Big Bend Scenic Byway
“Explore Undiscovered North Florida” on Florida’s Big Bend Scenic Byway, where city lights give way to horizons of towering pines and blue-green Gulf waters. The “Bend” is where Florida’s Gulf Coast curves westward, sheltering vast seagrass beds, marshes, winding rivers, sugar-sand beaches, deep forests, and crystal springs.
The Bend’s natural beauty has attracted human travel and settlement since around 15,000 BC. While traveling the byway, visitors can explore the natural resources that have supported and sustained the lives of generations past and present.
Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city, welcomes travelers to this 220-mile scenic wonderland where wildlife outnumbers people. Over 300 species of birds, 2,500 plant species, and more carnivorous plants (30) than any similarly sized area in the world call the Big Bend region home. The Forest and Coastal Trails offer two distinct experiences.
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Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway
The Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway traverses miles of wetlands supporting a diversity of flora and fauna. Its northern terminus is at tidal wetlands where U.S. 90 bridges the Escambia River.
Many visitors to this byway value various natural resources, including towering trees, waterways filled with fish and shellfish, and clay deposits historically used for making bricks. It also features a fascinating history and awe-inspiring ocean outlooks. Drivers describe the highway as having a “Sunday afternoon drive” feel. Families picnic at Gaberonne, and lovers watch the moon rise from Bay Bluffs Park, overlooking Escambia Bay.
Take a journey along the same seashore first explored by Spanish Settler Don Tristan de Luna in 1559 and learn why his ship has been sunken offshore since then. Drivers glimpse Escambia Bay’s scenic vistas from atop giant bluffs, the highest points along Florida’s coastline.
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Scenic Highway 30A
Scenic Highway 30A is a 24-mile corridor that hugs the Gulf of Mexico coastline in Northwest Florida’s Walton County. You will see sugar-white sand beaches and rare coastal dune lakes along this breathtaking drive.
This byway is an eclectic mix of hot Caribbean colors and soft pastels, with architecture to match each community’s charm, whether it be Old Florida’s traditional 2-3 story homes, the cottages of Seaside with white picket fences, or New Urbanism.
Miles of greenway trails connect state parks, preserves, and residential areas along this byway.
The byway is built upon a strong existing history of tourism to the region, including a separate “30A” brand with an enormous following. This byway region includes some of Florida’s most popular tourist beaches.
