Scenic Roads and Rural Development in The U.S.

Automobile travel has been a popular leisure activity in the U.S. since the car was introduced at the turn of the century. The development and designation of scenic roads which enhance the experience has a similarly long history. The U.S., however, lacks a comprehensive federal scenic byways programme. This has resulted in a hodgepodge of federal, state, local, and private scenic road designations. Historically, scenic road designation has been upon guidelines established by engineering and design professionals. Only recently has tourism become a major aspect of scenic road designation. This paper relates the findings of a scenic routes inventory for the Arizona Office of Tourism. The inventory demonstrates two means of generalizing scenic routes: regional and thematic.