Following one of America’s “scenic byways” offers boundless flexibility for choosing one’s getaway plan.They’re the miniature versions, if you will, of the ambitious nationwide “auto tour routes” like those that follow the Oregon Trail or Route 66. Every one of the 50 states has designated scenic byways within its borders, offering trip lengths, themes and features for virtually any vacationer.

Some byways are short enough to drive in a day; others can take a week or more (if one lingers long enough). They’re organized along historic, cultural, natural or geographical lines. Regardless of their length, routes like Kansas’ Flint Hills and Iowa’s Covered Bridges byways help travelers to explore a given state’s most famous or even little-known aspects as quickly or as intimately as they please.

A few state byways fit into the longer national touring routes, such as Nebraska’s portions of the Lincoln Highway and the Lewis and Clark Trail. Iowa’s byways include its segments of the Great River Road along the Mississippi River, which marks its 80th anniversary in 2018, and the Jefferson Highway, which includes central Iowa in its north-south run from Winnipeg to New Orleans.

Certain drives, like Wyoming’s Black Hills Scenic Byway, remind visitors that some nationally famous tourist areas cover more than one state. Colorado’s Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, established in 1918, offers a day’s worth of fun experiences and spectacular views of the Rockies within easy reach of Denver.

As for the sites and activities that follow? Consider them mere appetizers. There’s much more to help you plan your trip at the state byways web pages included here.

Nebraska

Lincoln Highway Scenic

& Historic Byway

Distance: 467 miles

Route: U.S. Highway 30, Blair to Kimball

Things to see: Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, Grand Island; The Archway, Kearney; Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, North Platte

Things to do: Gottberg Brew Pub, Columbus; Crystal Palace Revue, Front Street, Ogallala (May-August); Potter Sundry, Potter

Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway

Distance: 82 miles

Route: U.S. Highway 75, Omaha to South Sioux City

Things to see: Durham Museum, Omaha; Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, Fort Calhoun; Honoring-the-Clans Sculpture Garden and Cultural Plaza, Winnebago

Things to do: Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha; DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Blair; Serendipity Chocolate Factory, Tekamah

Iowa

Iowa Great River Road National Scenic Byway

Distance: 328 miles (Iowa), 2,069 miles (total)

Route (Iowa): Various federal, state and county roads near Mississippi River, Minnesota border to Missouri border

Things to see: National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Dubuque; Buffalo Bill Museum & the Lone Star Steamer, Le Claire; George M. Verity Riverboat Museum, Keokuk

Things to do: Picket Fence Café & Clayton Ridge Farm Market, Guttenberg; Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center, Clinton; Mississippi River Ecotourism Center, Camanche

Covered Bridges Scenic Byway

Distance: 82 miles

Route: Iowa Highway 92 and county roads, Madison County, including Winterset, Bevington and St. Charles

Things to see: John Wayne Birthplace Museum, Iowa Quilt Museum and the Bridges of Madison County, Winterset

Things to do: White Lions B&B and Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset

Jefferson Highway Heritage Byway

Distance: 220 miles

Route: Primarily U.S. Highways 65 and 69, Northwood to Lamoni

Things to see: The Music Man Square & Meredith Willson Boyhood Home, Mason City; Iowa River Water Trail, Hardin County; National Balloon Museum and U.S. Hall of Fame, Indianola

Things to do: Berry Patch Farm, Nevada; Living History Farms, Des Moines; Amish Country Store, Lamoni

Colorado

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway

Distance: 55 miles

Route: Colorado Highways 119, 72 and 7, Central City-Black Hawk to Estes Park

Things to see: Gilpin History Museum, Central City; Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Golden; Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park

Things to do: Central City-Black Hawk Historic District; Carousel of Happiness, Nederland; Open Air Adventure Park, Estes Park

Wyoming

Black Hills Scenic Byway

Distance: 78 miles

Route: U.S. Highways 16 and 85, including Upton, Osage, Newcastle and Four Corners

Things to see: Anna Miller Museum, Newcastle; Cambria and Tubb Town ghost towns; Thunder Basin National Grassland