San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Road trip honorees
In addition to the 69-mile Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts, here are the other National Scenic Byways and All-american Roads from the Class of 2021, grouped by traveler interest.
FOR U.S. HISTORY BUFFS Cumberland Historic Byway, Tennessee
Where: Celina to Cumberland Gap
How far: 200 miles
What: Pioneering explorers traversed the northern Cumberland Plateau in search of opportunity to the west — in Tennessee and Kentucky. The Obey and Cumberland rivers supported the rise of Nashville.
Revolutionary Heritage Byway, Rhode Island
Where: Bristol
How far: 5 miles
What: Patriotic Bristol holds one of the country’s oldest Fourth of July celebrations. Year-round, there are centuries-old estates, museums, a state park, gardens, a historic district and a waterfront that upholds sailing traditions.
Boom or Bust Byway, Louisiana Where: Lisbon to Vivian
How far: 137 miles
What: The byway records the highs, lows and comebacks of such industries as oil and gas, lumber and agriculture. Oil City stays true to its name with the Louisiana State Oil and Gas Museum, and casinos offer a personalized boom-or-bust experience.
Other options: A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway, Florida; Battle Road Scenic Byway, Massachusetts; Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway, Pennsylvania; Norris Freeway, Tennessee; Sequatchie Valley Scenic Byway, Tennessee
FOR EPIC ROAD-TRIPPERS California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Scenic Byway, California Where: Needles to Barstow
How far: 178 miles
What: The western leg wriggles through ghost towns, dusty outposts and the Mojave Trails National Monument, which contains the most unadulterated section of Route 66. There are a few places to stop for an Americana fix and pics.
Great River Road National Scenic Byway, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana
Where: Itasca State Park, Minn., to Venice, La.
How far: 565 miles in Minnesota, 242 in Wisconsin, 322 in Iowa, 556 in Illinois, 63 in Kentucky, 186 in Tennessee, 391 in Arkansas, 724 in Louisiana
What: The Mississippi River flows with history, commerce and wildlife. Built in 1938, the road covers 3,000 miles in 10 states.
Lincoln Highway Scenic and Historic Byway, Nebraska, and Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway, Iowa Where: Omaha to Kimball in
Nebraska, Clinton to Council Bluffs in Iowa
How far:
What: Established in 1913, the Lincoln Highway was the country’s first transcontinental road, running from New York City to San Francisco. Nebraska’s only cross-state road shadows the Oregon and Mormon trails and passes by the spring hangout of the sandhill cranes. In Iowa, about 85 percent of the original road still exists.
Other options:
Missouri 400 and 460 miles, respectively
Historic Route 66
FOR THE WATERWAY SEEKERS Scenic Highway 30A, Florida Where: Inlet Beach to Dune Allen
How far: 24 miles
What: The two-lane road rides shotgun to the Gulf of Mexico. There are no cities, only communities with “sea” or “beach” in their names, state parks and long stretches of pearly white sand.
Bold Coast Scenic Byway, Maine Where: Milbridge to Lubec
How far: 125 miles
What: Maine’s longest byway stakes out the Downeast, the area named after the directions sailing ships followed from Boston and New York. The Atlantic spills into the region’s culture, cuisine and landmarks, such as the West Quoddy Head, which sits on the ocean cliffs and receives the first light of day in the Lower 48.
Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway, Wisconsin
Where: Barksdale to Cloverland
How far: 70 miles
What: The road traces the southern shore of Lake Superior and dips a big toe into the Great Lake by way of the Bayfield Peninsula. There are waterfalls at Houghton Falls State Natural Area; two rivers, the Onion and Sioux; and a coastal estuary at Frog Bay Tribal National Park, the country’s first tribal national park.
Other options: River of Lakes Heritage Corridor, Florida; Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway, Indiana; Old King’s Highway, Massachusetts; Door County Coastal Byway, Wisconsin; Katahdin Woods and Waters Scenic Byway, Maine; Palisades Scenic Byway, New Jersey and New York
FOR THE NATURE HUGGERS Pine Barrens Byway, New Jersey Where: Tuckerton to Port Elizabeth
How far: 130 miles
What: The road’s centerpiece is the Pinelands National Reserve, a UNESCO biosphere and home to nearly 40 species of mammals, 300 bird species and 60 reptile and amphibian species.
Old Frankfort Pike Historic and Scenic Byway, Kentucky Where: Lexington to Frankfort
How far: 16.9 miles
What: Kentucky and bluegrass go together like Sea and Biscuit, and the byway has plenty of both — and prizewinning thoroughbreds. A canopy of hardwood trees provides cover, and old limestone walls adorn hills speckled with horse farms.
Silver Thread Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway, Colorado Where: South Fork to Blue Mesa Reservoir
How far: 117 miles
What: The high-altitude route comes by several mountains, including the San Juan Mountains and several “fourteeners,” peaks that exceed 14,000 feet. It also passes national sites such as the Rio Grande National Forest and the Curecanti National Recreation Area, which contains the state’s largest reservoir.
Other options: Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, Maryland; Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, Nebraska; Western Highlands Scenic Byway, New Jersey; Bayshore Heritage Byway, New Jersey; Delaware Bayshore Byway.
FOR NATIONAL PARKS SUPERFANS Newfound Gap Road Byway, North Carolina and Tennessee Where: Cherokee, N.C., to Gatlinburg, Tenn.
How far: 31 miles
What: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park connector saves drivers from having to detour out of the park. It also has brake-worthy points of interest, such as Clingmans Dome Road, which leads to an observation tower at the park’s highest point.
Cascade Loop, Washington Where: Most people start and end near Mukilteo.
How far: 440 miles
What: The Cascade Loop is the papa bear byway to three baby bear byways: the Stevens Pass Greenway, the Whidbey Scenic Isle Way and the North Cascades Scenic Byway. Hiking trails and overlooks can double — or even triple — the travel time along the 28-mile section.
Zion Scenic Byway, Utah Where: La Verkin to the east entrance of Zion National Park
How far: 54 miles
What: Route 9 becomes Zionmount Carmel Highway inside the park. Drivers must pay the $35 entrance fee to motor down the 26-mile stretch that passes by hoodoos, slot canyons and ombrecolored mesas. The Zion-mount Carmel Tunnel is just over a mile long and about two standard cars wide.
Other options: Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, New Mexico
FOR NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE AND MULTICULTURALISM ENTHUSIASTS
Scenic Highway of Legends, Colorado
Where: Trinidad to Walsenburg How far: 82 miles
What: The “legends” refer to several groups — Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors, gold miners, Wild West A-listers like Wyatt Earp — who left a physical, cultural or spiritual mark on the land. The route encompasses the Spanish Peaks, a sacred spot for many tribes, including the Comanche and Ute, who believed that summer thunderstorms were a magic act performed by rain gods living in the summit.
Hocking Hills Scenic Byway, Ohio Where: Rockbridge to Ash Cave in Hocking Hills State Park
How far: 26.4 miles
What: The byway links several Native American sites in the park, including a mound built by the Hopewell, and Ash Cave, which had been filled with campfire residue containing Indigenous artifacts and animal bones. In the 18th century, the Wyandot, Delaware and Shawnee passed through the area and called the river “Hockhocking,” which inspired the park’s name.
St. John Valley Cultural/fish River National Scenic Byway, Maine Where: Dickey to Hamlin/portage to Fort Kent
How far: 92 miles and 37 miles, respectively
What: The St. John Valley byway’s alternate name is Parcours Culturel de la Vallee, a nod to its Acadian roots: The French descendants moved there after the British booted them from eastern Canada.
Other options: Bayou Teche Scenic Byway, Louisiana; Flaming Gorgegreen River Basin Scenic Byway, Wyoming