Oklahoma
Witchita Mountains Byway
Oklahoma’s Scenic Byways
Oklahoma is home to “the Mother Road,” Route 66 National Scenic Byway, which spans through six different states, all the way from the northeast corner to the southwest side of the state. It is joined by three other national scenic byways and four state scenic byways. One of them, the Talimena Scenic Drive offers panoramic views of some of the most breathtaking areas Oklahoma has to offer, including the Ouachita National Forest.
Key Points
- Oklahoma is home to four national scenic byways and four state scenic byways.
- In 2019, direct visitor spending reached a record high of $9.7 billion.
- Visitors in 2019 generated $723 million in state and local taxes, saving each household $470 in taxes.
- Tourism is Oklahoma’s third largest industry, supporting 104,800 jobs.
Oklahoma Byways
Map Key:
- National Scenic Byways
- State Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
Oklahoma byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including three national parks, 38 state parks, two national historic trails, two national historic sites, one national memorial, and 22 national historic landmarks.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.