Alaska's scenic byways: routes to cultural riches and recreational resources.

• Author: Sommer, Susan
• Position: VISITORS INDUSTRY

Travel planning often begins with perusing a map. On the Alaska Scenic Byways map, nearly all of the state's main highways, as well as the railroad and marine highway routes, are designated as scenic byways.

The state's scenic byways program information is maintained by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and although Congress discontinued grant funding for new projects in 2012, existing designated routes have much to offer visitors.

Alaska established the scenic byways program in 1993, two years after the creation of the national program, to recognize and enhance routes that offer access to our most scenic areas, cultural riches, and recreational resources. Local organizations applied for the designation; then they could go on to apply for national recognition. Five of Alaska's scenic byways also carry national titles.

Benefits of Scenic Byways

Tourism organizations and local businesses along designated routes use the moniker in marketing materials to entice more travelers their way, which can generate economic growth and community recognition.

An area's history, cultures, and the natural environment can all be highlighted as well, adding educational value to a destination. Corridor management and installation of interpretive signs are just two of the ways byway communities have enhanced the visitor experience for their regions. Examples of specific projects for which grant money was approved include pedestrian and interpretive enhancements at Reflections Lake in the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge located along the Glenn Highway and restoration of windows in the two-hundred-year-old log building occupied by the Baranov Museum in Kodiak.

The designation has certainly been a boon to Alaska photographer Ron Niebrugge, whose colorful image of the Seward Highway was featured last year in Country magazine's top ten most picturesque drives in the nation. He has used it to pitch submissions to publishers. "I go out of my way as I travel to photograph scenic byways," says Niebrugge, "as I know they are far more likely to be featured in magazine articles then similarly beautiful roads without any designation. I'm also more likely to pitch story ideas to editors for locations that have a scenic byway--it is more likely to grab their attention."

Lack of visitor awareness and understanding of Alaska's scenic byways and what the designation means, however, has led some business owners to downplay the label. Rose Hetrick, innkeeper at The Inn at Tern Lake, says, "When talking with potential clients, we often mention the Seward Highway and the need to take time to enjoy the drive but usually do not refer to it as a scenic byway since that designation is not really understood." Being located thirty miles from Seward is a benefit, though, says Hetrick, since it's one of the "most magnificent" drives a visitor will ever have. "It would be hard to say whether the scenic byway designation is a specific benefit," says Hetrick. "However, having a highway on the Kenai Peninsula through the Chugach Range is."

Intrinsic Byway Qualities

A byway can be designated under one or more of the six "intrinsic qualities" defined by the US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration: archaeological, natural, cultural, recreational, historic, or scenic.

Archaeological might mean ruins, artifacts, structural remains, or other physical evidence that has scientific significance that can be used to educate the viewer and generate appreciation...