4 route & road-trip ideas
New England s longest, most powerful river tells the story of clashing continental plates and glaciers, of Abenaki living on the land, and of colonial settlement among fields and forests. Experience traditions, vivid history, deeply rooted farming heritage, call of the railroads, natural beauty, and recreation along the Connecticut River Byway.
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The Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway celebrates the history, heritage, and natural beauty of an important regional travel route. The Mohawk Trail is steeped in local and regional history and acts as a microcosm of the broader history of the region. Approximately 12,000 years ago, Native Americans used this route to travel between the Hudson River and Connecticut River Valleys. Later, the European settlers used the route, and eventually altered it, to support travel by horse and cart. As the use of automobiles increased, this route became the first to be constructed as a scenic auto touring route.
Explore this route →Old King’s Highway (Route 6A) forms the backbone of America’s largest historic district and is also one of the country’s most scenic corridors. This roadway is a major tourist attraction due to its scenic and historic attributes, as well as its proximity to Cape Cod beaches and recreational attractions. A trip down this roadway takes the traveler through America’s largest historic district and eight National Register districts, and past dozens of National Register buildings, including early Cape Cod houses, sea captains’ homes, and Victorian buildings. In addition to the historic treasures, the natural beauty of the corridor provides a scenic backdrop with bayside marsh views, open vistas, cranberry bogs, and an extensive tree canopy framing sections of the corridor.
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The Battle Road Scenic Byway tells the story of the American Revolution and is home to literature, environmental, and technological revolutions that have shaped the American experience. Located in the Massachusetts towns of Arlington, Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord, the byway includes Minute Man National Historical Park and other attractions that encapsulate the American Revolution. During the nineteenth century, the byway was a hub for American literature, transcendentalism, abolitionism, and environmental conservation. Classic American authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Fuller, and Nathaniel Hawthorne all lived and wrote along this storied route and drew inspiration from its natural and cultural resources. American history, culture, literature, technology, and recreation all converge to make the Battle Road Scenic Byway a National treasure.
Explore this route →Multistate routes appear in each relevant state. Some entries describe a byway, others a selected stretch or a broader road trip; routes can overlap.