Backroads and Byways

As the old
saying goes, it’s better to focus on the journey than the destination, and a
trip along America’s scenic backroads and byways offers you the opportunity
to do just that. Instead of rushing from point A to point B, you can take
your time and make as many stops as you please. Since these roads often
travel through remote areas, be sure to top off your gas tank before you
leave and pack some extra food and water to enjoy along the way. Here are
just a few of the great trips you can take:

COLORADO | West Elk Loop Scenic
Byway 

As the folks at the Colorado Tourism Office like to say, this 200-mile route is shaped
like a lasso that’s been dropped on Colorado’s pristine West Elk Mountains.
This route travels through three mining communities and near four diverse
wilderness areas and it offers opportunities to visit the galleries and
boutiques in Carbondale, the Pioneer Museum in Gunnison and to take in the
Victorian charm of Crested Butte which has been designated by the Colorado
legislature as the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado.” The loop also passes by
the Black Canyon gorge which is located between Montrose and
Gunnison.

NEW MEXICO | Enchanted Circle Scenic
Byway

The name of this byway alone
makes you want to go out and explore it. This 85-mile loop is located in the
northern part of New Mexico and circles around 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak, the
highest point in the state. The route includes Taos Pueblo, the oldest
continuously-occupied residence in New Mexico, as well as a shrine to author
D. H. Lawrence (he’s buried here) and the United States’ first memorial to
Vietnam War veterans, which is located near Angel Fire. You’ll also find
scenery you just might recognize from films like Butch Cassidy and
the Sundance Kid and Easy Rider. You can also
take a 12-mile side trip northwest of Taos to see the Rio Grande Gorge
Bridge.

MISSISSIPPI/ALABAMA/TENNESSEE | Natchez
Trace Parkway 

This 444-mile route
spans from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee and offers plenty of
interesting and scenic stops.  Along the way, you’ll find prehistoric
mounds, historic sites, hiking trails, waterfalls and scenic overlooks. Civil
War buffs may want to visit the Tupelo National Battlefield and Brices Cross
Roads National Battlefield located near Tupelo. As you navigate the Parkway,
you can also gain an appreciation of what it must have been like to travel
the Old Natchez Trace by foot back in the day.

INDIANA | Parke County

Located in central Indiana 75 miles west of Indianapolis, Parke County is billed as “the covered bridge capital of the world” because it contains 31 of these historic structures.
There are five different suggested driving routes that you can take in this
area, and there are other attractions to enjoy along the way, including
museums, antique shops, the Covered Bridge Art Gallery and historic sites
like Bridgeton Mill, which was established in 1823 and continues to offer
stone ground products, snacks and treats. Sweet Potato Pie ice cream, anyone?
Parke County is also home to the Covered Bridge Festival which will take
place on October 13-22 this year.

MAINE | Acadia All-American
Road 

Invest three hours to drive this 40-mile route and you’ll be rewarded
with all kinds of views, from craggy shorelines to granite-capped mountains
and crystal-clear lakes to spruce and fir forests. Other views include the
fishing boats and sailboats in Frenchman’s Bay and the summer “cottages”
built in Bar Harbor by wealthy families that once summered in the area. The
route also offers access to the hiking trails in Acadia National
Park.

Interested in finding more backroads and byways? America’s
Byways is an umbrella term used by the U.S.
Department of Transportation to describe a collection
of 150 diverse
roads designated by the U.S. Secretary of
Transportation as National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads. The program
invites travelers to “come closer to America’s heart and soul.”

Once you’ve decided where you’re headed, go to our
“Find a
Park”  search page to find great
campgrounds to stay at as you head out to explore America’s backroads and
byways. It’s easy to refine your search by the geographic area(s) on your
itinerary. Enjoy the journey!

Photos collected from
Pixabay.com and Pexels.com