The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has renamed an 18-mile stretch of highway from Warrensville to the Virginia border as Big Horse Creek Scenic Byway. The designation marks the 60th Scenic Byway in the state.
“The byway offers a unique picture of North Carolina’s landscape, taking travelers past dense forests and creek beds and through pastures scattered with farmhouses. Remnants of the Virginia-Carolina Railway can be seen from much of the byway,” the agency says. “This byway also runs close to a number of beautiful nature destinations including Pond Mountain, a wildlife conservation area and the Cherokee National Forest.”
The route was nominated for Scenic Byway designation by the Greater Lansing Area Development association. It will be marked by official NCDOT Scenic Byway signs and will be included in the agency’s Scenic Byways Guide.
The Big Horse Creek Scenic Byway is now among roughly 2,300 miles of Scenic Byways in North Carolina, which includes three routes that are designated as National Scenic Byways. Routes are chosen to “embody the state’s diverse beauty and culture and provide travelers with a safe and interesting alternate route.”
More details on North Carolina’s Scenic Byways, including a downloadable book and an interactive map, are available at http://www.ncdot.gov/travel/scenic/.