Georgia
Georgia Byways
Georgia’s Scenic Byways Program is a community-driven effort to preserve and protect scenic corridors throughout the state. Georgia boasts 15 scenic byways, including one national and 14 state byways. Funding for the byways has come from both the federal and state programs as well as many private foundations across the state. Georgia’s byways provide access to state parks, public lands, and other places of visual beauty, supporting local economies that depend on the travel and tourism industry.
Key Points
- There are 15 scenic byways in Georgia, including one national and 14 state byways.
- In 2019, visitors to Georgia spent over $38.9 billion in the state for a total economic impact of $68.96 billion.
- A 2018 study found an imbalanced distribution of Scenic Byways in Georgia especially in the Southwest, Southeast and Northeast corner of the state, encouraging the further designation of roads in the locales.
Georgia Byways
Map Key:
- National Scenic Byways
- State Scenic Byways
National Scenic Byways
State Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
Georgia byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including 53 state parks, two national forests, one national historic site, 15 state historic sites, and one national recreational area.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.