Sandia Crest Road

Posted on September 17, 2015 by siteadmin

Sandia Crest Road is about 23 miles northeast of downtown Albuquerque in central New Mexico. It begins at the intersection of NM 14 and NM 536. The byway heads west across Cibola National Forest and ends near the summit of Sandia Peak. Sandia Crest Road follows NM 536 for 11 miles. The highway is a two-lane paved road suitable for all vehicles; there are some sharp curves. Travelers will need to retrace the route back to NM 165 or NM 14. The highway is usually passable year-round. Winter driving conditions can be hazardous, especially in higher elevations. Chains or snow tires are sometimes required.

Sandia Crest Road climbs nearly 4,000 feet as it travels through the high desert and dense forests of the Sandia Mountains. The byway switchbacks up the mountain to 10,678-foot Sandia Crest where observation platforms provide spectacular panoramic views. Come nightfall, visitors are treated to a beautiful display of Albuquerque’s twinkling city lights.

The Sandia Mountains are home to a variety of wildlife. Careful observers may see mule deer, golden eagles, or bighorn sheep. Mountain lions, bobcats, and black bear also inhabit the area but are rarely seen.

Trailheads along the byway provide access to the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. This 37,232-acre mountain wilderness offers excellent opportunities for hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding. Crest Trail is a 28-mile hiking trail following the mountain ridgeline from Tijeras Canyon to Placitas.

Many picnic areas along the byway provide a good spot for relaxing a bit and enjoying a lunch or early dinner. No public campgrounds have been developed along the byway, nor is car camping permitted. The nearest public campground is found in Coronado State Park, approximately 20 miles west of the byway. It has 25 campsites, many with electric hookups. Facilities also include showers, drinking water, picnic areas, and a dump station.

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Sky Island

Posted on September 16, 2015 by siteadmin

The Sky Island Scenic Byway is located in southern Arizona. The byway begins near the eastern city limits of Tucson and travels north to Summerhaven. Sky Island is reached from I-10 by following Grant Road east to the Catalina Highway.

Sky Island is 30 miles long and follows Catalina Highway through Coronado National Forest. Catalina Highway is also known as General Hitchcock Highway or Mount Lemmon Highway. The byway officially terminates near the village of Summerhaven. Catalina Highway is a two-lane paved road. It twists and turns as it climbs in elevation, with turns becoming more severe as elevation increases. The byway is usually open all year.

The Santa Catalina Mountains rise from the Sonoran desert at an elevation of 2,500 feet, to a mixed conifer forest above 9,000 feet. Travelers begin their journey in the Sonoran desert scrub, dotted with mesquite and palo verde trees in low lying areas and cacti braced upon the steep rocky mountain side and canyon walls. As you climb into the mountains, the desert gives way to oak and cypress trees. Farther into the mountains, you enter a forest of juniper, mixed conifers, and ponderosa pine. Portions of the forest are preserved in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness.

Nearly three miles from the forest boundary, visitors reach the first vista point, Babat Duag, Tohono O’odham for “frog mountain.” From here you can gaze upon the Tucson Basin and the many mountain peaks that rise sharply above the desert floor. This vista point is popular with visitors in the evening that watch the sun set behind the Tucson Mountains.

Coronado National Forest has many developed recreation areas for camping and picnicking. The first campground you come to is Molino Basin, which has nearly 50 RV and tent sites. Hikers can access the Arizona Trail from this area. General Hitchcock campground is nestled in the oak woodlands of the upper reaches of Bear Canyon and has 13 tent sites. Rose Canyon is a popular recreation area with a 74-site campground and seven-acre lake that is stocked with trout. Molino Basin and Rose Canyon campgrounds have an RV length limit of 22 feet.

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Buckhorn

Posted on September 16, 2015 by siteadmin

The Buckhorn scenic drive is in northeast California about 50 miles northeast of Susanville. It begins east of Ravendale on Lassen County Road 526. The byway follows Buckhorn Road for 31 miles and ends in Nevada at the junction with NV 447, northeast of Gerlach. Buckhorn Road is a single-lane gravel road that can safely be driven in a two-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle. The byway travels across some fairly remote country. Other vehicles may not pass through for one or two days; be prepared for any road emergencies. The byway is usually passable from mid-May through mid-November. Snow closes the road in winter; heavy rain can also cause the byway to become impassable.

Buckhorn Back Country Byway travels across the primitive expanses of the Great Basin Plateau through sagebrush-covered hills and stands of aspen, mountain mahogany, and juniper. Small herds of wild horses can occasionally be seen roaming the open range. More commonly seen, however, are pronghorn antelope and mule deer. Coyotes also inhabit the area, but are usually heard rather than seen. Two intermittent dry lakes provide habitat for ducks, geese and other waterfowl during spring.

There are no developed campgrounds along the byway, however, the BLM permits overnight camping nearly anywhere on BLM-administered lands. To the north of the byway is Modoc National Forest where camping facilities may be found.

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Saline Valley

Posted on September 14, 2015 by siteadmin

Saline Valley scenic byway is located in east-central California, near the Nevada border. Southern access is southeast of Keeler off CA 190. The byway travels north to the junction of Owens Valley to Death Valley scenic byway. Saline Valley is 82 miles long and follows Saline Valley Road, which is mostly a county-maintained graded dirt road. Ten miles of the byway are paved. The road is subject to temporary closure after periods of heavy rain, otherwise it is generally open year-round. A two-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle is required to safely travel the route.

Saline Valley Back Country Byway offers sweeping vistas of the Panamint and Saline valleys as it crosses the remote desert. Views of the Inyo Mountains dominate the landscape, as they reach heights of 10,000 feet above the valley floor.

Remnants of the Saline Valley Salt Works and tram are visible from the byway. Operating between 1911 and 1913, it was once the steepest tramway in the United States. It rises from 1,100 feet to 8,500 feet at Inyo Crest and then drops 3,600 feet at Swansea in Owens Valley. The area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Saline Valley Warm Springs is a BLM special management area that provides warm spring bathing and camping. The area is located six miles east of Saline Valley Road.

Death Valley National Park is east of the byway. Side roads provide access to the park where the lowest point in the western hemisphere resides. The national park also offers camping facilities and interesting sights to visit.

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Creole Nature Trail

Posted on September 14, 2015 by siteadmin

Creole Nature Trail is located in the Cajun country of Louisiana’s southwest. It forms an open loop from Lake Charles to Sulphur with a western spur road to the Texas state line and an eastern road to the Vermilion parish line. The byway follows LA 27, LA 82, LA 834, and LA 385; all are two-lane paved roads. Creole Nature Trail is open year-round and is 180 miles long.

Visitors to the Creole Nature Trail can begin their journey in Sulphur, just north of Interstate 10. From here, the byway travels south through the marshlands of southern Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes to Holly Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. From Holly Beach, the byway continues east along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico through the town of Cameron to Creole. From Creole, you can continue driving north to the byway’s end in Lake Charles. You also have the option of driving west from Holly Beach to the Texas state line or east from Creole to the byway’s end at the Vermilion parish line.

The Creole Nature Trail travels near four national wildlife refuges. The first encountered traveling south from Sulphur is the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge provides over 124,000 acres of marshland for migrating waterfowl in addition to recreational opportunities for the byway traveler. A 1.5-mile trail here provides excellent opportunities for viewing the wildlife, including alligators. Over 150 miles of canals, bayous, and waterways are open to the public for boating and fishing.

The Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge plays host to ducks, geese, herons, egrets, and the endangered peregrine falcon. A boardwalk here overlooks the marsh. The Rockefeller and Lacassine NWR offer a total of nearly 117,000 acres of marshland. The Rockefeller NWR is open to the public from March 1 through December 1 for the purpose of sight-seeing and sport fishing. Lacassine NWR is primarily a freshwater marshland with a variety of wildlife including alligator, coyote, mink, muskrat, and white-tailed deer.

Camping and picnicking facilities may be found in the Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles. The park offers 73 RV and tent campsites, some with electrical hookups. The park also has 12 cabins available for rent.

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