Red River Gorge National Scenic Byway:
Take a journey through
magnificent natural wonders on the Red  River
Gorge Scenic Byway. From the historic Nada Tunnel to the end of
the Byway in Zachariah, KY, discover over 100 hundred stone
arches, waterfalls, and plenty of natural beauty. Carved over
eons by the Red River, today's Gorge is now THE site for outdoor
adventures, such as canoeing, rock climbing, and kayaking. This
byway includes: Powell, Wolfe and Menifee counties.
Quick Facts-Length 46 miles *allow at least 5 hours to tour this
Byway.
Country Music Highway National
Scenic Byway:
Running almost the entire
length of Eastern Kentucky, Country Music Highway is a Byway
devoted to the rich heritage and history of the region. You will
be immersed in the traditions of Eastern Kentucky mountain
music, since this Byway has been home to over a dozen well-known
country music stars, including Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Naomi
Judd, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley,
Dwight Yoakam, and Patty Loveless. In addition to these
performers, the National Heritage Fellowship recipient Morgan
Sexton, Lee Sexton, Roscoe Halcomb, and Jeanne Ritchie all hail
from areas along the Country Music Highway. This Byway includes
Johnson, Floyd, Lawrence, Pike, Letcher, Boyd and Greenup
counties.
Quick Facts-Length 144.1 miles * allow 2 days to tour this
Byway.
Wilderness Road Heritage
Highway National Scenic Byway:
Wilderness Road Heritage
Highway is a Byway of many beginnings.  The
Byway begins in historic Cumberland Gap National Historic Park.
It was here that pioneers in the 1750's began to explore the
unknown wilderness of Kentucky. This access allowed many others
to follow, subsequently opening the door for pioneers to settle
in Kentucky, and later, in the West.
This Byway is also home to the Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic
Site. Dr. Walker was the first pioneer to find the Cumberland
Gap and then to explore Kentucky. Camp Wildcat, the site of the
first Civil War battle in Kentucky, is located along the
Wilderness Road Heritage Highway as well. Berea College, founded
by Cassius Clay, was the first racially integrated utopian
communities in the country. This Byway includes Bell, Knox,
Rockcastle, Laurel and Madison counties.
Quick Facts-Length 93.8 miles *Plan for 2 days to tour this
Byway
Cumberland Cultural Heritage
Highway State Scenic Byway:
Traveling the Cumberland
Cultural Heritage Highway is one
way to experience life away from the hustle and bustle of urban
areas. Rural landscapes, small towns, abundant lakes and rivers,
and significant historical sites combine to make this Byway and
important part of Kentucky's Byway system. Recreational
opportunities are never far away on the Cumberland Cultural
Highway. This Byway is made up of different routes in Southern
Kentucky. This byway includes Adair, Boyle, Casey, Clinton,
Cumberland, Green, Lincoln, McCreary, Metcalfe, Pulaski,
Russell, and Wayne counties
Quick Facts-Length 197.5 miles *It will take approximately 3
days to tour this Byway.
Byway
Blasts!!
RED ALERT: April Means Redbuds in Southern and Eastern Kentucky
Spring
blooms bright pink in Southern and Eastern Kentucky! Redbuds
make April one of the best times to experience the beauty of
Kentucky. April is official Redbud Month in Southern and Eastern
Kentucky, a 46-county region bursting with blooms along its
three National Scenic Byways and the Cumberland Cultural
Heritage Highway State Scenic Byway. Already known for scenic
drives and concentration of cultural and historical attractions,
these four routes are also possibly the best opportunity for
redbud viewing in Kentucky. In the spirit of conservation and in
celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day, April 22 and 28,
respectively, residents, civic groups, and elementary school
children have planted an additional 100,000 trees in the last
two years. This joint initiative between SEKTDA and America's
Byways promises to boost the natural beauty of the region while
encouraging redbud aficionados to visit the area.
"Southern
and Eastern Kentucky is blessed with an abundance of natural
beauty. People who live here appreciate that beauty and want to
do their part to preserve, enhance, and celebrate it. There are
a million unfound treasures in this part of the world that we
get to enjoy every day. It seems almost unfair not to share
them," Vicki Kidd, Executive Director of the Southern and
Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association said. From
March 23-April 30, cities and counties throughout the region
will celebrate the blooming of the redbuds with festivals
–music, quilts, antiques, even mushrooms – there is
certainly something for everyone. For more information on the
Redbud Trails Program please contact Jeff Crowe, Scenic Byways
Director at 606-677-6095 or jcrowe@tourseky.com
Gazebos
Galore!!
SEKTDA
recently contracted with JFB Enterprises, Middlesboro, Kentucky
to build, deliver and set-up twenty-nine outdoor gazebo
structures in each of the byway counties in Southern and Eastern
Kentucky. These structures are a classic 12 ’x 12’
gazebo that will house three informational panels. The
panels will offer a byway overview, byway maps and brochures on
the region. As of March 9, 2006, over one-half of
the gazebos are in place. All structures will be completed and
delivered by summer 2006. Be sure to look for these structures
as you travel our beautiful byways. For more information,
please contact jcrowe@tourseky.com
Blooms,
Tunes, and Beauty
Spring
blooms and beautiful scenic drives is what inspired the upcoming
spring festival packages for the scenic byway program.
Beginning in late March 06, when the Redbud trees begin to open
their beautiful pinkish blooms along our roadways, SEKTDA will
promote and support numerous festivals in the region.
These festivals will be marketed as a visitor enticement to the
area. If you would like to know more about the
festival package dates and locations, or just want to be a part
of this exciting program, please contact jcrowe@tourseky.comm
Interpreting
the byways for a unified work plan
In
October 2005, SEKTDA hired a firm, Whiteman Consulting, from
Colorado, to complete the byway’s corridor management plan.
This project will create a single corridor management plan for
the region’s four byways. It will draw from existing
corridor plans for the Red River Gorge, Country Music Highway
and the Wilderness Road while also incorporating the Cumberland
Cultural Byway. The product will be a document that can guide
future funding and priorities of the SEKTDA byway system and
will describe the desired future for the region’s byways. The
next step for the SEKTDA scenic byways is to prepare four
interpretive plans. The purpose of this project will be to
prepare individual interpretive plans for the four byways in the
SEKTDA region. These plans will define the themes and
stories for each byway as well as identify the best interpretive
media to use along each byway. The scheduled completion
date is June 2006. If you would like additional information on
these projects, please email jcrowe@tourseky.com
Let
us lead your way
Beginning
in 2005, as you travel Southern and Eastern Kentucky's Scenic
Byways you will begin to see wayside exhibits placed at
important sites along the route. A wayside exhibit offers
information, facts and detailed maps about the area you are
visiting. These will be placed at fifty-eight pertinent
locations along the routes. A template design was created by
Williams-McBride Designs of Lexington, Kentucky to be used for
every informational panel to maintain a consistent look
throughout the region. Mudpuppy and Waterdog, a wayside
exhibit fabrication company, was contracted to complete the
framework and delivery. These exhibits will be completed
June 2006. If you would like additional information
on these projects, please email jcrowe@tourseky.com
Get
Lost! Along Southern and Eastern Kentucky's Scenic Byways
Be
sure to get your copy of the “Get Lost! Along the Scenic
Byways in Southern and Eastern Kentucky” brochure. This
76-page brochure highlights the history, culture and outdoor
recreation along the byway routes. To receive your free
copy, Dial 5-1-1 and choose the live tourism option.
NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAYS
RESOURCE CENTER
The National
Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a
grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize,
preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United
States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has
provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated
byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of
Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or
National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological,
cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.
www.byways.org
800-429-9297
The
Resource Center is the place to go for information and help on
everything from organization, marketing, funding advice to
networking. The Resource Center can help by:
-
Offering specific information, expertise and connections on a
variety of subjects that concern byways
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Conducting and sharing research and case studies
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Establishing a network of experts on a variety of subjects from
organizing fundraisers to developing and implementing
interpretive plans
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Providing training and education resources
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Facilitating communication so everyone can benefit from each
others expertise and experience
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Providing resources from the National Clearinghouse Library
Through the National Scenic
Byway website, byway teams have access to:
- A catalog of byway-related publications
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Past and present copies of Vistas, the program newsletter
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View press releases relating to scenic byways
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Search the online library for byway related-documents
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View an extensive collection of images and multimedia documents,
byway photos, logos signs and more
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