Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway

What is a National Scenic Byway? A real nice place to visit. It's a designation by the U. S. Department of Transportation. To obtain the designation, a byway must have at least one intrinsic quality of regional significance. The Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway has all six intrinsic qualities.

Where can I find more information on the National Scenic Byways Program? Visit the National Scenic Byways website at www.byways.org

Will the designation stop growth? No. That is up to the community. The designation does help provide grant assistance for preservation projects, improvements, and research.

How will the designation benefit my community? It really depends on what the community wants. First, it provides for community pride in having something that everyone values. It helps tourism based economic development and may provide local area jobs.The designation can provide a higher priority in obtaining grant funds for needed items such as bike trails and hiking trailheads, or road side rest areas that include picnic tables, rest rooms, shelter, and water.

How can I become involved? Contact someone on our Contact web page or e-mail us and we will contact you.

Where are the meetings? All along the byway, so everyone can participate. For details see our public meeting web page.

What is a Corridor Management Plan? The Corridor Management Plan (CMP) is a living process that looks at the current conditions of the scenic byway, takes into account the community values, and draws a map to bring the community goals to fruition. For more details, see our Corridor Management Plan web page.

What is an intrinsic quality? They are important assets located on the byway. The National Scenic Byway program promotes and preserves six categories of intrinsic qualities: archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. Go to our Intrinsic Quality web page to get more details and to tell us what your favorite(s) intrinsic qualities are on the Turquoise Trail.

How many scenic byways are designated in New Mexico? In 2004, there were 27 state designated scenic byways, six of which are now National Scenic Byways? A little known fact is that the Sandia Crest Highway (a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service National Scenic Byway and a New Mexico state designated scenic byway) is part of the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway.