Nevada roads receive national, state designations

Several roads in Nevada have been recognized by the Secretary of Transportation's National Scenic Byway and All-American Road programs, as well as the Nevada Department of Transportation's Scenic Byways Program.

Two Nevada roadways are among 75 nationwide that have received the national designations for displaying archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational or scenic qualities.

The 37-mile Pyramid Lake byway, on state Route 445, north of Reno, has been recognized, as has the 29-mile East Shore Drive at Lake Tahoe, along state Route 28 and U.S. Highway 50.

"The national designation opens up funding opportunities. There are also marketing opportunities and opportunities for historical preservation," Larry Friedman of the Nevada Commission on Tourism said.

A 4-mile stretch of the Strip, starting south from Sahara Avenue, is one of 20 nationwide to be named an All-American Road. To reach this status, the road has "one-of-a-kind features that they qualify as a destination unto themselves," according to America's Byways literature.

"There is a whole slew of criteria and different qualities to designate a road as a scenic byway, whether it is the national scenic beauty of Lake Tahoe or a canyon, a historical significance, or an architectural significance," Friedman said.

"The Las Vegas Strip has become nationally known due to its uniqueness and has been named an All-American Road. When most people think of a scenic byway, they think of a rural area. But for Nevada, there is no road more famous than the Las Vegas Strip, and if it wasn't scenic, people wouldn't be driving 25 miles per hour on it."

The state of Nevada has also designated 12 stretches of roadway as scenic byways. In addition to those receiving national recognition, state-designated byways include:

-- Las Vegas Boulevard, between Sahara and Washington avenues;

-- Mount Charleston, state Routes 156, 157 and 158, northwest of Las Vegas;

-- Valley of Fire State Park byway, northeast of Las Vegas;

-- State Route 159 through the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, west of Las Vegas;

-- Mount Rose, also known as state Route 431, off of U.S. Highway 395 near Reno;

-- Angel Lake, a 12-mile segment of state Route 231 near Wells in northeastern Nevada;

-- Lamoille Canyon, off state Route 227 near Elko; and

-- Great Basin Scenic Byway, on U.S. Highway 93 from Crystal Springs to Ely.

For more information, visit the Nevada Commission of Tourism's Web site at http://www.travelnevada.com/nevada_scenic_byways.asp.

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