California has 66 scenic byways mapped in the US Department of Transportation data, together covering about 6,414 miles of road. The longest is the Historic Route 66, running roughly 1,406 mapped miles. This interactive map plots every California scenic byway — filter by designation, search any town or address, and click a route for its details.
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Scenic Byways
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Miles Mapped
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All-American Roads
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National Scenic Byways
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Route data: US Department of Transportation scenic byway layers (geo.dot.gov). Location search by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Routes show the mapped corridor and are for reference only – check current conditions before travelling.
How to use the California scenic byways map
The map opens framed on California. Each line is one scenic byway, coloured by designation. Zoom with the scroll wheel, click any route to see its name, designation, administering agency and mapped length, and use the designation checkboxes or the name filter to focus on the routes you want. Some byways continue across the state line — their full mapped length is shown.
Scenic byways in California
Every scenic byway recorded in California, with its designation and mapped length. Routes that run into neighbouring states are listed at their full length.
Scenic byway
Designation
Mapped length
Historic Route 66
National Scenic Byway
1,406 mi
Pacific Coast Highway – California’s Route 1
State Scenic Byway
795 mi
Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
National Scenic Byway
500 mi
California Trail Back Country Byway
Local / Other
380 mi
Lassen Scenic Byway
Local / Other
171 mi
Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway
State Scenic Byway
153 mi
Route 78–Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Road
State Scenic Byway
140 mi
Trinity Scenic Byway
Local / Other
134 mi
Route 395–Inyo County
State Scenic Byway
129 mi
Feather River Scenic Byway
Local / Other
127 mi
Emigrant Trail
Local / Other
124 mi
Route 395–Mono County
State Scenic Byway
120 mi
State of Jefferson Scenic Byway
Local / Other
108 mi
Rim of the World Scenic Byway
Local / Other
97 mi
Saline Valley Road Back Country Byway
Local / Other
94 mi
Modoc Volcanic Scenic Byway
Local / Other
91 mi
Death Valley Scenic Byway
National Scenic Byway
86 mi
Trinity Heritage Scenic Byway
Local / Other
85 mi
Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway (Route 168)
Local / Other
82 mi
Bigfoot Scenic Byway
Local / Other
82 mi
Sierra Vista Scenic Byway
Local / Other
80 mi
Route 1 – Big Sur Coast Highway
National Scenic Byway
75 mi
Route 74
State Scenic Byway
68 mi
Palms to Pines Scenic Byway
Local / Other
65 mi
Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway
National Scenic Byway
63 mi
Route 50–El Dorado County
State Scenic Byway
60 mi
Routes 5 & 580–West Side Freeway
State Scenic Byway
60 mi
Route 1 – San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway
National Scenic Byway
58 mi
Carson Pass Highway (Route 88)
State Scenic Byway
58 mi
Angeles Crest Scenic Byway (Route 2)
State Scenic Byway
57 mi
Bradshaw Trail
Local / Other
56 mi
Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road
National Scenic Byway
55 mi
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
Local / Other
49 mi
Route 160–River Road
State Scenic Byway
48 mi
Barrel Springs Back Country Byway
Local / Other
45 mi
Buckhorn Back Country Byway
Local / Other
44 mi
Route 140–Mariposa County
State Scenic Byway
44 mi
Route 35–Skyline Boulevard
State Scenic Byway
39 mi
Jacinto Reyes Scenic Byway (Route 33)
State Scenic Byway
37 mi
Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway (Route 168)
State Scenic Byway
36 mi
Smith River Scenic Byway
Local / Other
35 mi
Chimney Peak Back Country Byway
Local / Other
35 mi
Route 154–San Marcos Pass Road
State Scenic Byway
32 mi
Lake Tahoe – Eastshore Drive
National Scenic Byway
26 mi
Route 116–Sonoma County
State Scenic Byway
26 mi
Sunrise Scenic Byway
Local / Other
24 mi
Route 280–Father Junipero Serra Freeway
State Scenic Byway
22 mi
Route 12–Valley of the Moon Highway
State Scenic Byway
21 mi
Ramona Expressway
Local / Other
18 mi
Route 152–Pacheco Pass Road
State Scenic Byway
15 mi
Route 68–Monterey County
State Scenic Byway
15 mi
Route 680–Alameda County
State Scenic Byway
15 mi
Route 680–Contra Costa County
State Scenic Byway
14 mi
Route 580–MacArthur Freeway
State Scenic Byway
12 mi
Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway
Local / Other
12 mi
Wild Horse Canyon Scenic Backcountry Byway
Local / Other
12 mi
Route 101–Redwood Highway
State Scenic Byway
11 mi
Route 9–Saratoga-Los Gatos Road
State Scenic Byway
10 mi
Route 24–Alameda County
State Scenic Byway
10 mi
Route 91–Riverside Freeway
State Scenic Byway
10 mi
Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway – Route 110
National Scenic Byway
9 mi
Route 62–Twentynine Palms Highway
State Scenic Byway
9 mi
Route 125–Lemon Grove
State Scenic Byway
8 mi
Route 151–Shasta Dam Boulevard
State Scenic Byway
7 mi
Route 156–Monterey County
State Scenic Byway
5 mi
Route 163–Cabrillo Freeway
State Scenic Byway
1 mi
Byway designations in California
National Scenic Byway × 9 — a federally recognised route with outstanding qualities
State Scenic Byway × 33 — designated by the state scenic byway programme
Local / Other × 24 — a locally designated or back-country route
Planning a scenic drive in California
Start with the headline routes. The state’s National Scenic Byways — Historic Route 66, Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, Death Valley Scenic Byway — are a strong starting point. Check seasonal conditions before you travel — mountain and back-country byways can close in winter. For overnight stops along the way, see our California campgrounds map, and for a different pace try the California cycling map.
Route data comes from the US Department of Transportation scenic byway layers at geo.dot.gov, harmonised into a single dataset. It reflects what the transportation agencies publish and may lag local designations. Routes show the mapped corridor and are for planning only — check current road conditions before you travel.
California scenic byways: frequently asked questions
How many scenic byways does California have?
This map shows 66 scenic byways in California, covering about 6,414 mapped miles.
What is the longest scenic byway in California?
The Historic Route 66 is the longest, at roughly 1,406 mapped miles.
Does California have any All-American Roads?
California has no All-American Roads in this dataset, but it does have 9 National Scenic Byways and a wider set of state-designated routes.
I'm Daniel O'Donohue, the voice and creator behind The MapScaping Podcast ( A podcast for the geospatial community ). With a professional background as a geospatial specialist, I've spent years harnessing the power of spatial to unravel the complexities of our world, one layer at a time.
