The Garden State offers an abundance of natural beauty, and with that, dozens of the best scenic drives in New Jersey travel through it. Opportunities for picturesque drives are endless but, officially, New Jersey is home to 7 scenic byways. The “scenic byway” designation is awarded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to roads and routes that “have outstanding scenic, natural, recreational, cultural, historic or archaeological significance.”

1. Bayshore Heritage Byway
Flickr/Owl's Flight
Cape May, NJ 08204, USA
Flickr/Mark
The Bayshore Heritage Byway runs 122 miles along the Delaware Bay and Delaware River. It begins in Cape May Point and runs through Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Counties, ending in Mannington Township. It is comprised of a series of roads including CR 629, Route 47, Route 49, and CR 540. Sites along the way include Fort Mott State Park and East Point Lighthouse, pictured.

Plan to spend some time in Cape May before you head out.

2. Delaware River Scenic Byway
Flickr/Doug Kerr
Delaware River Scenic Byway, P.O. Box 15, Stockton, NJ 08559, USA
Flickr/Beelzebub_7th
This 34-mile byway runs along Route 29 from Trenton to Frenchtown. It highlights the power and beauty of the Delaware River along with the ways it has shaped our state. Sights along the way include the lovely Washington Crossing State Park and the charming town of Lambertville. This New Jersey route is also designated as a National Scenic Byway.

Take a detour to see New Jersey’s Gravity Hill, too.
3. Millstone Valley Byway
Wikipedia/Mr. Matte
Millstone Valley Scenic Byway Visitor Center, 2 Griggstown Causeway, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
Flickr/Jim Lukach
This 27.5-mile stretch of road offers a scenic drive between Kingston and Millstone. Also a National Scenic Byway, the route runs along CR 533 and CR 603 in the Millstone Valley. Sights along the way include the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park and the Kingston Mill Historic District.

There’s a whole lot of history on this scenic drive in New Jersey.
4. Palisades Scenic Byway
Flickr/Anthony Quintano

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The Palisades, Alpine, NJ 07624, USA
Flickr/Juan Alberto Puentes Puertas
One of the shortest scenic byways on this list, you'll want to stop during this 19.1-mile stretch to enjoy the sights. Running along the Hudson River and Palisades Cliffs between Fort Lee and the New York border (on the Palisades Interstate Parkway and Henry Hudson Parkway), the views are unbeatable. Head here in the fall for breathtaking foliage, pack a picnic or take an incredible hike.

Learn more about this north Jersey scenic drive.

5. Pine Barrens Byway
Flickr/Louis Dallara
The Pine Barrens, Pemberton Township, NJ 08015, USA
Flickr/Louis Dallara
The beautiful Pine Barrens encompass 1.1 million stunning acres and a drive through them cannot be missed. The Pine Barrens Byway is comprised of 3 separate routes totaling 130 miles. Stops along the way include the historic Batsto Village and some of the largest blueberry and cranberry harvesting operations in the world.

The Pinelands are truly something special.

6. Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway
Wikipedia/Mr. Matte
Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Rd, Allentown, NJ 08501, USA
Flickr/David Pfeffer
This 24-mile byway is steeped in history. It runs from Allentown to Walnford Mill through farmland and Colonial neighborhoods. Allentown was founded in 1706 and has one of the largest contiguous historic districts in New Jersey. The route is comprised of a series of roads including CR 539, CR 526, and CR 27.

If you love the historic villages you’ll find, read more about them!
7. Warren Heritage Scenic Byway
Flickr/Doug Kerr
Warren Heritage Society, 101 Chester St, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
Flickr/David Hsu
The 19.03 miles of the Warren Heritage Scenic Byway run along the historic Morris Canal between Greenwich and Hackettstown. There's no canal quite like Morris which, at its peak, ran 109 miles and required numerous locks and planes to accommodate the greatest elevation change of any canal in the world.

The byway is also home to Thomas Edison's "Concrete Mile," the first concrete highway in New Jersey. Built in 1912 as an experiment to see if Edison's "Portland" concrete could work as a road surface, a sign marks its location. Edison's cement was also used in the construction of the original Yankee Stadium; his company was based out of New Village in Franklin Township, New Jersey.

You can even track down a hidden New Jersey waterfall when you take this route!

Were you aware of New Jersey’s seven scenic byways? Which of these scenic drives in New Jersey would you most like to drive? If you’d like to see another stretch of road score the official designation, members of the public are allowed to nominate a route. The lengthy process involves sponsorship and significant paperwork, but it would be pretty amazing to be a part of history. If you’re up for the task, consider one of these 12 beautiful country roads in New Jersey.

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More to Explore

Best Scenic Drives In New Jersey

Kim Magaraci | July 15, 2021

Where can you find the most beautiful places in New Jersey?

Some of the most beautiful places in New Jersey include:

  • Great Falls National Historic Site
  • Armwell Valley
  • Atlantic Highlands
  • Pinelands
  • Cape May County

Each of New Jersey's counties offers some sort of natural beauty just waiting to be discovered. Up in the Skylands and Hudson Highlands, you can find cliffs, mountains, summits, and winding mountain roads. Closer to New York City, there's one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country! Visit Great Falls National Historic Site and you'll forget you're in such an urban environment. In "Central Jersey" (we won't start...), the rolling fields of the Amwell Valley give way to the world-famous beaches of Monmouth County, and the cliffs of Atlantic Highlands. Farther south, sprawling farms and fields grow Jersey tomatoes and sweet corn all summer long. The Pinelands is a true national treasure, with hundreds of miles of trails. If you continue south, you'll stumble upon the Bayshore, which is home to a unique marine environment, with oysters and horseshoe crabs galore. Cape May County is one of the best places in the country for birding. So, truly, you can find scenic places in New Jersey just about everywhere you look!

Are there any scenic overlooks in New Jersey?

One of the most beautiful scenic overlooks in New Jersey is known as High Point.

If you're on the search for an overlook, we've got a lot more to offer than the "Scenic Overlook" pullout you'll pass on 295. High Point is the obvious one - located way up in the northwestern corner of the state. Other well-known overlooks include the Barnegat and Cape May Lighthouses and the promenade at Weehawken. Some vistas that you may not know about include Goat Hill Overlook, which is just a short hike and showcases the Delaware River, Lambertville, and New Hope. In the same area, the top of Baldpate Mountain is accessible via car or a short hike, too. Some overlooks that take more strenuous hikes to access include Wyanokie High Point and the summit of Mount Tammany.

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