The 🏜️ Desert tag marks routes that traverse arid landscapes, dry basins, and sunbaked terrain typical of the American Southwest and similar regions. These drives are often defined by sparse vegetation, rugged rock formations, and expansive, unbroken horizons under intense sunlight.
Desert-tagged segments offer a unique visual experience—shifting sands, red rock mesas, or salt flats depending on the location. They can be starkly beautiful but also challenging due to heat, limited shade, and fewer services along the way.
![Interstate 15: Hesperia to Rancho Cucamonga, California [Remaster]](https://media.openroadarchive.com/file/ora-media/uploads/2026/05/9mb_otjascqmaxresdefault.webp)
Drive south along Interstate 15 from Hesperia to Rancho Cucamonga, California, descending from the High Desert into the busy Inland Empire through mountain backdrops, freight corridors, suburban growth, and one of Southern California’s most important transportation routes.
![Interstate 40: Needles to Barstow, California [Remastered]](https://media.openroadarchive.com/file/ora-media/uploads/2026/05/glorrw4-y0wmaxresdefault.webp)
Drive west across California’s Mojave Desert on Interstate 40 from Needles to Barstow, following a historic Route 66 corridor through remote basins, rugged mountains, railroad towns, and vast desert landscapes on one of Southern California’s classic interstate drives.
Drive 55 miles west on Interstate 40 from Kingman, Arizona to Needles, California, descending through remote desert terrain toward the Colorado River and Mojave Desert.
Experience the changing landscapes of northern Arizona on Interstate 40 from Flagstaff to Ash Fork. This 52-mile drive transitions from cool pine forests beneath the San Francisco Peaks to the wide-open high desert plateau, following a historic Route 66 corridor through one of the Southwest’s most dynamic regions.
Drive Interstate 40 from Winslow to Flagstaff, Arizona, covering 62 miles of dramatic elevation change from open high desert to dense ponderosa pine forest. Experience historic Route 66 parallels, Meteor Crater access, and one of Arizona’s most striking landscape transitions.
Drive Interstate 40 from Holbrook to Winslow, Arizona, crossing 29 miles of open high desert and historic Route 66 territory. Experience expansive landscapes, quiet desert beauty, and classic Southwest travel history along this scenic stretch of I-40.
Drive Interstate 40 from Lupton to Holbrook, Arizona, covering 69 miles of high desert, historic Route 66 alignments, mesas, and Painted Desert landscapes across northeastern Arizona.
Drive Interstate 40 from Gallup to Lupton, New Mexico, covering 16.5 miles of high desert terrain along historic Route 66. Experience red rock landscapes, wide-open vistas, and a scenic transition into Arizona on this short but iconic Southwest drive.
Drive Interstate 40 from Albuquerque to Gallup, New Mexico — a 123-mile journey through high desert mesas, volcanic landscapes, and historic Route 66 country. Experience sweeping Southwest scenery, lava fields near Grants, and the rugged beauty leading to Gallup.
Drive 61 miles west along Interstate 40 from Clines Corners to Albuquerque, New Mexico. This scenic high-desert journey crosses the Estancia Basin before approaching the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande corridor.
Drive 54 miles west on Interstate 40 from Santa Rosa to Clines Corners, New Mexico, crossing wide-open high desert plains, historic travel corridors, and one of the Southwest’s classic crossroads along I-40.
Drive 37 miles west on Interstate 40 from Glenrio to Tucumcari, New Mexico. Experience wide-open High Plains, historic Route 66 parallels, Tucumcari Mountain views, and classic neon Americana along this scenic desert interstate segment.