What Are Scenic Byways and Why Do You Need to See More of Them?

Maryland Scenic Byway near Lander Maryland

Part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Scenic Byway in Maryland.

Even when I speak with experienced travelers, there are two wonderful U.S. travel assets that remain sadly unknown – designated scenic byways and U.S. National Heritage Areas.

That may be about to change, at least for U.S. scenic byways.

Byways are designated, funded, and supported through Departments of Transportation at the Federal and state levels. As we know, that which is not funded isn’t really a priority in politics; it is the “put your money where your mouth is” rule.

The good news is that for the first time since 2012, byways are finally getting money to spruce themselves up (including Tribal byway projects across Native lands) and new scenic byways were established across the United States.

This matters to your travels because a designated scenic byway is special, and adds immeasurably to a road trip.

More than a “pretty drive,” a scenic byway has to meet specific criteria for designation. It has to have one or more of something called intrinsic qualities that make it particularly memorable – scenic views, natural areas, historic significance, cultural experiences, archeological sites, and/or recreational opportunities.

At the national level, having more than one intrinsic quality means you can be designated an All-American Road like California’s Big Sur Coast Highway on Route 1, the Creole Nature Trail in southwest Louisiana, and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina.

How can you make sure that you’re aware of which byways are near when you travel?

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always as easy as it should be. Many times I’ve found myself driving on a scenic byway and the only way I knew was because a road sign suddenly went past telling me so.

Individual byways have varying degrees of success in marketing. Some have a robust, paid organization supporting them, and others have no funding and only a few dedicated volunteers who do the best they can with promotion and visibility. Some state tourism organizations have lots of good blog posts and landing pages about the various byways in their state, others have only the most basic information.

Many don’t have the first thing everyone needs, which is a map that lays out byway routes.

If I don’t know your state, I need a visual layout of where byways are located, so I can decide if exploring part or all of a byway is even an option on that trip based on my location and drive time.

Start with a simple “scenic byway near me” search in Google Maps. The results won’t always be perfect, but it will get you started.

For each state you visit, Google “scenic byways in _____” and look for lists and maps from a state Dept of Transportation or tourism website. Again, be persistent, because the utility of results will vary.

For example, Colorado scenic byways has a mouseover map which works OK on desktop but is less functional on mobile. Florida scenic byways has an interactive map that works well on either desktop or mobile. The Kansas state tourism website has a straightforward static map of Kansas scenic byways.

Yes, I know, such information results shouldn’t be “all over the map” and it makes it challenging for the average traveler to orient themselves and easily find byway information.

Part of the problem is that the National Scenic Byways Program (established in 1991 to drive tourism and economic development through scenic byways) basically shut down/went dormant in 2012, largely because of Congressional budget drama, staff cuts, and spending cuts called sequestration tied to debt limits and other “fiscal cliffs.” Sound familiar?

Some state budgets maintained byway funding and support, including signage and marketing, within their state’s boundaries. Other states did very little or nothing to support their byways and byway promotion. As the Federal level gets the byway program back on its feet, I hope to see a more organized and concerted effort to promote and support all of them as a group. This is my personal effort to help with that.

Meanwhile, now that you know they exist, be sure to look for nearby scenic byways on your next U.S. road trip, and spread the word. In today’s travel environment, people are looking for plenty of space to roam and authentic, engaging, unique experiences. Scenic byways are a perfect fit.

Do you have a favorite byway? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by the author

If you like this post, please consider subscribing to the blog via RSS feed or by email – the email signup box is toward the top of the right sidebar (or below on mobile). Thanks!

We love your shares!

4 Comments

  1. Sharon Strouse June 14, 2023
  2. Clare Marie Ritter June 27, 2023
  3. Sheila Scarborough June 27, 2023

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.