Kentucky Scenic Byways

Kentucky Scenic Byway signage on KY 70 near Highland Springs, Kentucky

System information
Length| 1,346.405 mi[1] (2,166.829 km)
Formed| October 1994; 30 years ago (1994-10)
Highway names
Interstates| Interstate X (I-X)
US Highways| US Highway X (US X)
State| Kentucky Route X (KY X)
System links

* Kentucky State Highway System

* Interstate
* US
* State
* Parkways

The Kentucky Scenic Byway System is a system of tourist routes in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It consists of roads in the state that travel through areas of scenic, historic, and cultural significance. The state's scenic byway system was initiated in October 1994, and it presently includes 34 designated byways, including three national scenic byways. As of 2007, the total mileage of all scenic byways in Kentucky includes up to 1,346.405 miles (2,166.829 km) worth of state highways and local roadways. The byway system is controlled by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and governed by Kentucky Revised Statutes 177.571-177.576.[2]

The intent of this system is to provide travelers with a safe and interesting alternate route. Some of the state scenic byway system even includes some select county-maintained roads, depending on the byway. The state's scenic byway shield features a tree on the left half of the sign with a couple of black birds flying from it.

## Byways

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### Nationally-designated byways

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Byway/Highway name[1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Country Music Highway[3] | Greenup, Boyd, Lawrence, Johnson, Floyd, Pike, Letcher | US 23 / US 119 | US 23 From Greenup to Jenkins and US 119 to Whitesburg | 144.085 miles (231.882 km)
Great River Road National Route | Fulton, Hickman, Carlisle, Ballard | US 51 / KY 94 / KY 123 / KY 239 / KY 1203 | KY 94 from the Tennessee state line to Hickman and Cayce, KY 123 to Columbus to northern Carlisle County, US 51 from KY 1203 to the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois | 40.375 miles (64.977 km)
Great River Road Alternate | Fulton, Hickman, Carlisle | US 51 / KY 80 / KY 125 / KY 166 / KY 1648 | KY 125 and KY 166 from Hickman to Fulton, US 51 from Fulton to Clinton to KY 1203 Junction north of Bardwell | 22.875 miles (36.814 km)
Lincoln Heritage Scenic Highway  | LaRue, Nelson, Washington, Boyle | US 62 / US 31E / US 150 / US 150 Bus. | US 31E from the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace N.H.P. in Hodgenville to Bardstown, US 150 to Danville | 71.2 miles (114.6 km)
Red River Gorge Scenic Byway [3] | Menifee, Powell, Wolfe | KY 11 / KY 15 / KY 77 / KY 715 | Beginning on KY 11 east of Stanton extending through the Red River Gorge, along Pine Ridge on KY 715, back to Slade on KY 77, then along KY 11 south to the Lee County Line at Zachariah.  | 45.009 miles (72.435 km)
Wilderness Road Heritage Highway  | Bell, Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle, Madison | US 25 / US 25E / KY 229 | US 25-E from the Cumberland Gap Tunnel to Bailey's Switch, KY 229 to US 25 junction at London, US 25 to Berea | 93.776 miles (150.918 km)
Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway[4] | Lyon, Trigg | KY 453 (FD-100)  | KY 453 via Grand Rivers, FD-100 southward to the Tennessee state line in southwest Trigg County  | 30.00 miles (48.28 km)
(within Kentucky)

### State-designated byways

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#### Statewide

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* U.S. Route 68 Scenic Byway - involving most of the entire route of US 68 from Reidland to Maysville; including the small sections of the highway that were already designated as a state scenic byway. It runs through six (6) tourism regions.[1][5]

#### Bluegrass, Blues, and Barbecue (Northwest Kentucky)

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The byways in this region are part of a group of scenic byways, the Blues to Bluegrass Scenic Byways.

Byway/Highway name[1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Description  | Length

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Bill Monroe Bluegrass Trail  | Ohio, Daviess, Hancock | US 60 / US 62 / US 231 / KY 54 / KY 69 / KY 85 / KY 334 / KY 657 / KY 1164 / KY 1544 / KY 3092 | Rockport to Hartford to Rosine, to Fordsville, to Hawesville/Lewisport to Owensboro to the Daviess/McLean County line.  | 111.581 miles (179.572 km)
Everly Brothers Rock-N-Roll Trail  | Muhlenberg, McLean, Webster | US 41 / US 41 Alt. / US 62 / US 431 / KY 70 / KY 56 / KY 81 / KY 132 / KY 136 / KY 189 / KY 1031 / KY 176 / KY 1380 | KY 56 from the Union/Webster County line to US 41A, US 41A to Dixon, KY 132 to Sebree, KY 136 to Calhoun, KY 81 to South Carrollton, US 431 and KY 1031 to Central City, US 431/KY 70 to Drakesboro, KY 176 to Greenville, US 62 through Powderly to Central City to Muhlenberg/Ohio County line  | 99.86 miles (160.71 km)
W.C. Handy Blues Trail  | Daviess, Henderson, Union | US 41A / US 60 / KY 56 | US 60 from Owensboro to Morganfield, KY 56 to Union/Webster County line  | 59.525 miles (95.796 km)

#### Caves, Lakes, and Corvettes (South Central Kentucky)

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Byway/Highway name[1][6] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Cordell Hull Highway[7] | Barren and Monroe | KY 70 / KY 90 / US 31E / US 31E Bus. / US 68 Bus. / KY 63 / KY 163 | KY 255 from the Mammoth Cave National Park boundary to KY 70 junction, KY 70 east to Cave City, KY 90 to Glasgow, US 31E and US 68 Bus to downtown Glasgow, US 31E Business and KY 63 to Tompkinsville, KY 163 from Tompkinsville to the Tennessee state line  | 51.584 miles (83.016 km)
Duncan Hines Scenic Byway[8] | Edmonson; Warren | US 31W / US 68 / KY 80 / KY 101 / KY 259 / KY 70 / KY 187 / KY 238 / KY 728 / KY 1827 / KY 1352 / KY 2325, Mammoth Cave Parkway, Green River Ferry Road, Rocky Hill Road, Sixth Street (Smiths Grove), Smiths Grove-Oakland Road, Oakland Road  | From Bowling Green via US 31W and KY 101 to Rhoda, KY 259 through Brownsville, KY 70 to Huff, KY 187 to Sunfish, KY 238 to Bee Spring, Mammoth Cave NP via KY 728, KY 1827, and Nolin Lake Dam, Green River Ferry, MC Parkway, KY 70, KY 2325, to near Pig to Rocky Hill, Smiths Grove and Oakland via locally maintained roads.  | 65.724 miles (105.773 km)
Highway 100 Scenic Drive[9] | Logan, Simpson, Allen, Monroe, and Cumberland | KY 100 | Entire KY 100 corridor from Russellville to just east of Marrowbone | 95.404 miles (153.538 km)

#### Kentucky's Derby Region (North Central Kentucky)

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Byway/Highway name[1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Abraham Lincoln Heritage Highway  | Boyle, Nelson, Washington | US 150 | US 150 from Bardstown to Danville | 34 miles (55 km)
Old Kentucky Turnpike [10] | LaRue, Nelson | US 31E / US 62 / US 150 | From Abraham Lincoln Birthplace to the entrance of My Old Kentucky Home State Park | 28.059 miles (45.157 km)
River Road  | Jefferson (Metro Louisville | River Road  | From US 42 in northeast Louisville to the Zorn Avenue intersection  | 7 miles (11 km)
US 42 in Oldham County  | Oldham | US 42 | US 42's entire course through Oldham County  | 14.767 miles (23.765 km)

#### Bluegrass Region (East-central Kentucky)

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Byway/Highway name[1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Boone Creek Scenic Byway  | Fayette, Clark County | KY 418, Grimes Mill Road, McCalls Mill Road  | Loop around two back roads off KY 418 near Athens | 8.6 miles (13.8 km)
Pigsah Pike  | Woodford | KY 1967 | From US 60 north to KY 1681  | 5.069 miles (8.158 km)
Rice, VanMeter, and Elk Chester Roads  | Fayette  | KY 1969 | All three specified roads on west side of Lexington off US 60 (Versailles Road)  | 6.295 miles (10.131 km)
Russell Cave Road  | Fayette  | KY 353 | From KY 1973 to Hughes Lane  | 2.461 miles (3.961 km)
Old Frankfort Pike[11] | Fayette, Franklin, Woodford  | KY 1681 | Entire corridor from near Frankfort to downtown Lexington  | 14.541 miles (23.401 km)
Old Richmond Road and Grimes Mill Road  | Fayette  | US 25 / US 421 | Grimes Mill Road, then following US 25/421 to the KY 418 junction  | 6.8 miles (10.9 km)
Versailles to Midway Road  | Woodford | US 62 | from Versailles to Midway  | 6.3 miles (10.1 km)
Winchester Road Corridor  | Fayette, Clark  | US 60 | Winchester Road connecting the eastern outskirts of Lexington to the Clark County line  | 4.8 miles (7.7 km)

#### Southern Kentucky Vacations (Southeast Central Kentucky)

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Byway/Highway name[1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Cumberland Cultural Heritage Byway  | Metcalfe, Green, Taylor, Adair, Cumberland, Clinton, Wayne, Russell, McCreary, Pulaski, Lincoln, Boyle | US 27 / US 127 / US 150 / KY 55 / KY 61 / KY 78 / KY 90 / KY 163 | KY 90 from Cumberland Falls S.R.P. to Monticello to Beaumont (including KY 90's concurrencies with US 27, US 127, and KY 61), KY 163 from Beaumont to US 68/KY 80 at Edmonton, KY 80 to Columbia to Russell Springs, and US 127 to Danville, US 150 to Stanford, and KY 78 back to US 127 at Hustonville  | 187.201 miles (301.271 km)
Zollicoffer-Thomas Scenic Byway  | Pulaski and Wayne | KY 235 (Old Mill Springs Battlefield Road)  | Entire corridor  | 10.36 miles (16.67 km)

#### Daniel Boone Country (Southeastern Kentucky)

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Byway/Highway name[1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Ridgetop Scenic Byway  | Rockcastle, Laurel, Jackson, Estill  | KY 89 | From KY 490 near Lamero to McKee to Irvine to the Estill/Clark County line  | 35.517 miles (57.159 km)

#### Kentucky's Appalachians (Eastern Kentucky)

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Byway/Highway name [1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Black Mountain Scenic Byway  | Harlan | KY 160 | From Benham and Lynch to the Virginia state line  | 10.341 miles (16.642 km)
Pine Mountain Road  | Letcher | US 119 | From KY 15 junction in Whitesburg to KY 806 junction near Oven Fork  | 8.153 miles (13.121 km)
Red River Gorge Scenic Byways  | Menifee, Powell, Wolfe | KY 11 / KY 15 / KY 213 / KY 77 / KY 715 | Various sections of specified highways in the aforementioned highways  | 45.009 miles (72.435 km)

#### Northern Kentucky River Region

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Byway/Highway name [1] | Counties  | Routes involved  | Route description  | Length

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Big Bone Lick Scenic Highway[12] | Boone | KY 338 / KY 2852 / KY 536 / KY 18 | Big Bone to Commissary Corner via Rabbit Hash  | 19.931 miles (32.076 km)
Riverboat Row  | Campbell | Riverboat Row  | James Taylor Drive to KY 8 (Riverside Drive) in Newport | 1 mile (1.6 km)

## See also

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* U.S. roads portal
* Kentucky portal

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. "Kentucky State and National Scenic Byways" (PDF). Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
2. ^ "Purpose of KRS 177.571 to 177.576". Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 177, Section 571. Kentucky General Assembly. 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
3. ^ a b "Three Kentucky scenic byways receive national designation" (Press release). October 16, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
4. ^ Kentucky.gov: -- Scenic Byway Grants Release
5. ^ "400-Mile Sale Across Kentucky Along Historic Hwy 68". 400-Mile Sale. Bowling Green, Kentucky: WMTH Corporation. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
6. ^ "Scenic Byways". Caves, Lakes, and Corvettes. Kentucky Department of Tourism. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
7. ^ DeLorme (2010). "Grid 65" (Map). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p. 65\. § E7. ISBN 0-89933-340-0.
8. ^ DeLorme (2010). "Grid 64" (Map). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p. 64\. § H3. ISBN 0-89933-340-0.
9. ^ DeLorme (2010). "Grid 80" (Map). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p. 80\. § B3. ISBN 0-89933-340-0.
10. ^ DeLorme (2010). "Grid 49" (Map). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p. 49\. § B9. ISBN 0-89933-340-0.
11. ^ DeLorme (2010). "Grid 37" (Map). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p. 37\. § F10. ISBN 0-89933-340-0.
12. ^ DeLorme (2010). "Grid 22" (Map). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p. 22\. § F2. ISBN 0-89933-340-0.

## External links

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* Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
* Local programs
* Scenic Byways
* America's Byways in Kentucky
* Kentucky Department of Tourism
* Kentucky's Scenic Byways at Byways.org

* v
* t
* e

Scenic highway systems in the United States

National systems|

* National Scenic Byways
* National Forest Scenic Byways
* Bureau of Land Management Back Country Byways
* National Parkways

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