Top 5 Scenic Drives in Kentucky for Your New Buick or GMC

This 105-mile loop starts and ends in Bowling Green. That means you can leave our dealership, top off your gas tank, and be on one of Kentucky's most celebrated routes in minutes. The byway takes you through the Green River Valley, past Mammoth Cave National Park, and back to town for a finish at the National Corvette Museum.

The road quality here suits the smooth ride of a Buick Enclave or GMC Acadia. Sweeping curves, gentle elevation changes, and well-maintained asphalt make it perfect for a day trip. Stop at the Kentucky Museum on the Bowling Green campus to learn about the cake legend who gave this route its name. Then head toward the Green River for views that open up across the valley floor.

This 72-mile route from Hodgenville to Danville cuts through the heart of Kentucky's bourbon and horse country. You will start at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, just 45 minutes northeast of Bowling Green. The memorial building houses a replica of the tiny cabin where the 16th president was born.

The drive suits a GMC Yukon or Buick Encore GX perfectly. You will pass rolling pastures crowded with thoroughbred horses, then transition to rickhouses where bourbon ages in charred oak barrels. Stop at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, known as the Bourbon Capital of the World. The route ends near Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, where Kentucky's largest Civil War battle left its mark on the landscape. Today those fields stand peaceful, offering little hint of their violent past.

This 47-mile drive from Stanton to Zachariah packs more natural wonders into each mile than most highways manage in their entire length. The route goes through Daniel Boone National Forest and shows off Kentucky's most dramatic landscape. Sandstone arches and towering cliffs attract rock climbers from across the country.

The adventure starts properly at Nada Tunnel, a narrow 900-foot passage through solid limestone that early loggers blasted with dynamite and carved by hand. A Buick Encore or GMC Terrain handles the tight approach easily. From there, the road winds past one natural marvel after another. Sky Bridge looks like a stone walkway across the sky. Chimney Top Rock offers views clear into the next county. Near the end of the drive, you can learn how Whistling Arch earned its name. Some locals say the eerie music it makes in the wind is the spirits of long-gone mountain dwellers singing.

This 26-mile route from Lexington to Frankfort passes right through the heart of the Kentucky Bluegrass Region. The rural two-lane road offers lovely farmland views and some of the most expensive real estate in horse racing. Stone fences line the road, and you will see thoroughbreds grazing in fields that have produced Kentucky Derby winners.

The drive suits the Buick Regal or GMC Sierra's highway manners. Take your time through the rolling hills. Consider touring the Kentucky Horse Park before you start to get a taste of the racing tradition that shaped the region. Once in Frankfort, the state capital, Cove Spring Park offers plenty of recreational activities. A hike to Hurst Falls is a great way to stretch your legs after the drive. Spring and fall offer the best conditions here, with mild temperatures and the horse industry at its most active.

This 22-mile route between Beaverlick and Burlington has the oddest name on our list, but it tells one of Kentucky's oldest stories. The road follows paths once used by massive Ice Age mammals looking for the area's salt licks. It is not uncommon for drivers to spot modern descendants of those giants: a herd of bison roaming the same grounds.

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site anchors the drive's southern end. Salt springs still bubble up along Big Bone Creek. The park's museum displays the massive bones that gave the area its name. Hiking trails lead past grazing bison to prehistoric salt springs. Further down the road, you can take in the view from picturesque Rabbit Hash on the banks of the Ohio River. Stop at the Dinsmore Homestead for an authentic look at 1842 farm life. The drive's final stop at Kinman Farm Market in Burlington brings everything full circle, with modern farmers working the same soil that once fed prehistoric giants.