Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Journey through Hallowed Ground Byway

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Each two-page document includes information about the state’s scenic byways program, in addition to a listitng and map of all state and national scenic byways within its borders.

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Pennsylvania’s Scenic Byways

Pennsylvania created its own byways program in 2001 with the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The program was created and is managed by the Program Management Committee within PennDOT. Pennsylvania boasts 24 scenic byways, four of which are FHWA national scenic byways. The program’s goal is to support local governments and economic development while also focusing on the protection of scenic land, the preservation of natural resources, and education for tourists and residents in communities along scenic byways.

Key Points

  • Pennsylvania is home to 4 national scenic byways and 20 state and federal agency scenic byways.
  • Byways play a key role in the state’s travel and tourism industry, which in 2024 welcomed 202 million visitors who spent a combined $84 billion, supporting the employment of 500,000 people.
  • The Historic National Road Scenic Byway, built in 1811, is the first major highway in the United States.
  • The national program continues to grow, and in February 2021 the Brandywine Valley Route was designated Pennsylvania’s newest National Scenic Byway.

Pennsylvania Byways

All-American Roads

1. Historic National Road

Federal Agency Highways

2. Longhouse Forest Scenic Byway

National Scenic Byways

3. Great Lakes Seaway
4. Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway
5. Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway

State Scenic Byways

6. Blue Route
7. Bucktail Trail
8. Conestoga Ridge Road
9. Crawford Lakelands
10 Delaware River Valley
11. Exton Pass
12. Gateway to the Endless Mountains
13. Governor Casey Byway
14. Grand View Byway
15. Harriet Tubman Scenic Byway
16. High Plateau – PA 144
17. Kinzua Scenic Byway
18. Lake Wilhelm Byway
19. Laurel Highlands
20. Lebanon Cornwall
21. U.S. Route 202 Parkway
22. U.S. Route 6 Scenic Byway
23. Viaduct Valley Way
24. West Branch Susquehanna River Scenic Byway

Byways Provide Access to Public Lands

Pennsylvania byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including 19 National Parks, 124 State Parks, 4 Wild and Scenic Rivers, 169 National Historic Landmarks, 2 World Heritage Sites, 20 State Forests, and 1 National Forest.

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.