trails for ocean views at Estero Bluffs State Park. Look for sea otters on a kayak tour in Morro Bay. Spend an afternoon exploring the Hearst Castle in San Simeon and spot elephant seals at the viewing area 4.5 miles north of the castle. Take a docent-led tour of 19th-century historic Point San Luis Lighthouse.

Stay: The Sea Otter Inn in Cambria is near Hearst Castle and overlooks Moonstone Beach. Also consider Hotel Avisa in Morro Bay and Avila Lighthouse Suites in Avila Beach.

scenic view of the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge in Tennessee

Drivers can see historic sites and interesting architecture along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Here, a view of the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge in Tennessee.

Ray Sandusky/Getty Images

The Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi

National Scenic Byway (444 miles)

The Trace is a great byway for EV road trips for two main reasons: Many of the chargers are free, and some chargers are level 3 (the maximum speed). Also, you’ll find charging stations within the 20-plus communities along the route.

The centuries-old historic drive runs from the southern Appalachian foothills of Tennessee to the lower Mississippi River with plenty of gorgeous terrain and historic sites to see in between. View Civil War battlefields in each state. Visit Americana Music Triangle hot spots near Muscle Shoals, Alabama. See the traditional homelands of the Natchez, Choctaw and Chickasaw American Indian nations. You can see more than 350 archaeological sites and 22 burial and ceremonial mounds along the parkway.

Stay: Recharge in luxury at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. Also consider the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa in Florence, Alabama, and the Hilton Garden Inn Tupelo in Mississippi — the town where Elvis Presley was born.

aerial view of Stevens Pass Greenway in Washington

An aerial view of Stevens Pass Greenway and the Cascade Mountains in Washington.

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Stevens Pass Greenway, Washington

National Scenic Byway (90 miles)

In 2011, Stevens Pass Greenway became the first EV-friendly scenic byway in the country. Charging stations are spaced along major destinations on the route near the coastal communities of Puget Sound and past the peak of Stevens Pass.

The Great Northern Railway route offers stunning views of the Cascade Mountains. It traces the rail line from ocean beaches, leads up and over one of the Cascades’ highest mountain passes and then descends through central Washington orchards and into the valley where the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers meet. Peruse antiques in Snohomish. Hike the easy 2.8-mile trail (one way) in old growth forest to glimpse the 265-foot waterfall at Wallace Falls State Park. Experience railroad history with a stroll on the 3-mile Martin Trail, a segment of the Iron Goat Trail. The wide-packed, dirt-and-gravel loop passes by tunnels, wooden bridges and small creeks and offers interpretive signs that tell the rail story along the way. As you near the end of the byway at Wenatchee, you’ll see why it’s the self-proclaimed “Apple Capital of the World.”

Stay: Stevens Pass Mountain Ski Resort allows you to charge at the highest point on the route while enjoying peak views. Also consider Hotel Indigo Seattle Everett Waterfront and the Obertal Inn in Leavenworth.

an aerial view of The Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway

The Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway travels past Independence Pass (pictured), a historic ghost town in Colorado.

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Top of the Rockies, Colorado

National Scenic Byway (115 miles)

The state of Colorado has a goal to electrify all of its 26 scenic byways. As of February 2024, there are 17 EV-friendly scenic byways, including the Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway. That means dual-port DC (direct current) fast chargers must be available every 100 miles of a route; if a route is less than 100 miles, a dual-port DC fast charger must be available within 15 miles of the start or end of the byway.

You can start the route in Aspen, drive toward the historic ghost town of Independence Pass and then head toward Leadville, a 19th-century silver mining town and National Historic Landmark District. It’s possible to drive this route in a day but this is high mountain driving where the route is surrounded by mountain peaks of up to 14,000 feet. You’ll cross the Continental Divide three times and zigzag up a few of the highest mountain passes in the nation. The byway is rich with silver mining lore and small towns. Walk around the remaining buildings and read interpretive signs to learn about the history. As you cross Tennessee Pass, consider a stop to see Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument. The rugged terrain of the area was the training ground for the 10th Mountain Division soldiers, the Army’s only mountain infantry division during World War II.

Stay: Historic Hotel Jerome in Aspen opened during the silver boom of the 1880s. Also consider cabins or camping at Sugar Loafin’ Campground in Leadville and the boutique Hotel Minturn in the town of Minturn. (Note: The nearest charging station may be at Town Hall.)

Learn about the important aspects related to purchasing, driving and owning an electric vehicle at www.aarp.org/EV.

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Gigi Ragland is a Colorado–based travel writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic Travel, Condé Nast Traveler, The Saturday Evening Post, The Denver Post and many other publications.

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