backroads

Routes less traveled

Backroads are secondary roads through rural or less-traveled areas, away from highways and main routes.

The term evokes countryside driving, scenic detours, and places off the beaten path: We took the backroads to avoid traffic.

Figuratively, backroads suggests the overlooked or hidden parts of something: the backroads of American music history.

rural

country

Sovereign state or territory

hamlet · provincial · homestead · pasture · agriculture · barnyard · tractor · harvest · acreage · farming

scenic

picturesque

Visually pleasing, paintable

bucolic · idyllic · charming · quaint · rustic · foliage · scenery · unspoiled · vistas · panorama

secluded

hidden

Kept out of sight

peaceful · undiscovered · forgotten · untouched · off-the-beaten-path · secret · solitude · detour · shortcut · unmarked

unpaved

gravel

Loose small rock fragments

  • dirtLoose dry earth
  • dustyCoated with fine particles
  • muddyObscured by silt

rutted · bumpy · potholes · washboard · rocky · rough · four-wheel-drive · unsealed · primitive · tracks

Categories
Opposites
road type/infrastructure

backroadsinterstates

Highways between states

highways · freeways · expressways · main roads · motorways

travel philosophy/approach

backroadsdirect route

Straightest path available

fast track · beaten path · main drag · shortest route · beeline

geography/setting

backroadscity streets

Paved routes through towns

metropolitan areas · downtown

Family

backroad

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G