If you love the open road, make tracks for the Bay State for routes that guarantee iconic scenery and manageable drive times
For a small state, Massachusetts has an endless patchwork of places to weave into an itinerary. And its size makes it prime road-trip territory, as you can zigzag across the state with ease, covering the standout sites without having to cover huge distances.
Sandwiched between the mountains and the Atlantic, the Bay State offers a slice of northeastern Americana, stretching from charming coastal villages and the big city of Boston to the rugged interior and those world-renowned New England landscapes. Here, we’ve plotted four of the best routes, whether you’re after a solo adventure or a family-friendly trip.
Allow four to five days
Head out on the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway – New England’s oldest Scenic Byway – to discover the leafy and mountainous regions in northwest Massachusetts. This ancient trade route connected indigenous Atlantic tribes with the Iroquois tribes in Upstate New York and Canada, who would travel from the Hudson River and Connecticut River valleys. It’s one of many ancient indigenous routes to have been repurposed, but this 69-mile journey was one of the first to be utilised as a scenic route in the early days of leisure car travel in 1914. And it’s easy to see why. Start off in rolling Berkshire County, where kaleidoscopic colours illuminate the landscapes in the autumn, and travel down to low-lying Deerfield River Valley, with quaint villages, delicious breweries, impressive restaurants and unforgettable scenery. Travelling down the Mohawk River Trail will usually take around four days.