Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road. – Walt Whitman
America’s Byways offers so many travel options, telling the stories of American culture, history and geology along the way. And did we mention Scenic yet?
National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads are designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In much of 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 the America’s Byways collection.
To become part of this exclusive collection, a road must have: 1) features that don’t exist anywhere else in the United States; and 2) be unique and important enough to be destinations unto themselves.
Qualifying roads must also have one or more of the following six intrinsic qualities:
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- Scenic
- Historic
- Archeological
- Recreational
- Cultural
- Natural
Designated byways in states are most frequently designated by their State Department of Transportation but, can also be designated by federal agencies such as the US Forest Service, NPS, BLM, USACE, US Fish & Wildlife as well as tribal organizations.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu
Discover byway itineraries, multiple points of interest and byway stories for each of the 213 America’s Byways collection – here: travelbyways.com.
For byway leaders who want to update (or correct) the information presented for your byway, you can update the information presented by pressing the “Update this byway information today!” button at the bottom of each byway page. A representative from the National Scenic Byway Foundation will be in touch with you to verify the updated information before it is posted.
Not all those who wander are lost. – J.R.R. Tolkien
For information on how you can get involved and support the America’s Byways collection, visit NSBFoundation.com.
