National Scenic Byway

National Scenic Byways Program
Highway marker
All-American Roads highlighted with red dots, National Scenic Byways with blue dots
System information
Formed:	1991 (1991)
Highway names
Interstates:	Interstate nn (I-nn)
US Routes:	U.S. Highway nn, U.S. Route nn (US nn)
State:	Varies by state
System links
Scenic Byways National National Forest BLM NPS

A sign indicating the National Scenic Byway designation for the Creole Nature Trail

A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often less-traveled roads and promote tourism and economic development. The National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP) is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The most scenic byways are designated All-American Roads, which must meet two out of the six intrinsic qualities. The designation means they have features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States and are unique and important enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves. As of November 2010, there are 120 National Scenic Byways and 31 All-American Roads, located in 46 states (all except Hawaii, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Texas).

History

The NSBP was established under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, which provided $74.3 million in discretionary grants. On May 18, 1995, FHWA specified the intrinsic qualities that would serve as criteria for designating road as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads. In September U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Peña announced the first 14 National Scenic Byways and six All-American Roads. On June 9, 1998, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) provided $148 million to states so they could develop state roads to take advantage of the program.

On August 10, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which provided $175 million to states and Indian tribes. Most recently, on October 16, 2009, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood designated 37 new roads as National Scenic Byways and five new All-American Roads.

Requirements

National Scenic Byways go through a nomination procedure. They must already be designated state scenic byways to be nominated (However, roads that meet all criteria for national designation but not state designation may be considered for national designation on a case-by-case basis).

Intrinsic qualities

For designation as a National Scenic Byway a road must have one of six intrinsic qualities. To be designated an All-American Road, a road must have at least two of the six qualities.

• Scenic quality is the heightened visual experience derived from the view of natural and manmade elements of the visual environment of the scenic byway corridor. The characteristics of the landscape are strikingly distinct and offer a pleasing and most memorable visual experience.
• Natural quality applies to those features in the visual environment that are in a relatively undisturbed state. These features predate the arrival of human populations and may include geological formations, fossils, landform, water bodies, vegetation, and wildlife. There may be evidence of human activity, but the natural features reveal minimal disturbances.
• Historic quality encompasses legacies of the past that are distinctly associated with physical elements of the landscape, whether natural or manmade, that are of such historic significance that they educate the viewer and stir an appreciation for the past. The historic elements reflect the actions of people and may include buildings, settlement patterns, and other examples of human activity.
• Cultural quality is evidence and expressions of the customs or traditions of a distinct group of people. Cultural features include, but are not limited to, crafts, music, dance, rituals, festivals, speech, food, special events, or vernacular architecture.
• Archeological quality involves those characteristics of the scenic byways corridor that are physical evidence of historic or prehistoric human life or activity. The scenic byway corridor's archeological interest, as identified through ruins, artifacts, structural remains, and other physical evidence have scientific significance that educate the viewer and stir an appreciation for the past.
• Recreational quality involves outdoor recreational activities directly associated with and dependent upon the natural and cultural elements of the corridor's landscape. The recreational activities provide opportunities for active and passive recreational experiences. They include, but are not limited to, downhill skiing, rafting, boating, fishing, and hiking. Driving the road itself may qualify as a pleasurable recreational experience. The recreational activities may be seasonal, but the quality and importance of the recreational activities as seasonal operations must be well recognized.

Corridor management plans

A corridor management plan must also be developed, with community involvement, and the plan "should provide for the conservation and enhancement of the byway's intrinsic qualities as well as the promotion of tourism and economic development". The plan includes, but is not limited to:

• A map identifying the corridor boundaries and the location of intrinsic qualities and different land uses within the corridor.
• A strategy for maintaining and enhancing those intrinsic qualities.
• A strategy describing how existing development might be enhanced and new development might be accommodated while still preserving the intrinsic qualities of the corridor.
• A general review of the road's or highway's safety and accident record to identify any correctable faults in highway design, maintenance, or operations.
• A signage plan that demonstrates how the State will insure and make the number and placement of signs more supportive of the visitor experience.
• A narrative describing how the National Scenic Byway will be positioned for marketing.

Corridor management plans for All-American Roads must also include:

• A narrative on how the All-American Road would be promoted, interpreted, and marketed in order to attract travelers, especially those from other countries.
• A plan to encourage the accommodation of increased tourism, if this is projected. Some demonstration that the roadway, lodging and dining facilities, roadside rest areas, and other tourist necessities will be adequate for the number of visitors induced by the byway's designation as an All-American Road.
• A plan for addressing multi-lingual information needs.

The final step is when the highway (or highways) is approved for designation by the United States Secretary of Transportation.

List of byways

Type	Name	Image	States	Description	Designated
NSB	A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway		Florida	Follows Atlantic coast barrier islands	June 13, 2002
AAR	Acadia Byway		Maine	Scenic drive past mountains on the Maine shore	June 15, 2000 (AAR)
NSB	Alabama’s Coastal Connection		Alabama	Scenic drive along the Gulf coast	October 16, 2009
AAR	Alaska's Marine Highway		Alaska	Ferry system connecting Alaskan coastal communities	June 13, 2002 (NSB) September 22, 2005 (AAR)
NSB	Amish Country		Ohio	Historic drive through eastern Ohio's Amish communities	June 13, 2002
NSB	Arroyo Seco Parkway Scenic Byway		California	The first freeway in the Western U.S., connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena through the Arroyo Seco	June 13, 2002
NSB	Ashley River Road		South Carolina	Traverses a historic district along the Ashley River	June 15, 2000
NSB	Baltimore's Historic Charles Street	100px	Maryland	Runs along Charles Street, the main street of Baltimore	October 16, 2009
AAR	Beartooth Scenic Byway		Montana, Wyoming	Scenic northeastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park	June 15, 2000 (AAR) June 13, 2002 (extended in Montana)
NSB	Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway		New Mexico	Scenic drive through rugged mountains	June 9, 1998
AAR	Blue Ridge Parkway		North Carolina, Virginia	Scenic drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains	September 19, 1996 (AAR, North Carolina) September 22, 2005 (AAR, Virginia)
NSB	Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway		Delaware	Historic rolling hills of northern Delaware	September 22, 2005
NSB	Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway		Oregon	Connects lakes and forests of central Oregon	June 9, 1998
NSB	Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway	100px	Maryland	Scenic and historic drive through the Catoctin Mountains	September 22, 2005
NSB	Cherohala Skyway		North Carolina, Tennessee	Ridgetop drive in the Appalachians	September 19, 1996 (Tennessee) June 9, 1998 (North Carolina)
NSB	Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway		South Carolina	Scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Escarpment	June 9, 1998
NSB	Cherokee Hills Byway		Oklahoma	Situated in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, the Cherokee Hills Byway is a showcase of eastern Oklahoma’s tremendous diversity and rich Cherokee heritage.	2009
NSB	Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway		Maryland	Traverses the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay	June 13, 2002
AAR	Chinook Scenic Byway		Washington	Scenic drive with views of Mount Rainier	June 9, 1998 (AAR)
NSB	Coal Heritage Trail		West Virginia	Historic drive through coal-producing areas of southwestern West Virginia	June 9, 1998
AAR	Colonial Parkway		Virginia	Landscaped parkway through historic areas	September 22, 2005 (AAR)
NSB	Colorado River Headwaters Byway		Colorado	Descent along the Colorado River through canyons	September 22, 2005
NSB	Connecticut River Byway		Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont	Scenic drive on both sides of New England's longest river	September 22, 2005
NSB	Connecticut State Route 169		Connecticut	One of the last unspoiled areas in New England	September 19, 1996
NSB	Copper Country Trail		Michigan	Traverses an area developed for copper mining	September 22, 2005
NSB	Coronado Trail Scenic Byway		Arizona	Scenic drive through high deserts and forests	September 22, 2005
NSB	Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway		Washington	Passes through coulees formed by receding glaciers	September 22, 2005
NSB	Country Music Highway		Kentucky	Historic drive through eastern Kentucky	June 13, 2002
AAR	Creole Nature Trail		Louisiana	Marshes and prairies of southern Louisiana	September 19, 1996 (NSB) June 13, 2002 (AAR)
NSB	Crowley's Ridge Parkway		Arkansas, Missouri	Scenic drive along Crowley's Ridge, with a diversity of plant species	June 9, 1998 (Arkansas) June 15, 2000 (Missouri)
NSB	Death Valley Scenic Byway		California	Scenic drive through the lowest place in North America, surrounded by mountains	June 9, 1998 June 13, 2002 (extended)
NSB	Delaware River Scenic Byway		New Jersey	Scenic and historic drive along the Delaware River in central New Jersey	October 16, 2009
NSB	Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway		Colorado, Utah	Passes many dinosaur fossil sites	June 13, 2002
NSB	East Tennessee Crossing		Tennessee		October 16, 2009
NSB	Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway	100px	California	Crossing of the Sierra Nevada past giant sequoia groves	September 22, 2005
NSB	Edge of the Wilderness		Minnesota	Scenic drive through forests and hills of northern Minnesota	September 19, 1996
NSB	Edisto Island National Scenic Byway		South Carolina	Scenic drive along marshes and through live oak forests in the Lowcountry of South Carolina	October 16, 2009
NSB	El Camino Real		New Mexico	Historic north–south route through central New Mexico	June 9, 1998 September 22, 2005 (extended)
NSB	The Energy Loop: Huntington/Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway		Utah	Historic drive past coal mining operations	June 15, 2000
NSB	Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway		Utah	Scenic drive through the Uinta Mountains	June 9, 1998
NSB	Flint Hills Scenic Byway	100px	Kansas	Scenic drive through Great Plains grasslands	September 22, 2005
NSB	Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway		North Carolina		October 16, 2009
AAR	Florida Keys Scenic Highway		Florida	Scenic drive through the Florida Keys	October 16, 2009 (AAR)
NSB	Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway		Colorado	Follows the paths of early explorers through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains	June 9, 1998
AAR	George Washington Memorial Parkway		Virginia	Landscaped parkway along the Potomac River	September 22, 2005 (AAR)
NSB	Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway		New Mexico	Scenic drive past mountains and lakes of southwestern New Mexico	September 22, 2005
NSB	Glenn Highway		Alaska	Terrain shaped by receding glaciers	June 13, 2002
NSB	Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway		Colorado	Follows stage and rail routes to historic gold mining locations	June 15, 2000
NSB	Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway		Colorado	Climbs to Grand Mesa	September 19, 1996
NSB	Grand Rounds Scenic Byway		Minnesota	Continuous parkway surrounding Minneapolis	June 9, 1998
NSB	Great River Road		Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee, Wisconsin	Scenic drive along the Mississippi River from its headwaters to southern Mississippi	June 15, 2000 (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin) June 13, 2002 (Arkansas) September 22, 2005 (Mississippi) October 16, 2009 (Tennessee)
AAR	Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway		Maryland	Provides access to historical sites related to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad	October 16, 2009
AAR	Hells Canyon Scenic Byway		Oregon	Provides views of Hells Canyon on the Snake River	June 15, 2000 (AAR)
NSB	Highland Scenic Highway		West Virginia	Scenic drive through mountains and valleys	September 19, 1996
NSB	Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway		Minnesota	Historic and scenic drive through southeastern Minnesota	June 13, 2002
AAR	Historic Columbia River Highway		Oregon	America's first scenic highway, through the Columbia River Gorge	June 9, 1998 (AAR)
AAR	Historic National Road		Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia	Historic gateway to the Midwestern U.S.	June 9, 1998 (NSB, Indiana) June 15, 2000 (NSB, Illinois) June 13, 2002 (AAR, all states)
NSB	Historic Route 66		Arizona, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma	Historic "Mother Road" linking Chicago to Los Angeles	June 15, 2000 (New Mexico) September 22, 2005 (Arizona, Illinois)
NSB	Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs		Illinois	Scenic drive through the Illinois River Valley	September 22, 2005
NSB	Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway		Florida	Diverse estuary near Kennedy Space Center	June 13, 2002
AAR	International Selkirk Loop		Idaho, Washington	Loop around the Selkirk Mountains	September 22, 2005 (AAR)
NSB	Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway		New Mexico	Scenic drive past geological formations and Indian ruins	June 9, 1998
NSB	Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway		Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia	Corridor from Gettysburg, PA, to Monticello, VA; "Where America Happened"	October 16, 2009
NSB	Kaibab Plateau–North Rim Parkway		Arizona	Scenic drive through dense forests to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon	June 9, 1998
NSB	Kancamagus Scenic Byway		New Hampshire	Passes through the White Mountains	September 19, 1996
NSB	Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail		Ohio	Follows the south shore of Lake Erie	September 22, 2005
NSB	Lake Tahoe - Eastshore Drive		Nevada	Follows the east shore of Lake Tahoe	September 19, 1996
AAR	Lakes to Locks Passage, The Great Northeast Journey		New York	Passes by the connected waterways of the eastern tier of New York	June 13, 2002 (AAR)
NSB	Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway		Colorado	Loops through Morrison, Evergreen and Golden in the foothills west of Denver.
AAR	Las Vegas Strip		Nevada	Urban boulevard past casinos and other Las Vegas entertainment	June 15, 2000 (AAR)
NSB	Lincoln Highway		Illinois	A portion of America's first transcontinental highway	June 15, 2000
NSB	Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road		Missouri	Part of the Great River Road in northeastern Missouri	June 13, 2002
NSB	Loess Hills Scenic Byway		Iowa	Silt deposits in the Missouri River Valley	June 15, 2000
NSB	Logan Canyon Scenic Byway		Utah	Passes through scenic Logan Canyon	June 13, 2002
NSB	McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway		Oregon	Loop across two Cascade passes	June 9, 1998
NSB	Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route		Illinois	Floodplain where the Illinois, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers meet	June 9, 1998 June 15, 2000 (extended)
NSB	Merritt Parkway		Connecticut	Historic parkway with individually designed bridges	September 19, 1996
NSB	Midland Trail	100px	West Virginia	Scenic drive through the New River Gorge	June 15, 2000
NSB	Millstone Valley Scenic Byway		New Jersey	Scenic and historic drive along the Millstone River in central New Jersey	October 16, 2009
NSB	Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway		Minnesota	Historic drive through the Minnesota River Valley	June 13, 2002
NSB	Mohawk Towpath Byway		New York	Follows the historic Erie Canal	September 22, 2005
NSB	Mountains to Sound Greenway - I-90		Washington	Scenic drive across the Cascades	June 9, 1998
NSB	Mt. Hood Scenic Byway		Oregon	Provides views of Mount Hood	September 22, 2005
AAR	Natchez Trace Parkway		Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee	Early trail connecting the Mississippi Territory with Nashville	September 19, 1996 (AAR)
NSB	Native American Scenic Byway		North Dakota, South Dakota	Traverses four Lakota Sioux reservations	June 9, 1998 (South Dakota) September 22, 2005 (extended in both states)
NSB	Nebo Loop Scenic Byway		Utah	Passes near Mount Nebo in the Wasatch Range	June 9, 1998
AAR	North Shore Scenic Drive		Minnesota	Follows the north shore of Lake Superior	June 15, 2000 (AAR) June 13, 2002 (extended)
AAR	Northwest Passage Scenic Byway		Idaho	Follows Lewis and Clark's search for the Northwest Passage	June 13, 2002 September 22, 2005 (extended and became an AAR)
NSB	Ohio & Erie Canalway Scenic Byway		Ohio	Historic drive along the Ohio and Erie Canal	June 15, 2000
NSB	Ohio River Scenic Route		Illinois, Indiana, Ohio	Follows the north bank of the Ohio River	September 19, 1996 (Indiana) June 9, 1998 (Illinois, Ohio)
NSB	Old Canada Road Scenic Byway		Maine	Historic route between Maine and Quebec	June 15, 2000
NSB	Outback Scenic Byway		Oregon	Scenic drive through rugged country of southern Oregon	June 9, 1998
NSB	Outer Banks Scenic Byway		North Carolina		October 16, 2009
AAR	Pacific Coast Scenic Byway		Oregon	Scenic drive along the Pacific coast	June 9, 1998 (NSB) June 13, 2002 (AAR)
NSB	Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway		Minnesota	Passes through the forests of central Minnesota	September 22, 2005
NSB	Payette River Scenic Byway		Idaho	Traverses foothills and valleys	June 13, 2002
NSB	Pend Oreille Scenic Byway		Idaho	Scenic drive along Lake Pend Oreille	June 13, 2002
NSB	Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway		South Dakota	Scenic drive through mountains of southwestern South Dakota	September 19, 1996
NSB	Pioneer Historic Byway		Idaho	Includes Mormon settlements and Oregon Trail ruts	September 22, 2005
NSB	Pyramid Lake Scenic Byway		Nevada	One of the largest desert lakes in the world	September 19, 1996
NSB	Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway		Maine	Scenic drive past mountains and lakes	June 15, 2000
NSB	Red River Gorge Scenic Byway	100px	Kentucky	Scenic drive through the Red River Gorge	June 13, 2002
AAR	Red Rock Scenic Road		Arizona	Scenic drive through the high desert	September 22, 2005 (AAR)
NSB	Religious Freedom Byway		Maryland	Provides access to historic churches and the first capital of Maryland, St. Mary's City	October 16, 2009
NSB	River Road Scenic Byway		Michigan	Scenic drive through the Au Sable River Valley	September 22, 2005
NSB	Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway		Oregon	Follows two scenic rivers through southwestern Oregon	June 13, 2002
AAR	Route One, Big Sur Coast Highway		California	Scenic Drive along the Pacific coast	September 19, 1996 (AAR)
AAR	Route One, San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway		California	Scenic Drive along the Pacific coast	June 13, 2002 (AAR)
NSB	Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway		Georgia	Winds through the southern Appalachians	June 15, 2000
AAR	San Juan Skyway	100px	Colorado	Loop through the San Juan Mountains	September 19, 1996 (AAR)
NSB	Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway		Colorado, New Mexico	Follows a historic trade route through scenic mountains and plains	June 9, 1998
NSB	Savannah River Scenic Byway		South Carolina	Scenic drive along the Savannah River	June 9, 1998
NSB	Schoodic Scenic Byway		Maine	Unspoiled coastline through the "quiet side" of Acadia National Park	June 15, 2000
NSB	Seaway Trail		New York, Pennsylvania	Scenic drive along the shores of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River	September 19, 1996 (New York) September 22, 2005 (Pennsylvania)
AAR	Selma to Montgomery March Byway		Alabama	Route of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March led by Martin Luther King, Jr.	September 19, 1996 (AAR)
AAR	Seward Highway	100px	Alaska	Scenic drive through mountains and fjords	June 9, 1998 (NSB) June 15, 2000 (AAR)
NSB	Sky Island Scenic Byway		Arizona	Climb from the desert to forests with great biological diversity	September 22, 2005
NSB	Skyline Drive		Virginia	Scenic drive through Shenandoah National Park	September 22, 2005
NSB	Sheyenne River Valley Scenic Byway		North Dakota	Historic drive through a scenic valley	June 13, 2002
NSB	Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike		West Virginia	Historic drive through West Virginia forests	September 22, 2005
NSB	Stevens Pass Greenway		Washington	Scenic drive across the Cascades	September 22, 2005
NSB	Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway - SR 112	100px	Washington	Follows the shoreline of northwestern Washington	June 15, 2000
NSB	Talimena Scenic Drive		Arkansas, Oklahoma	Crest drive along some of the highest ridges between the Appalachians and Rockies	September 22, 2005
NSB	Talladega Scenic Drive		Alabama	Scenic drive through the southernmost extension of the Appalachian Mountains	June 9, 1998
NSB	Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway		Florida	Traverses the Florida Everglades	June 15, 2000
NSB	Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road		California	High mountain pass through Yosemite National Park	September 19, 1996
NSB	Top of the Rockies		Colorado	Scenic drive through the Rockies near Leadville	June 9, 1998
NSB	Trail of the Ancients		Colorado, Utah	Scenic drive through the Native American history of the Four Corners region	September 22, 2005
NSB	Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway		New Mexico	Scenic drive through the mountains of southwestern New Mexico	September 22, 2005
AAR	Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road		Colorado	America's highest continuously paved road	September 19, 1996 (AAR)
NSB	Turquoise Trail		New Mexico	Back road between Albuquerque and Santa Fe	June 15, 2000
NSB	Utah's Patchwork Parkway		Utah	Scenic drive through Cedar Breaks National Monument	October 16, 2009
AAR	Utah's Scenic Byway 12 - A Journey Through Time		Utah	Scenic drive through canyons, plateaus, and valleys	June 13, 2002 (AAR)
AAR	Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway		California, Oregon	Scenic drive through the Cascade Volcanic Arc	June 9, 1998 (AAR, Oregon) June 13, 2002 (AAR, California)
NSB	Washington Heritage Trail		West Virginia	Scenic and historic drive through West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle	June 15, 2000
NSB	West Cascades Scenic Byway		Oregon	Follows the west side of the Cascades	June 15, 2000
NSB	Western Heritage Historic Byway		Idaho	Scenic drive to the Snake River Canyon	September 22, 2005
NSB	Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway		Kansas	Scenic drive through wetlands of central Kansas	September 22, 2005
NSB	White Mountain Trail		New Hampshire	Passes through the White Mountains and past Mount Washington	June 9, 1998
NSB	Wilderness Road Heritage Highway		Kentucky	Follows Daniel Boone's historic entrance to the valleys of Kentucky	June 13, 2002
NSB	Wichita Mountains Byway		Oklahoma	Guides drivers through the protected valleys of the 550 million-year-old Wichita Mountains	2007
AAR	Woodward Avenue		Michigan	Connects automobile-related historic sites of the "Motor City"	June 13, 2002

See also

• Scenic byways in the United States
• State wildlife trails

External links

• America's Byways, official National Scenic Byways website from the Federal Highway Administration