Bayfield highway receives federal designation

A stretch of highway in Bayfield County, along with two other Wisconsin roads, have won Federal Highway Administration designations for their “national importance as tourism destinations,” the Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.

Roads in Bayfield and Door counties have been named National Scenic Byways, while a previous scenic byway was elevated to the status of an All American Road.

Approximately 70 miles of Wisconsin 13 along the Bayfield Peninsula’s Lake Superior shoreline is now designated as Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Scenic Byway.

“Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Scenic Byway follows 70 miles of Wisconsin 13 along the southern shore of Lake Superior along the Bayfield Peninsula through quaint harbor towns and historic fishing villages, near dozens of orchards and fruit farms, along miles of sand beach and the home of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa,” a WisDOT spokesperson said in the announcement.

“This designation further highlights the many reasons that Bayfield County is a world-class destination,” Bayfield County Tourism Director Mary Motiff said in a statement. Motiff added that the new designation doesn’t impose additional restrictions but is designed to attract additional visitors to the area.

Along with the Bayfield designation, over 66 miles of Wisconsin 57 and Wisconsin 42 from Sturgeon Bay to the tip of the Door Peninsula was designated as Door County’s Coastal Byway and 250 miles of Wisconsin 35 was designated an All American Road and named the Wisconsin Great River Road.

Passing through 33 river towns, the stretch had been the state’s only National Scenic Byway and connects to 10 other state routes as it follows the Mississippi River from its headwaters to its mouth.

“Wisconsin is filled with unexpected memories waiting to be discovered at every turn and these three scenic routes show off some of the best of what Wisconsin has to offer,” acting Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers said in Tuesday’s announcement. “As more travelers hit the road this year, we look forward to this well-deserved national recognition inspiring road-trippers from near and far to take in Wisconsin’s natural beauty and stretch their legs at the many restaurants, shops and recreation areas along the way.”

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration that was established in 1991 and “expanded significantly” in 1998 as an effort to “help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States,” according to the WisDOT announcement.

—Richard Jenkins