Louisiana Scenic Byways
Louisiana Scenic Byways marker
Highway marker for Louisiana Scenic Byways
System information
Maintained by La DOTD
Length3,144 mi[3] (5,060 km)
Formed1993;[1] reorganized 2010[2]
Highway names
InterstatesInterstate nn (I-nn)
US HighwaysU.S. Highway nn (US nn)
StateLouisiana Highway nn (LA nn)
System links
  • Louisiana State Highway System

The Louisiana Scenic Byways are a network of roadways within the U.S. state of Louisiana that have been deemed of cultural, historical, or scenic value. The routes follow various segments of the state-maintained highway system, usually rural in character, and are mostly located in the central and southern areas of the state.

List

There are currently 18 routes that are active members of the Louisiana Scenic Byways program, following its reorganization in 2010.

Name Length (mi)[3] Length (km) Date Description
Bayou Teche Byway 184 296 1995 Travels alongside Bayou Teche from Morgan City to Arnaudville; includes west and east bank routes with an additional loop through the Catahoula area; component highways include LA 31 and LA 182
Boom or Bust Byway 136 219 2011 Travels primarily along LA 2 from the Texas state line to Lisbon with a loop at either end; highlights several small towns that once prospered in the oil/gas and lumber industries
Cajun Corridor 34 55 Linear route along LA 14 from Gueydan through Abbeville to Delcambre; highlights Cajun cuisine
Cane River National Heritage Trail 71 114 Linear route (with occasional spurs) along the Cane River via LA 1, LA 119, and LA 494 from Lena to Natchitoches; and LA 6 and LA 485 to Allen
Creole Nature Trail 207 333 1975 Louisiana's only All-American Road, highlighting the diverse wildlife in the marshes and prairies of coastal Cameron Parish and the Lake Charles area; includes portions of LA 27 and LA 82
Historic US 80 / Dixie Overland 113 182 Linear route along US 80 from Ruston through Monroe to the Mississippi River opposite Vicksburg, Mississippi
Flyway Byway 55 89 2014 Circular tour through Jefferson Davis Parish through Welsh, Jennings, and Lake Arthur; includes portions of US 90, LA 14, LA 26, and LA 99
Longleaf Trail Byway 17 27 1989 Linear route on Forest Highway 59 through the Kisatchie National Forest between LA 117 and LA 119
Louisiana Colonial Trails 484 779 Complex network of roadways across central Louisiana including portions of the Old San Antonio Road and El Camino Real; component highways include US 84, LA 6, and LA 8
Great River Road 772 1,242 1965 Louisiana's portion of this National Scenic Byway parallels the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arkansas state line
Myths and Legends Byway 181 291 2012 Network of roads primarily in Beauregard and Allen parishes, passing through former Atakapa and Coushatta Indian lands and old sawmill towns
Northup Trail 123 198 2014 Places associated with Solomon Northup and Twelve Years a Slave; includes US 71 between Bunkie and Marksville
San Bernardo Byway 35 56 1996 Generally linear route along LA 46 that highlights the multinational history of St. Bernard Parish
Southern Swamps Byway 69 111 Traverses the Maurepas and Manchac swampland along Old US 51 and LA 22
Toledo Bend Forest Scenic Byway 78 126 1995 Follows LA 191 along the Toledo Bend Reservoir, the largest man-made lake in the southern United States
Tunica Trace Byway 20 32 1995 Follows LA 66 from US 61 to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola
Wetlands Cultural Byway 282 454 Network of roads through the bayous and wetlands of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes
Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway 283 455 Network of roads through the Acadiana region of Louisiana, highlights the area's abundance of Zydeco music and festivals

Creole Nature Trail

Creole Nature Trail route marker.

The Creole Nature Trail is an All-American Road that is designated primarily along stretches of LA 27 and LA 82 in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes, located in the southwestern corner of the state. Like most of Louisiana's Scenic Byways, it does not follow a linear route but instead consists of a network of existing state-maintained highways. The trail spans a total of 180 miles (290 km) through a remote area sometimes referred to as "Louisiana's Outback." The surroundings range from marshland and prairie to sandy beaches and contain a wide variety of wildlife, including alligators, birds, butterflies, and fish. Four wildlife refuges are located along the route.[4]

References

  1. ^ "LA.'s Scenic Byways to Open With a Bang". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. November 7, 1993. p. 12H1.
  2. ^ Houser, Angela (June 12, 2008). "Scenic Highway Designation May Be Lost - In Beauregard". American Press. Lake Charles. p. B5.
  3. ^ a b "Louisiana Byways". Louisiana Scenic Byways. 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Creole Nature Trail All-American Road". Louisiana Scenic Byways. 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.

External links

Louisiana Highway System
Scenic highway systems in the United States
Categories