Scenic, Historic and Back Country Byways

City of Rocks Back Country Byway: This route begins at Oakley and follows a county road through the City of Rocks National Reserve, then from Almo to Elba, following Idaho Highway 77 to Albion. Views include the Kelton Road of the Oregon Trail and Hudspeth's Cutoff of the California Trail, as well as beautiful vistas of the City of Rocks National Reserve; 49 miles.

Elk River Back Country Byway: This road begins at the junction of Idaho Highways 3/8 in Bovill and follows Idaho Highway 8 to Elk River where it joins Dent Road and follows it to Orofino. The route can be characterized as an all natural, no frills, individualistic and unpretentious pathway through north central Idaho. Travelers quickly enter a vast evergreen forested landscape that draws one deeper and forward towards the horizon of the Clearwater Mountain range; 57 miles.

Fort Henry Historic Byway: This route begins on Parker Road at U.S. Highway 20, follows a route through the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, continues on the Red Road north to the Kilgore area, then follows a route east through Shotgun Valley to Island Park. Views include wide-open sagebrush lands, rustic ranchlands, the Nez Perce Trail and Indian battlegrounds; 74 miles.

Gold Rush Historic Byway: This byway begins at the junction of U.S. Highway 12 and follows Idaho Highway 11 through Greer, Weippe and Pierce to its end at Headquarters. Views include the Clearwater River, the Weippe Prairie and wanders past historic sites of the gold rush era of the mid-to-late 1800’s; 42.5 miles.

Hells Canyon Scenic Byway: The road begins in Oregon and continues from the state line following the Snake River to the Hells Canyon Dam. This byway offers travelers views of the deepest canyon in North America; 22 miles.

Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway: This drive begins at the junction of Interstate 90 and follows Idaho Highway 97 south along the eastern edge of Lake Coeur d'Alene to a junction with Idaho Highway 3. Enjoy picturesque views of Lake Coeur d'Alene; 35.8 miles.

Lewis and Clark Back Country Byway: This road begins at Idaho Highway 28 in Tendoy and follows a loop to Lemhi Pass at the Continental Divide and back to Tendoy. The byway offers majestic views of the Beaverhead and Bitterroot Mountains and traverses a portion of the Lewis and Clark Trail; 35 miles.

Lost Gold Trails Loop: This route begins in Dubois and follows old U.S. Highway 91 to Spencer then travels east, connecting with the Fort Henry Historic Byway for a short distance overlapping this byway, then follows a route east back to Dubois. Views include sheep grazing lands, canyons, opal mine fields; 48.4 miles.

Mesa Falls Scenic Byway: This byway begins on Idaho Highway 47 at Ashton, follows a northeast path to Bear Gulch Ski Area, then along Forest Service Route 294 to a junction with U.S. 20. This route offers travelers a scenic drive along the Falls River and past Upper and Lower Mesa Falls; 28.7 miles.

Northwest Passage Scenic Byway: Formerly called Clearwater Canyons Scenic Byway, this route begins at the Washington state line in Lewiston and follows U.S. Highway 12 east along the Clearwater River to Kooskia. At Kooskia, the byway splits with one branch following the Clearwater and the Lochsa rivers to the Montana state line at Lolo Pass. The other branch follows a southern route along the South Fork of the Clearwater River along Idaho Highway 13 beginning at Kooskia, then south to a junction with U.S. Highway 95 at Grangeville. This route offers travelers the passage that Lewis and Clark first discovered in their trek west in the early 1800's; 202 miles.

Oregon Trail - Bear Lake Scenic Byway: This road begins at the Utah state line and follows U.S. Highway 89 north to a junction with U.S. Highway 30 at Montpelier, then along U.S. Highway 30 to a junction with Idaho Highway 34 at Soda Springs. This route offers travelers incredible views of Bear Lake and the Bear River Valley, follows a portion of the Oregon Trail and features panoramic views of the Blackfoot Reservoir and Grays Lake; 55.8 miles.

Owyhee Uplands Back Country Byway: This byway begins at the junction of Idaho Highway 78 in Grandview and follows a county road around the southern rim of the Owyhee Mountain range to the Oregon state line. It offers travelers views of high desert country and the Owyhee Mountains; 101 miles.

Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage: This route begins on U.S. Highway 2 at the Washington state line and travels northeast to the Sandpoint City Beach area. Views include the Priest River Historic District, where log drives once occurred, beautiful Pend Oreille River with its recreation areas, and along Kalispel Indian historic and cultural areas.

Payette River Scenic Byway: The road begins at the junction of U.S. Highway 95 at New Meadows and follows Idaho Highway 55 south to a junction with Idaho Highway 44 in Eagle. This lovely byway offers travelers views of mountain forests, Payette Lake, Cascade Reservoir and the white rapids of the Payette River; 117.7 miles.

Pend Oreille Scenic Byway: The route begins at the junction of U.S. Highway 95 north of Sandpoint and follows Idaho Highway 200 east to the Montana state line. This drive offers travelers a panoramic view of the northern rim of Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Gorge; 33.4 miles.

Pioneer Historic Byway: The drive begins at the Utah state line and follows U.S. 91 north to a junction with Idaho Highway 34, continuing on to U.S. Highway 30/Idaho Highway 34, east to Soda Springs, and then north again on State Highway 34 to the Wyoming state line. This route passes through early Mormon settlements, pioneer trails and numerous historic points of interest; 127.0 miles.

Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway: The route begins at Boise on Idaho Highway 21 and travels northeast to a junction with Idaho Highway 75 at Stanley, following the Boise River, the South Fork of the Payette River and several smaller creeks. Views include heavily timbered country, high mountain valleys and the Sawtooth Mountains; 130.9 miles.

Sacajawea Historic Byway: This byway begins at the Interstate 15 interchange with Idaho Highway 33 and follows a route west to Idaho Highway 28 and on to the city of Salmon. This route follows along the Lemhi River for much of the distance passing mining areas and other significant historical sites between the Lemhi and Beaverhead mountain ranges; 132 miles.

Salmon River Scenic Byway: Beginning Stanley at the junction of Idaho Highways 21 and 75, this route travels northeast to Challis and north on U.S. Highway 93 to the Montana state line. Travelers enjoy views of the main fork of the Salmon River from near its headwaters as well as views of the White Cloud, Lemhi and Bitterroot mountain ranges and the Lost River; 161.7 miles.

Sawtooth Scenic Byway: Beginning in Shoshone, this route travels north along Idaho Highway 75 to a junction with Idaho Highway 21 at Stanley and follows the Wood River through agricultural land to the resort towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley and through Galena Summit. Travelers are treated to views of the headwaters of the Salmon River through its high mountain valley; 115.7 miles.

St. Joe River Scenic Byway: At the junction of Idaho Highway 3 St. Maries, this byway follows Forest Road 50 as it parallels the St. Joe River. At a point near Conrad Crossing the route heads in a northeast towards St. Regis, Montana. The byway offers many recreational opportunities and historical sites to explore; 75.1 miles.

Teton Scenic Byway: Beginning in Swan Valley and following Idaho Highway 31 northeast to a junction with Idaho Highway 33 at Victor, this route continues to a junction with Idaho Highways 32, 47 and junctions with U.S. Highway 20 at Ashton. The byway offers travelers panoramic views of the Snake River Valley, the western slope of the Tetons and the Falls River; 68.9 miles.

Thousand Springs Scenic Byway: This beautiful drive begins at a junction of Interstate 84 at Bliss and follows a route along U.S. Highway 30 through the beautiful Hagerman Valley and the city of Twin Falls to a connection with Idaho Highway 50, connecting with Interstate 84. A third leg runs along a U.S. Highway 93 spur from downtown Twin Falls at a junction with U.S. Highway 30 and U.S. Highway 93 north across the Perrine Bridge and the Snake River Canyon to a junction with Interstate 84. Views include the Snake River, the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, numerous fish hatcheries, Shoshone Falls as well as the Thousand Springs; 67.8 miles.

Western Heritage Historic Byway: This historic byway begins at the Interstate 84 Interchange in Meridian and follows Idaho Highway 69 south to the city of Kuna. The route then follows Avalon to Swan Falls Road through the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area all the way to the end of the road at Swan Falls Dam within the Snake River Canyon; 30 miles.

White Pine Scenic Byway: Beginning at the junction of Interstate 90 west of the Old Mission at Cataldo, this route follows Idaho Highway 3 south to the junction of State Highway 6, then southwest to a junction with U.S. Highway 95 at Potlatch. Panoramic views include farm land, extensive forests, rivers, mountains and the largest stand of White Pine trees in North America; 82.8 miles.

Wild Horse Trail Scenic Byway: This drive begins in the city of Sandpoint on U.S. Highway 95 and follows the road to the junction with Idaho Highway 1 and on to the Canadian border. This route is a part of the Selkirk International Loop which traverses scenic Canadian and Washington State byways and connects with U.S. Highway 2 and the Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage; 59.2 miles.

Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway: The route begins at the junction of Idaho Highway 55 at Banks and follows Old Idaho Highway 17 to Crouch. It then continues east to Lowman and the junction of Idaho Highway 21. The drive offers travelers views of the pristine whitewater rapids of the South Fork of the Payette River and an area rich with eagles, osprey, elk, deer and great trout fishing; 33.0 miles.