Are you located on or near a designated U.S. scenic byway?

The first-ever national day to celebrate scenic byways is TOMORROW, September 22, 2026, and I’m super-excited about it.

The lovely folks at the NSBA (National Scenic Byway Association) became my clients over 10 years ago, and am so grateful for their trust in me and what they have taught me, as an avid traveler and road-tripper, about America’s byways.

Here’s what NSBA Executive Director and dynamo Sharon Strouse says about her organization’s big day:

“National Scenic Byway Day is now our annual reminder that the journey is the destination. These roads connect us to America’s past, present, and future—inviting everyone to explore, connect, and fall in love with this incredible country all over again. Grab your keys, your crew, and go chase those horizons!”

I’ve traveled on designated national scenic byways as varied as the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway in Kansas, the Seward Highway All-American Road in Alaska south of Anchorage, the Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway in Oregon, and the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road in Louisiana.

Don’t overlook those great state-designated byways either, like the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway in Madison County, Iowa (yes, THAT Madison County) or the Rim of the World Scenic Byway in the mountains near Los Angeles, California.

Related post by me for the Perceptive Travel Blog – What Are Scenic Byways and Why Do You Need to See More of Them?

Not every state pays proper attention to their byways or markets them vigorously enough, in my opinion, or even really understands what tremendous tourism assets they are, especially for small towns and rural areas.

Some states don’t have ANY state- or nationally-designated byways, like my own state of Texas (sigh) but at least Texas is starting to set up a byway designation process.

Go to TravelByways.com to see what your state offers.

**  While we’re at it, 2026 is the 100th anniversary of the numbered highway system in the U.S., and I’ll be helping run an NSBA webinar about it tomorrow, Sept 22, at 3 p.m. Eastern, with Bob Cullen from AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.)

—>>  Go here to register for “Bright, Broad Ribbons Across the Nation: Celebrating the U.S. Numbered Highway System’s 100th Birthday”

If you haven’t already, connect with your local Byway Leader or byway point of contact, and see how you can work together to promote your byway along with your destination, attraction, hotel, or tourism partner business.

You’ll be glad you did.

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