Mountains to Sound Greenway

Posted on May 10, 2015 by siteadmin

Mountains to Sound Greenway is in west-central Washington. It follows I-90 between Eastgate, which is just east of Seattle, and Ellensburg. The byway is about 100 miles long and remains open year-round. Use of chains or snow tires are generally required in winter over Snoqualmie Pass.

Mountains to Sound Greenway takes the traveler from Puget Sound to the forested mountains of Wenatchee and Snoqualmie National Forests. It crosses 3,022-foot Snoqualmie Pass, travels alongside beautiful mountain lakes, and provides access to abundant outdoor recreation possibilities. Although it follows the Interstate, several exits provide access to the national forests and opportunities for camping, picnicking, fishing, and hiking.

There are three national forest campgrounds and one state park located a short distance off the byway. Tinkham, Denny Creek, and Crystal Springs are national forest campgrounds. They are generally open May through September and have an RV length limit of 22 feet. Hookups are not provided at any of the national forest campgrounds. Tinkham has 48 RV and tent sites; Denny Creek has 33; Crystal Springs has 25 sites. Lake Easton State Park is near the town of Easton. It has 45 campsites with complete hookups and 92 without. The park provides access to nearly 40 miles of trails for hiking, backpacking, and cross-country skiing in winter.

Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area lies north of the byway. It preserves 394,000 acres of Cascade Mountain wilderness and contains nearly 700 small mountain lakes. Hikers and backpackers will find over 600 miles of trails running through the area, including the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Byway travelers can exit I-90 at either Exit #80 or Exit #84 and travel north through Roslyn to the road’s end at the wilderness boundary. Numerous national forest campgrounds are located along this side trip, which follows Cle Elum Valley Road.

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Scenic Highway

Posted on May 9, 2015 by siteadmin

Scenic Highway is in north-central Minnesota about 20 miles east of Bemidji. The byway’s northern terminus is near Blackduck on US 71. It travels south across the Chippewa National Forest and Leech Lake Indian Reservation to the junction with US 2. Scenic Highway is 12 miles long and follows Beltrami County Road 39 and Cass County Road 10. Both are two-lane paved roads safe for travel by all types of vehicles. Delays are possible during winter, otherwise the byway remains open all year.

Scenic Highway crosses the Chippewa National Forest through mixed stands of hardwood trees, evergreens, and wetlands. The southern portion of the byway travels adjacent to the shores of Cass Lake. Beautiful fall colors decorate the byway with colors of orange, red, and gold. White-tailed deer can sometimes be seen from the byway foraging among the open wetlands. These areas are also good locations for spotting a great blue heron or two.

Cass Lake is a large lake on the west side of the byway with numerous opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. When Lewis Cass explored this area, he thought he had discovered the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Located near the dam and along the river are several archaeological sites where artifacts of historic significance have been discovered.

Near Benjamin Lake Recreation Area is the Camp Rabideau Historic Site. This Civilian Conservation Corps camp was built in 1935 to house the men that constructed fire towers, bridges, roads, and trails in the area. Four of the camp’s 15 buildings have been restored and are open to the public for touring during the summer.

There are several national forest campgrounds surrounding Cass Lake with a total of 227 campsites. Facilities vary but most provide drinking water, picnic tables, and fire rings. Near the byway’s northern end is the Webster Lake Campground with 24 campsites. To the west of the byway, north of Bemidji is Lake Bemidji State Park. There are 98 campsites available with many having RV hookups. The park also offers miles of hiking, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing trails.

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Ridge and Valley

Posted on May 5, 2015 by siteadmin

Ridge and Valley is in northwest Georgia about 75 miles northwest of Atlanta. It forms a loop drive between Villanow and Armuchee. The byway is 47 miles long and follows a series of roads: US 27, GA 136, GA 156, Armuchee, Thomas Ballenger, Floyd Springs, Johns Creek, Pocket, and Furnace Creek roads. The roads are two-lane paved roads suitable for all vehicles. They usually remain open year-round.

The Ridge and Valley scenic byway crosses Chattahoochee National Forest offering excellent scenery of long parallel ridges with broad valleys situated in between. Two beautiful waterfalls are the highlight of the 218-acre Keown Falls Scenic Area. A short walking trail leads to the scenic waterfalls. Picnic facilities have been constructed for your enjoyment. Nearby is John’s Mountain Overlook, the site of an old fire tower that has since been removed. The spectacular view from the platform looks west as far as Lookout Mountain in Alabama and Tennessee. A three-mile walking trail departs from the overlook, goes to Keown Falls, and returns to the overlook.

Wildlife observers will delight in the many species found in this region of Georgia. White-tailed deer and wild turkey are among some of the wildlife commonly seen. Those interested in extending their stay will find camping and picnicking facilities at the Pocket Recreation Area. This area was once the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps encampment utilized from 1938 to 1942. A three-mile loop trail here will take you deep into the wooded countryside. The campground offers 27 campsites, restrooms, and drinking water.

There are two privately-owned lakes along the byway that are open to the public, Lake Marvin and Lake Arrowhead. The lakes offer good warm water fishing in a beautiful woodland setting.

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Guadalupe

Posted on May 4, 2015 by siteadmin

Guadalupe Back Country Byway is located in southeast New Mexico. It begins about 12 miles north of Carlsbad and travels south to the Lincoln National Forest entrance. Guadalupe follows NM 137, which is a two-lane paved road suitable for all vehicles. The byway is 30 miles long and is open year-round.

Guadalupe ascends nearly 3,000 feet from the Chihuahuan Desert at the beginning of the byway to the Guadalupe Mountains. Opportunities exist for hiking, wildlife viewing, four-wheeling, hunting, and exploring. The area is home to mule deer, pronghorn antelope, hawks and eagles, coyotes, lizards, and rattle snakes. A short side trip from the byway takes you to the scenic Sitting Bull Falls and a picnic area.

Guadalupe Back Country Byway is rich in history. Stone spearheads or dart points have been found in the area that are between 8,000 and 9,000 years old. Various types of pottery have also been found that are associated with the ancient Anasazi Indians. The first ranchers began arriving shortly after the Civil War. West Texas ranchers would also pass through here with their cattle, headed for the railheads in Kansas. Today this area is used for livestock grazing and oil and gas exploration.

Nearby is the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which has more than 70 underground caverns; some are among the largest in the world. In addition to touring the caverns, the national park offers hiking and picnicking opportunities. Camping facilities are in Brantley Lake State Park, located north of the byway. The state park also offers picnicking, fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities.

Travelers along the byway may wish to continue driving through Lincoln National Forest to the Dog Canyon Ranger Station in Guadalupe National Park. The national park contains what is considered to be one of the finest examples of an ancient marine fossil reef in the world. The park is also home to Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet. A small campground is located near the ranger station. Hiking trails that lead to Guadalupe Peak and wilderness camping are also in the area.

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Blue Mountain

Posted on April 30, 2015 by siteadmin

The Blue Mountain byway is in northeast Oregon. It begins east of Arlington at Exit #147 on I-84 and travels southeast to the junction with FSR 73. Blue Mountain is 130 miles long and follows OR 74, FSR 52, and FSR 53. The roads are two-lane paved roads suitable for all types of vehicles. Oregon Highway 74 is generally open year-round; the Forest Service Roads are open May through mid-November.

The Blue Mountain byway begins on the southern bank of the mighty Columbia River and climbs south through rolling grassland alongside the tumbling waters of Willow Creek. The landscape changes dramatically as you climb up the Blue Mountains through forests of pine and fir, separated by valleys and meadows covered with wildflowers. Wildlife observers will want to be looking for white-tailed deer and bighorn sheep. Other wildlife includes mountain lions, black bears, an occasional bald eagle, and numerous species of songbirds.

Historic Oregon Trail crosses the byway near the community of Cecil. In the mid-1800s wagon trains wore deep ruts in the land as more pioneers moved westward. Evidence of the Oregon Trail wagon wheel ruts can be seen near Wells Spring, 13 miles east of Cecil.

Travelers will find plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation. The Ukiah-Dale State Park is situated on the banks of Camas Creek and offers 25 campsites for tents. It also has picnic tables and drinking water. Umatilla National Forest offers numerous campgrounds directly along or a short distance from the byway. Three small campgrounds are near the byway’s eastern terminus. Drift Fence has three sites for tent camping, Big Creek has two. There are five sites suitable for either tents or recreational vehicles at the North Fork John Day Campground. None of the campgrounds have drinking water.

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