Road trips you have to make. Enjoy views along Florida's 27 scenic highways

Cheryl McCloud, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·10 min read

The holidays are coming fast and that usually means plenty of family and friends knocking on our doors to enjoy Florida's weather, and probably hoping to take back home a tail (get it?) or two of iguanas falling from trees.

Whether you're offering suggestions for your visitors or you're thinking about a road trip to see places outside your normal routes, we have some suggestions to get out and enjoy our "fall" temperatures.

So pull out a map, or add some or all of these to your Google Maps, and plan on a few relaxing road trips.

How many scenic highways are there in Florida?

Can't see the maps? View in a new browser.

There are 27 designated Florida Scenic Highways, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

Six have a federal designation of National Scenic Byway, and two have the highest designation as an All-American Road.

What's the difference between a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road?

To earn a designation as a National Scenic Byway, a road must exhibit at least one of the following six qualities, according to Scenic.org. All-American Roads, which are considered the gold standard of scenic byways, must demonstrate at least two qualities.

The qualities considered for the designations are:

  • Scenic

  • Archaeological

  • Cultural

  • Historic

  • Natural

  • Recreational

Two Florida highways receive All-American Road designation

  • A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway: Travel 72 miles along a mostly two-lane road from the northern boundary of St. Johns County, through St. Augustine before ending at a seaside park in Flagler County. The byway connects state parks, national monuments, beaches, nature trails, boating, fishing, preserves, and estuaries. Interactive map.

  • Florida Keys Scenic Highway: The Florida Keys Scenic Highway runs from Mile Marker 110 to Mile Marker 0 in Old Town Key West. The scenic highway corridor also extends five miles into the waters on each side of the highway. The Florida Keys Scenic Highway encompasses all of the Florida Keys, its natural wonders, and its communities. Map.

Six Florida highways listed as National Scenic Byway

  • Big Bend Scenic Byway: The Scenic Byway promises to "transport you to a different time and place through its wildlife, woods, waterways and way of life." There are two distinct choices: the Coastal Trail and the Forest Trail with a variety of activities, facilities, and attractions. The byway travels along two-lane roads through rural communities. Guide to the Big Bend Scenic Byway. Map.

  • Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway: The Florida Black Bear National Scenic Byway is a 120-mile corridor along State Road 40 and State Road 19. This area has preserved the “old,” “wild” Florida with natural recreational lands and waterways. Map.

  • Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway: The Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway along Florida's East Coast "offers travelers an opportunity to witness pristine, fragile ecosystems and glimpses of Florida’s past, along with visions for the future through space exploration." Map.

  • Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail: Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail is a 30-plus mile double loop of roadways showcasing diverse natural scenery along coastal Central Florida. You'll see rivers, creeks, marshes, dunes, and beaches. Time it right and you could see nesting turtles from May through September or watch as right whales migrate along the coast to give birth from December through April. Brochure. Map.

  • River of Lakes Heritage Corridor: The River of Lakes Heritage Corridor "connects travelers to the numerous cities, towns, historic and cultural sites." It "embodies a unique blend of contemporary culture, rich historic preservation, and natural Florida." Map.

  • Scenic Highway 30A: This highway is a 24-mile corridor that hugs the Gulf of Mexico coastline in Northwest Florida’s Walton County. See sugar-white sand beaches and rare coastal dune lakes. Scenic Highway 30A is a popular tourist attraction. Map.

Florida scenic highways in the Florida Panhandle region

Descriptions provided by FDOT's Florida Scenic Highways:

  • Scenic Highway 30A: 24 miles. Scenic Highway 30A hugs the Gulf of Mexico coastline in Northwest Florida’s Walton County. See sugar-white sand beaches and rare coastal dune lakes. Scenic Highway 30A is a major tourist attraction. Map.

  • Big Bend Scenic Highway: 220 miles. “Explore Undiscovered North Florida” on Florida’s Big Bend Scenic Byway where city lights give way to towering pines and blue-green Gulf waters. The “Bend” is where Florida’s Gulf Coast curves westward, sheltering vast seagrass beds, marshes, winding rivers, sugar-sand beaches, deep forests, and crystal springs. Map.

  • Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway: 11 miles. The Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway traverses through miles of wetlands supporting a diversity of flora and fauna ending its northern terminus at tidal wetlands where U.S. 90 bridges the Escambia River. Map.

Florida scenic highways in the Northern Florida region

  • A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway: 72 miles. Designated as an All-American Road. Mostly a two-lane roadway that navigates nature’s beauty, history and serenity. The land and waters on either side of the byway have been part of American history, nature, archaeology and recreation for nearly 500 years. Map.

  • Old Florida Heritage Highway: 45 miles. Old Florida Heritage Highway was the home of Florida’s Pulitzer Prize winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and where she wrote her novel "The Yearling." See forested and pastoral countryside interspersed with smaller lakes, prairies, and rural homesteads and the historic communities of Micanopy, Rochelle, Evinston and Cross Creek. The rural roadside environment of CR 325 and CR 346 offers refuge for the winter migration of sandhill cranes and bald eagle viewing areas. Map.

  • William Bartram Scenic and Historic Highway: 17 miles. The William Bartram Scenic and Historic Highway– State Road 13 – winds its way along the St. Johns River through pine and palmetto barrens, oak hammocks and swamps, often canopied with trees. Map.

  • J.C. Penney Memorial Scenic Highway: 3 miles. The S.R. 16 corridor, gateway to the Town of Penney Farms, traverses a community that is more than a century old and offers a flashback to “small town” America. Much of this 3-mile corridor passes through a beautiful oak and magnolia canopy, most of which dates back to the early 1900s. Map.

  • Heritage Crossroads: Miles of History: 98 miles. The segments of roadway and the communities that comprise this byway embrace the heritage of the people that built this region. Map.

  • A1A Ocean Islands Trail: 39.7 miles. This stretch of beaches and barrier islands on Florida’s Atlantic coast are connected by the Highway A1A. The byway region offers a combination of ecological diversity, colorful history and recreational opportunities. Map.

Florida scenic highways in the Central Florida region

  • Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway: Three miles. Located along a segment of State Road 789, the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway is a greenscaped, pedestrian friendly, waterfront highway corridor with beaches, picnic areas, boat ramps, parking and scenic vistas. Enjoy the natural environment and the island community. Map.

  • Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway: 10 miles. The Courtney Campbell Causeway links the cities of Tampa and Clearwater. The scenic highway running at sea level along Tampa Bay is described as a gorgeous drive for its entire length. Map.

  • Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway: 123 miles. This corridor leads you through a mosaic of natural and recreational sites and communities surrounding the Big Scrub, one of Florida’s most distinctive ecosystems. The Big Scrub, created from ancient sand dunes capped with vegetation adapted to a lack of water is the largest continuous sand pine forest remaining in Florida. Map.

  • Green Mountain Scenic Byway: 45 miles. The Green Mountain Scenic Byway offers visitors small-town experiences along with great recreational opportunities. With its rolling hills and winding roadway, the byway is one of the most popular cycling routes in Florida. Map.

  • Halifax Heritage Byway: 35 miles. The byway’s story focuses on nearly 300 years of history and heritage. It travels through areas that were once home to some of central Florida’s earliest settlements, 1920s boom-time era development, and beachside communities. Map.

  • Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway: 233 miles. The byway passes through some of the rarest and most significant natural communities remaining in coastal Florida. Map.

  • Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail: 34 miles. The Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail traverses some of the most beautiful and diverse natural scenery remaining in all of Northeast Florida. You'l find access to the Atlantic Ocean, North Peninsula, Tomoka and Bulow Creek State Parks. See vast expanses of ocean, backwater tidal creeks and natural Florida scrub vegetation. Map.

  • Palma Sola Scenic Highway: 6 miles. Palma sola means solitary palm, and the solitary palm referred to is an old palm standing near the beach at Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. Sailors have searched the horizon for that palm on Anna Maria Island for many years as a guide into Anna Maria Sound and Palma Sola Bay. The scenic route leads to Anna Maria Island crossing over Palma Sola Bay and the inland waterway. Map.

  • River of Lakes Heritage Corridor: 156 miles. Native Americans referred to the St. Johns River as the Welaka or River of Lakes. Largely undeveloped though the region, the river offers a rare glimpse of how natural, wild Florida looked to the early adventurers. Map.

  • Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway: 62 miles. The Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway traverses farmlands, cattle ranches and horse farms with open fields along with quiet country towns, hardwood forests, the Withlacoochee River lined with moss-covered cypress trees and Lake Panasoffkee. The corridor provides an opportunity to have an experience that balances both the history/heritage and scenic beauty of rural Florida. Map.

  • Suncoast Scenic Parkway: 42 miles. Linking established and emerging areas of development in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties, the four-lane parkway is part of Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and is a toll road. It connects travelers to several multi-use trails, along with recreation and nature parks. Map.

  • The Ridge Scenic Highway: 39 miles. Winding along the Lake Wales Ridge, State Road 17 provides scenic vistas and access to lakes, natural areas, citrus agricultural fields and unique Florida attractions. It will provide you with a taste of what Florida was like in the early 1900s. Map.

Florida scenic highways in the Southern Florida region

  • Martin Grade Scenic Highway: 12 miles. The Grade, as it's known by locals, began as a logging trail. The western accessway to Martin County is lined with cabbage palms, maples and oaks that arch above the roadway to form a lush canopy over much of the corridor. Map.

  • Indian River Lagoon – Treasure Coast: 42 miles. This road includes section of State Road A1A and U.S. 1. What makes the highway special is the view from the sandy, coastal dunes that drift out into the Atlantic Ocean to the mangrove-covered banks of the Indian River Lagoon — home to more than 4,000 species of plants and animals, including 50 species that are endangered or threatened. Map.

  • Broward County A1A Scenic Highway: 32 miles. Located alongside the Intracoastal Waterway, Broward's scenic highway is home to rare, threatened, and endangered species, including the West Indian manatee, and migratory birds. Map.

  • Florida Keys Scenic Highway: 110 miles. One of Florida's two All-American roads, this scenic highway stretches across the islands of the Florida Keys, with plenty of panoramic and scenic views. Watch for glimpses of dolphins, manatees, Key deer, ospreys, bald eagles and green sea turtles. Map.

  • Lemon Bay/Myakka Trail Scenic Highway: 47 miles. Located along the southwestern Florida coast, the Lemon Bay/Myakka Trailhas been described as “Old Florida” at its best. Myakka State Forest has many trails for hiking, cycling or horseback riding. Map.

  • Tamiami Trail – Windows to the Gulf Coast: 70 miles. This road is a trip into Florida’s past. Recreational opportunities, as well as urban experiences such as shopping, walking, and sightseeing, are found all along the highway. Map.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida scenic highways. All-American roads, national byways