Designating a National Scenic Road

The nominated roadway should be a state-designated scenic road (parkway, historic or scenic road). However, roads that meet all criteria for national designation, but not state or federal agencies' designation criteria, may be considered for national designation on a case-by-case basis.

The road or highway must safely and conveniently accommodate two-wheel-drive automobiles with standard clearances.

The road or highway should accommodate, wherever feasible, bicycle and pedestrian travel.

A corridor management plan must be submitted.

The road or highway should not have too many gaps, be as continuous as possible and minimize intrusions on a visitor's experience.

The road or highway must significantly meet at least one of the six byways intrinsic qualities.

The characteristics associated with the intrinsic qualities are distinct and representative of the region. The significance of the features contributing to the distinctive characteristics of the corridor's intrinsic qualities are recognized throughout the region.

The All-American Road should safely accommodate conventional tour buses.

There must be a demonstration of the extent to which enforcement mechanisms are being implemented by communities along the highway in accordance with the corridor management plan.

User facilities (such as overlooks and food services) should be available for travelers.

The road or highway must meet at least two of the intrinsic qualities.

The characteristics associated with the intrinsic qualities best represent the nation and may contain one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere.

The road or highway must be considered a destination unto itself.

• Nominations may originate from any local government, including Indian tribal governments, or any private group or individual. Nominations to the National Scenic Byways Program of byways on public lands may originate from the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
• Nominations must be submitted to FHWA by a State, an Indian tribe, or a Federal land management agency. 
• Therefore, when considering nominating a road for national designation, applicants are encouraged to work with their State byway coordinator, Indian tribe byway coordinator or Federal land management agency contact to determine the feasibility of preparing a successful application.
• Before you consider submitting a nomination for national designation, we request that you review the Designation Readiness Worksheet. The Federal Highway Administration has developed this worksheet to help byway leaders judge their readiness to seek national designation for their byway. It is intended for your use only as you begin to think about the kind of information you might be requested to provide in your nomination application.

• The significance either regionally or nationally of the Intrinsic Quality(s) along your byway that merit national designation
• Planning to support the preservation, enhancement and promotion of the Intrinsic Quality(s) along your route;
• Providing a quality visitor experience; and
• Sustainability in the form of community and organizational support to continue to preserve, enhance and promote your byway.

1. Review the FY 2020 Designation Readiness Worksheet.
2. Acquaint yourself with the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 162.
3. Conduct research on the existing America's Byway's collection. A list of America's Byways and the intrinsic qualities for which they were nominated can be found at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/scenic_byways/nominations/docs.cfm. You are also encouraged to take a look at the FHWA website to review the information provided on all of the byways in the collection to assist you in assessing and contrasting the attributes and qualities possessed by roads already in the collection with the one you are proposing for designation.
4. Review and familiarize yourself with the Interim Policy (May 18, 1995), the principal policy for the National Scenic Byways Program.
5. Consult the byway's lead organization or lead individual to determine support for and feasibility of submitting a successful nomination application. You will need to be able to prove that your byway possesses the intrinsic qualities sufficient to merit designation as one of America's Byways®.
6. Consult the State or Indian tribe byway coordinator or Federal land management agency contact about the requirements for submitting a nomination application to FHWA and to confirm the date that the nomination application must be submitted (submission dates may vary from those established by FHWA). Indian tribes and Federal land management agencies have the option of either submitting their nomination applications directly to FHWA or through the State. Individuals, private groups, and local governments must submit their nomination applications through the State, an Indian tribe, or a Federal land management agency. For a list of Division and State contacts, see www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/scenic_byways/contacts.
7. Provide notification of the intent to nominate a road that is within the jurisdictional boundary of the State, Indian tribe, or Federal land management agency; or directly connects to roads for which the State, Federal land management agency, or Indian tribe is responsible.
8. Read the FY 2020 Nomination Guide in its entirety before initiating preparation of your nomination application.
9. Coordinate with other States, Indian tribes, and/or Federal land management agencies on multi-state, multi-tribe, or multi-agency applications.
10. Prepare and submit the nomination application. Please be sure to read this Nomination Guide carefully as it will assist you in preparing your application.

To be considered for national designation, nomination applications must be submitted online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/scenic_byways/nominations/.

1. Complete your online application and submit it electronically at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/scenic_byways/nominations/. Please note that Indian tribes and Federal land management agencies have the option of either submitting their nomination applications through the State or directly to FHWA.
2. Assume that the people reviewing your application are unfamiliar with the local area and byway. The nomination application is essentially a guide to your byway. Emphasis should be on proving that you have the intrinsic qualities to support national designation and have a compelling story to tell.
3. Compile supporting Route Map, Images, Corridor Management Plan and Letters of Support. To facilitate review, all of these materials must be submitted in electronic form. Additional attachments beyond those requested in the Nomination Application will not be considered.