This road trip scavenger hunt printable deals roadside sights for passengers: 198 in all, each worth 1, 2, 3 or 5 points by how rarely it turns up. There is no grid and no finish line. One sheet runs the whole drive, and rare finds, such as a house on a trailer, decide the winner.
Print the sheet before you pull out
Press New sights and choose 20. The chips sort sights by where you look: Signs and numbers holds 34, Trucks and traffic 32, License plates 28, Fields and farms 30, Towns and stops 32, Sky and weather 20, Landmarks and wildlife 22. Swap anything your route cannot offer, such as farms on a desert highway, then Print a copy for each passenger or Share the link to a back-seat phone.
Scoring by rarity
Every line shows its points: 25 sights are worth 1, 60 worth 2, 70 worth 3 and 43 worth 5. The first passenger to call a sight scores it, once a second person has seen it too. The notes double as road lessons: odd Interstates run north and south, and mile markers count up from the southern or western state line.
Tips
The driver never reads the list or hunts. A passenger reads it aloud once, then keeps the pen.
The plate tallies for 5, 10 and 20 states run all trip, so start a column on the back of the sheet.
Deal a fresh road trip scavenger hunt list at each fuel stop and carry the scores over.
Questions and answers
How is this different from road trip bingo?
Bingo ends when somebody fills a line, and every square is worth the same. A sheet of 20 sights lasts from driveway to destination, a common sight earns 1 point and a rare one 5, so a player who is behind can still win with one wind turbine blade on a truck.
What do the sign colors on the list mean?
They follow the federal sign manual. Green gives directions, blue marks services and evacuation routes, brown points to parks and historic sites, and orange means road work. Fluorescent yellow-green warns of schools and crossings. Fluorescent pink, for an incident such as a crash ahead, and purple, for electronic toll lanes, are the rare ones, so each scores 5.
How do you settle an argument over a sighting?
Agree before leaving that a sight counts only when a second passenger sees it, and let the note under each line settle the rest. One note says a parked truck cab does not count, and another gives a shed on a trailer 3 points, not 5. When the back seat is split, the front-seat passenger decides.
A blue evacuation route sign3 points. Evacuation routes share blue with the services signs.
A blue sign with a fuel, food or lodging symbol1 point. Blue marks services for road users.
A brown sign for a park, a forest or a historic site2 points. Brown is the color for recreation and cultural interest.
A city more than 200 miles away on a green sign3 points. The number has to be on the sign, not in the map app.
A five-sided sign3 points. The pentagon is used for school warnings and for county route markers.
A fluorescent pink sign5 points. Pink is reserved for incident management, such as a crash scene ahead.
A fluorescent yellow-green sign2 points. That color is kept for school, pedestrian, bicycle and playground warnings.
A green sign that lists three cities with their miles1 point. Green is the color for direction guidance.
A mile marker that ends in 003 points. Mile markers count up from the southern or western state line.
A mile marker that matches a passenger's age2 points. Call it as you pass. The next marker is a mile away, so stay sharp.
A purple sign or purple stripe above a toll lane5 points. Purple marks lanes for cars with an electronic toll account.
A scenic byway sign3 points. Any sign that names the road itself as the attraction.
A sign that gives a radio station for traffic or weather2 points. The station number has to be on the sign.
A sign that gives the elevation in feet5 points. It counts only if the sign says feet or elevation.
A sign with a number on it higher than 1,0002 points. Populations, elevations and street addresses count. Phone numbers do not.
A speed limit of 70 or higher2 points. White signs with black letters are regulation: the rule, not a warning.
A speed limit sign with a lower number for trucks3 points. Both numbers have to be on the same post.
A state highway marker shaped like the state itself3 points. Many states use their outline or a state symbol. The default marker is a plain circle.
A state welcome sign that carries a slogan3 points. Read the slogan out loud for the points.
A three-digit Interstate that starts with an even digit3 points. An even first digit marks a loop or beltway that rejoins its parent route.
A three-digit Interstate that starts with an odd digit3 points. An odd first digit marks a spur that leaves its parent route and does not return.
A time zone sign5 points. Worth 5 because most trips never cross one.
A town named after a city in another country5 points. Paris, Athens and Cairo all count if the sign says so.
A town whose name is also a person's first name3 points. Read it off a sign. The car votes on whether it is a real first name.
A trip meter reading with matching digits, such as 222.25 points. Checked by a passenger at a stop, never by the driver.
A US route number that ends in 13 points. Major north to south US routes generally end in 1. US 1 follows the Atlantic coast and US 101 the Pacific.
A US route shield with an even number2 points. White shield, black numerals. Even US routes generally run east and west.
A yellow diamond showing a truck on a slope3 points. Diamonds are the warning series. The hill sign goes up ahead of a steep or long downgrade.
An exit number that matches the mile marker beside it2 points. Most Interstates number exits by distance, so the two agree. A few, mostly in the Northeast, count exits in order.
An exit number with a letter after it2 points. Letters start at A when several exits fall within the same mile.
An Interstate number that divides by five2 points. These are the long arteries, from I-5 on the West Coast to I-95 on the East.
An Interstate shield with an odd number1 point. Odd Interstates run north and south. Even ones run east and west.
An orange diamond with a picture instead of words1 point. Orange means temporary traffic control. Most people call it road work.
The dashboard clock at 11:11 or 12:341 point. A passenger has to call it while it still shows.
Trucks and traffic 32
A bus with a team or a band name on the side3 points. School teams count.
A car carrier with every space filled3 points. Count the cars out loud. An empty slot means no points.
A car covered in dust or mud up to the windows2 points. Your own car counts only after a dirt road.
A car older than the oldest person in your car5 points. The car votes. An antique plate helps the case.
A car the same model and color as yours1 point. Same model and same color, both.
A car with a national park sticker3 points. Bumper or window. Read the park name aloud.
A convertible with a dog in it5 points. Top down, dog visible.
A farm tractor riding on a flatbed3 points. New and shiny or old and rusty, both count.
A house, or half of one, on a trailer5 points. Sheds count for 3 points, not 5.
A military vehicle3 points. On the road or on a trailer.
A motorcycle with a sidecar5 points. A three-wheeled motorcycle is worth 2 instead.
A motorhome towing a small car2 points. All four of the small car's wheels on the road, or on a dolly.
A pickup towing a trailer with a ride-on mower2 points. Landscaping crews make this one easy on weekday mornings.
A pink vehicle of any kind5 points. Trucks, vans and scooters count.
A purple car3 points. The car votes on anything close to maroon.
A street sweeper or a line-painting truck3 points. At work or driving between jobs.
A tanker with a diamond-shaped placard2 points. Look for the small diamond on the back or the side.
A tow truck carrying a car on its back1 point. A flatbed tow or a hook, as long as a car is on it.
A trailer with a race car or a show car inside or on top5 points. Open trailers make it easy. Lettered enclosed trailers count if the car is pictured.
A truck cab driving with no trailer behind it2 points. The cab alone, on the move. A parked one does not count.
A truck cab with a name painted on the door2 points. A person's name or a town, not only a company logo.
A truck carrying one wind turbine blade5 points. One blade fills the whole trailer.
A truck hauling another truck3 points. On a flatbed or towed. A pickup in a car carrier does not count.
A truck trailer with a giant picture of food on it1 point. Bigger than a person, or it is only a logo.
A truck with more than 18 wheels5 points. Count them as it passes. Heavy loads ride on extra axles.
A vehicle with a boat on its roof and bikes on its back5 points. Both at once. One or the other is worth nothing here.
A yellow car that is not a taxi1 point. School buses are not cars either.
A yellow school bus on the Interstate2 points. In town is too easy. It has to be out on the highway.
An escort car with an oversize load sign on its roof3 points. Look ahead of it or behind it for the load.
Something tied to a car roof with rope2 points. A mattress, a tree, a ladder: if rope holds it, it counts.
Three motorcycles riding together2 points. All three in view at once.
Three trucks in a row from the same company3 points. Same name on all three trailers, nose to tail.
License plates 28
A car with no front plate1 point. Some states ask for two plates and some for one at the back only.
A license plate frame that names a far-off city2 points. Dealer frames count. Far-off means more than a day's drive.
A license plate from a state that touches an ocean1 point. Not your own state. The Gulf counts.
A license plate from a state that touches yours1 point. Your home state's own plates do not count.
A license plate from Alaska or Hawaii5 points. The longest odds on the list for most routes.
A license plate from Canada or Mexico5 points. Easier near a border, so the car may agree to drop it to 3.
A license plate from more than 1,000 miles away3 points. A passenger checks the distance in the map app.
A license plate from Washington, D.C.5 points. The district issues its own plates, as a state does.
A license plate whose digits add up to 102 points. Say the sum out loud before the car is gone.
A license plate with a passenger's initials in order3 points. First and last initial, with nothing between them.
A license plate with three of the same digit2 points. They do not have to sit side by side.
A motorcycle plate1 point. Most are about 4 by 7 inches. A car plate is 6 by 12.
A plate design with a mountain or a lighthouse2 points. The standard plate of some states counts.
A plate that reads the same forwards and backwards5 points. Letters, digits or both.
A plate with a month sticker that matches this month2 points. Some states have dropped plate stickers, so check the corner first.
A specialty plate for a college2 points. Name the college for the points.
A specialty plate with a bird or an animal on it2 points. Owners pick specialty designs, and part of the fee often goes to a school or a non-profit.
A state slogan on a plate that you can read aloud1 point. Read it before the car pulls away.
A temporary paper plate in a rear window2 points. A dealer's paper tag where the metal plate would go also counts.
A trailer plate from a different state than the truck pulling it3 points. Both plates have to be readable.
A US government plate3 points. The federal government issues plates only for its own fleet and for diplomats.
A vanity plate that spells a whole word2 points. Vanity plates are offered in all 50 states and D.C.
A vanity plate the whole car can decode3 points. Everyone has to agree on what it says.
An antique or historic vehicle plate3 points. The plate says antique, historic or classic.
License plates from 10 different states3 points. The same tally as the 5-state task. Both can score.
License plates from 20 different states5 points. Truck and trailer plates count toward the tally.
License plates from 5 different states2 points. Keep a tally on the back of the sheet. This one runs all trip.
Two cars in a row with plates from the same far-off state3 points. Not your state and not a neighbor.
Fields and farms 30
A baby farm animal beside its mother2 points. Calf, foal, lamb, kid or piglet.
A barn that is not red1 point. White, green, bare wood: any color but red.
A barn with words painted on its side or roof3 points. Read the words aloud.
A cattle guard across a side road or a driveway3 points. Metal bars set in the ground where a gate would be.
A center-pivot sprinkler with water running3 points. From the air these make the round fields called crop circles. The arm is often a quarter mile long.
A cluster of four or more round metal grain bins2 points. Short and wide with cone roofs.
A combine harvester3 points. In the field, on the road or parked in a yard.
A crop duster plane flying low5 points. Low enough to see it turn at the end of the field.
A donkey, a llama or an alpaca3 points. Often in with the sheep or goats.
A field being harvested or plowed right now3 points. The machine has to be moving.
A field of sunflowers5 points. One garden row does not count. It has to be a field.
A flock of birds rising from a field all at once3 points. A dozen birds or more.
A horse wearing a blanket or a fly mask3 points. Either one counts. Both means 5 points.
A painted quilt square on a barn5 points. One big square pattern, hung high on the wall.
A pick-your-own farm sign3 points. Berries, apples, pumpkins or flowers.
A pond with a dock2 points. A dock, a pier or a diving board.
A row of mailboxes at the end of a gravel road2 points. Three or more on one board or rail.
A rusty tractor or truck parked for good in a field2 points. Grass growing through it proves the for good part.
A wind turbine standing still beside ones that are turning3 points. All in the same view.
A windmill that is actually turning3 points. The old farm kind with many blades, not a wind turbine.
An irrigation ditch or canal running beside the road2 points. Straight banks mean somebody dug it.
Black cows and brown cows in the same field2 points. Spotted cows settle nothing.
Crop rows that flick past like spokes as you drive by1 point. Look straight down a row as you pass.
Hay bales wrapped in white plastic2 points. In a long row they look like giant marshmallows.
More cows lying down than standing2 points. A quick count is fine.
More than 10 wind turbines in one view3 points. Count them out loud.
More than 20 round hay bales in one field2 points. Count fast. Rows make it easier.
One straight row of evenly spaced trees along a field1 point. Straight and evenly spaced means somebody planted it.
Three silos in a row2 points. Touching or not, as long as they belong to one farm.
Wild turkeys in a field5 points. Two or more.
Towns and stops 32
A bridge that has its own name on a sign2 points. Read the name aloud.
A changeable letter sign with a joke or a pun on it3 points. The car has to groan for it to count.
A clock on a bank or a street corner showing the wrong time5 points. Check it against a phone.
A courthouse square with a bandstand, a cannon or a memorial3 points. Seen from the car is fine.
A drive-in movie screen5 points. Open or closed, the screen has to be standing.
A free book-swap box on a post3 points. It looks like a big birdhouse with a door.
A gas price lower than the last one you saw1 point. Same grade of fuel, or it does not count.
A gas pump with a number higher than 122 points. The number on top of the pump, not the price.
A giant roadside statue of an animal, a fruit or a person5 points. Bigger than your car, or it is only a statue.
A high school sign that names its mascot2 points. Read the mascot aloud.
A historical marker read aloud all the way through3 points. Only at a stop, on foot, with an adult. One fact from it earns the points.
A machine that presses a design into a penny3 points. Spotting it earns the points.
A main street with diagonal parking2 points. Cars nosed in at an angle on both sides.
A mural with a train, a horse or a river in it3 points. Painted on a wall, not printed on a billboard.
A pet exercise area sign1 point. Look for the dog symbol.
A rack of free travel brochures1 point. Spotting it is enough. Leave the stack for other travelers.
A rest area map with a You Are Here mark1 point. Put a finger on it, then find where you are going.
A rest area sign that says how far it is to the next one2 points. Read the miles aloud.
A restaurant sign shaped like the food it sells3 points. A giant cone, donut, hot dog or chicken.
A sign naming a town's claim to fame3 points. Home of, birthplace of, capital of: any boast on the sign counts.
A sign with a letter missing or burned out3 points. Read it the way it looks now.
A store or cafe with the town's name in its own name1 point. Check the town sign first so you know what to look for.
A town sign with a population under 1,0003 points. Under 100 is worth 5.
A town welcome sign that lists its clubs2 points. Small round emblems under the town name.
A truck parked on a scale3 points. At a truck stop or a weigh station.
A vending machine that sells something other than food or drink3 points. Spotting it earns the points. Nobody has to buy anything.
A viewing scope at an overlook3 points. Spotting it is enough. Nobody has to pay to look.
A water tower painted with a mascot or a picture3 points. A name alone is worth 1 point instead.
An air pump for tires1 point. Look at the edge of the lot.
An electric car plugged in and charging2 points. The cable has to be connected.
More than 50 cars on one train5 points. Count while you wait at the crossing, or while it runs beside the road.
Your own route traced on a rest area wall map2 points. Trace it start to finish with a finger.
Sky and weather 20
A bird of prey circling2 points. Broad wings, slow circles, no flapping.
A blimp, a glider or a parachute5 points. Anything in the sky without a propeller roaring.
A cloud casting a shadow you can watch slide across a hill3 points. Open country and a windy day.
A cloud shaped like an animal that two people agree on1 point. Two votes, same animal.
A contrail that crosses another contrail2 points. Contrails are line-shaped clouds of ice crystals from jet exhaust, usually above 26,000 feet.
A contrail that fades while you watch2 points. Some last seconds and some last hours. It depends on how cold and damp the air is up there.
A double rainbow5 points. Both bows have to show at the same time.
A flock of birds flying in a V3 points. Count the birds for a tiebreak.
A helicopter3 points. In the air, not parked.
A hot air balloon5 points. Tethered at a fair still counts.
An outside temperature 20 degrees off from when you set off3 points. Note the starting temperature on the sheet before you leave.
The first star or planet of the evening2 points. First to point at it scores.
Fog sitting in a valley below the road3 points. Early morning is the time for it.
Lightning far away3 points. Seen from inside the car.
The moon in daylight2 points. Pale and easy to miss. Check the whole sky.
Rain falling in the distance while you are in sunshine3 points. Gray streaks hanging under a far-off cloud.
The sun setting in a side mirror2 points. Passengers only. The driver has better things to look at.
Sunbeams fanning out from behind a cloud2 points. Best late in the afternoon.
Two planes in the sky at once1 point. Near an airport this is easy, so call it quickly.
Water shimmering on the road ahead that is gone when you arrive2 points. It is a mirage. Hot air above the asphalt bends light from the sky, so you are looking at sky.
Landmarks and wildlife 22
A big nest of sticks on top of a pole or a platform5 points. Look on tall poles near water.
A bridge longer than a mile5 points. A passenger checks the length in the map app.
A fire lookout tower or a radio mast with red lights2 points. The lookout tower alone is worth 5.
A fox or a coyote5 points. Dawn and dusk are the hours for it.
A ghost sign: faded paint advertising on old brick3 points. Letters you can still partly read.
A lighthouse or a dam5 points. Seen from the road.
A long line of rail cars parked on a siding2 points. Standing still, with no engine attached.
A mountain with snow on top3 points. In summer this is worth 5.
A railroad trestle or a footbridge over a river3 points. Seen from the road. Nobody walks out on it.
A river you had heard of before this trip2 points. Read the name off the sign at the bridge.
A road that runs dead straight to the horizon3 points. No bend in sight, ahead or behind.
A rock cut with stripes of different colored layers3 points. Where the road was blasted through a hill.
A state line in the middle of a bridge5 points. Look for a line marker on the rail, or the welcome sign at the far end.
A state you have never been in before5 points. Each passenger scores this one separately.
A stone wall or a split-rail fence older than the road2 points. The car votes on how old it looks.
A tunnel through a mountain5 points. Underpasses do not count. It has to go dark inside.
A waterfall or a stretch of white water seen from the car5 points. Even a small one after rain.
A wild animal bigger than a dog that is not a deer5 points. Alive, and seen by two people.
A wooden water tank on stilts or an old railroad water tower5 points. Beside tracks or on top of an old building.
An abandoned gas station with the old pumps still standing5 points. Pumps or the island they stood on.
An eagle, if two people agree it is one5 points. Near rivers and lakes is the place to look.
Three deer together3 points. Field edges at dusk.
How this list was compiled: Written for this site by its editors in September 2026: 198 original roadside sights for passengers, each scored 1, 2, 3 or 5 points by how rarely it turns up on a long drive in the United States. The point values are the editors' judgment, not a standard. Every sight can be scored from a seat in the car or on foot at a stop the driver was making anyway; nothing asks the driver to look, slow down, stop, or for anyone to cross a road, buy or take anything. Facts in the notes were checked against live sources on 2026-09-18. Interstate numbering (odd north to south, even east to west, numbers divisible by five as major arteries from I-5 to I-95, three-digit loops and spurs), mile markers counted from the southern or western state line, distance-based exit numbers and letter suffixes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System. Sign colors (green guidance, blue services and evacuation routes, brown recreation and cultural interest, orange temporary traffic control, fluorescent yellow-green school and pedestrian warnings, fluorescent pink incident management, purple electronic toll lanes, white and black regulation): Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Section 1A.12, https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part1/part1a.htm. Sign shapes (pentagon for school warnings and county route markers, diamond for the warning series): MUTCD Table 2A-4, https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part2/part2a.htm. Hill sign used in advance of a downgrade: MUTCD Section 2C.16, https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part2/part2c.htm. US route shield and numbering (even east to west, major north to south routes ending in 1, US 1 and US 101): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highway_System. State highway markers (state outlines and symbols, circular default): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbered_highways_in_the_United_States. License plates (6 by 12 inch car plate, motorcycle plates mostly 4 by 7 inches, one-plate and two-plate states, vanity plates in all 50 states and D.C., specialty plate fees, D.C. and federal plates, states that dropped stickers): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_the_United_States. Highway mirage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage. Contrails (ice crystals, usually above 26,000 feet, seconds to hours): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail. Center-pivot irrigation (crop circles from the air, quarter-mile standard arm): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center-pivot_irrigation. Licence: own work