There’s nothing quite like packing up your car or recreation vehicle and heading out onto the open road. With over four million miles of roads crisscrossing the country, how do you choose where to travel?
In much the same way Congress set aside lands to be protected as national parks, the Department of Transportation has designated a network of spectacular drives that are protected as part of America’s Byways collection. Currently, the collection contains 184 National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads in 48 states. To become part of America’s Byways collection, a road must-have features that don’t exist anywhere else in the United States and be unique and important enough to be destinations unto themselves.
Without further ado, here are 10 of the most scenic and culturally significant byways in America for your winter road trip adventure.
Creole Nature Trail All-American Road
Designation: All-American Road (1996/2002)
Intrinsic Qualities: Cultural, Natural
Location: Louisiana
Length: 180 miles
Alligators, over 400 bird species, marshlands teeming with life, 26 miles of natural Gulf of Mexico beaches, fishing, crabbing, Cajun culture, and more can be experienced as you travel along the 180-mile Creole Nature Trail All-American Road. Affectionately known as Louisiana’s Outback, the Creole Nature Trail is a journey into one of America’s “Last Great Wildernesses.” Download the free personal tour app (search “creole” in your app store.) Once on the trail, open the app and make sure your location is enabled. It’s like having a personal tour guide in the vehicle with you!
Related: Introducing New Scenic Byways and All-American Roads
Scenic Highway 30A
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2021)
Intrinsic Qualities: Natural
Location: Florida
Length: 18 miles
Scenic Highway 30A has many unique features including 15 rare coastal dune lakes, the historic beach town of Grayton Beach, charming Seaside, and access to three state parks and a state forest. Meandering along an 18-mile stretch of Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, the road is naturally scenic by nature. It runs along soft white sand beaches, over coastal dune lakes, through quaint beachside towns with pastel cottages, and through large swaths of natural lands.
Ashley River Road
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2000)
Intrinsic Qualities: Historic
Location: South Carolina
Length: 11 miles
Discover the history of European and African settlement, commerce, and industry from colonial times to the present by traveling along the Ashley River Road, the oldest road still in use in South Carolina. This corridor is particularly significant to the area because it demonstrates the first colonial efforts to develop and maintain roads and waterways for public benefit. Along the way, visitors will have the opportunity to explore historic sites such as St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Drayton Hall, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and Middleton Place.
Related: Take the Exit Ramp to Adventure & Scenic Drives
Sky Island Parkway National Scenic Byway (Catalina Highway)
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2005)
Intrinsic Qualities: Natural
Location: Arizona
Length: 27.2 miles
The journey starts among giant saguaro cacti of the Sonoran Desert and climbs to shady conifer forests at nearly 9,000 feet passing biological diversity equivalent to a drive from Mexico to Canada in just 27 miles. Spectacular views and recreational opportunities abound -from hiking and camping to picnicking and skiing.
Edisto Island National Scenic Byway
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2009)
Intrinsic Qualities: Scenic
Location: South Carolina
Length: 17 miles
The Edisto Island National Scenic Byway is known for its views of natural beauty. One of the hallmarks of the byway experience here is traveling under the Spanish-moss-draped live oak canopy and past multiple pristine waterways that meander throughout the island offering expansive views of marsh and seabirds feeding on their shores. And when the Byway terminates at the Atlantic Ocean/Edisto Beach, it’s clear to the traveler that Edisto Island is a very special protected place—it’s like visiting the South Carolina Lowcountry of half a century ago.
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2009)
Intrinsic Qualities: Scenic
Location: Alabama
Length: 130 miles
Beautiful beaches, authentic downtowns, wildlife preserves, historic sites, and the freshest seafood you’ll ever put in your mouth are all yours to enjoy on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Visit the Coastal Connection to take in the natural beauty and experience all there is to see and do. Historic Forts Gaines and Morgan stand united around the mouth of Mobile Bay. The Dauphin Island Audubon Sanctuary, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, and Gulf State Park provide more than 12,000 acres of protected lands along the coast. Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge boasts habitats including beaches and sand dunes, salt and freshwater marshes, scrub forests, freshwater swamps, and uplands.
Related: Life is a Byway: The Roads Less Traveled
Zion Scenic Byway
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2021)
Intrinsic Qualities: Scenic
Location: Utah
Length: 54 miles
The Virgin River runs alongside the Byway and offers opportunities for recreation as well as important riparian habitat for wildlife. Hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, and river tubing provide recreation options for every ability and interest. Highway 9 is the major road providing access to Zion National Park. It winds past the park visitor center and museum, and past many famous Zion landmarks. It provides access to Zion Canyon (accessible by shuttle only during the tourist season) and then goes through the park’s mile-long tunnel. It cuts through the park’s Checkerboard Mesa area and then ends at Highway 89 at Mt Carmel Junction.
Bayou Teche National Scenic Byway
Designation: National Scenic Byway (2021)
Intrinsic Qualities: Cultural
Location: Louisiana
Length: 183 miles
Located along the Bayou Teche National Water and Paddle Trail in the heart of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, the byway is home to an incredibly beautiful natural landscape and winds through three parishes, St. Martin, Iberia, and St. Mary, along LA-182 and LA-31. With an authentic, walk-able oil rig; stately historic homes; swamp and paddle tours; and tasty Cajun fare, the scenic self-guided tour has something for everyone from the history buff to the avid outdoorsman.
Related: America’s 10 Best Scenic Byways for a Fall Road Trip
Designation: All-American Road (2005)
Intrinsic Qualities: Scenic, Recreation
Location: Arizona
Length: 8 miles
Winding through Sedona’s Red Rock Country, this route is often called a “museum without walls.” The byway winds through the evergreen covered Coconino National Forest and past two famous and beautiful vortexes—Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock. Stop at the several scenic pullouts for great views and enjoy the prehistoric Red Rocks with nearby parking (RV friendly). There are all levels of hiking and biking trails.
The high desert power, diversity, and sense of intimacy with nature is amazing. Inhabited for thousands of years, the stunning red rocks are alive with a timeless spirit that captivates and inspires.
A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway
Designation: All-American Road (2002/2021)
Intrinsic Qualities: Recreation, Historic
Location: Florida
Length: 72 miles
Related: Moab’s Scenic Byways
From the northern boundary of St. Johns County, the Byway bisects the seaside luxury and golf mecca known as Ponte Vedra Beach, and weaves through America’s oldest city, St. Augustine; finally ending at the terminus of Flagler County at a seaside park named for a true folk hero, the Gamble Rogers Memorial Park on Flagler Beach, the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway connects State Parks, National Monuments, stunning beaches, nature trails, boating, fishing, preserves, estuaries and all of America’s diverse people.
Worth Pondering…
Our four simple rules: No Interstates, no amusement parks, no five-star accommodations, and no franchise food (two words which do not belong in the same sentence!)
—Loren Eyrich, editor/publisher Two-Lane Roads