Louisiana is known the world over for its Creole and Cajun cuisine, unique culture, Mardi Gras celebrations, music festivals, and, of course, New Orleans. And all that’s all a huge part of the state’s appeal.

But with its bayous, rolling hills, coastal wetlands and natural beauty, Louisiana certainly has much more to offer and explore. In fact, it has some of the most beauteous byways in the nation (off which you can always find a Louisiana auto title loan, since they’re located throughout the state). Let’s take a closer look.

Cajun Corridor Byway

This 34-mile stretch along Highway 14 in southwestern Louisiana is rife with gently sloping terrain featuring coastal ridges covered with oak tree stands and alleys of shade trees and dotted with marshes and sugar cane fields. Surrounding towns such as Delcambre and Abbeville, and Maurice are heavily influenced by their Acadian and French founders.

Zachary Taylor Parkway

Settle in for 203 miles along this byway, named for a hero of the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812, since Taylor had adopted Baton Rouge as his home. He did have a cottage there, which had overlooked the Mississippi. Along the route, Franklinton has Bogue Chitto State Park with its abundance of natural habitats and picturesque river systems.

Creole Nature Train All-American Road

This 207-mile remote terrain byway includes a 180-mile Creole Nature Trail All-American Road that features an array of shores, marshes and prairies brimming with wildlife, particularly ‘gators.  There are also pristine wetlands, small fishing communities, oak tree-studded sandy ridges emerging from low-sitting coasts, and natural Gulf of Mexico beaches. If you’re driving South, you’ll experience the landscape shift from prairie lands to one of coastal marshes.

Tunica Trace Scenic Byway

This 20-mile byway running along Highway 66 had been integral to early settlers and explorers and offers motorists a taste of the forests, hills, green spaces, and winding roads that render this portion of the state different. In Spring, a lovely array of flowers bloom to line the route. The Tunica Hills Management Area, with its ravines and forested bluffs, permits horseback riding, camping, hunting, and hiking, and houses some animal and plant species that can’t be found anywhere else in the state.

Louisiana Colonial Trails Scenic Byway

This 484-miles long route allows travelers to connect the cultural dots among the Native American, African American, Creole, French, and Anglo sites that include a number of military fortifications, cotton fields, the Delta Music Museum, the Political History Museum, and Central Louisiana’s oldest standing structure. There are a lot of experiences and adventures to be had along the Colonial Trails, which essentially tells the story of the nation’s western expansion.

San Bernardo Byway

This trek down the San Bernardo Byway starts due east of New Orleans and winds up in Shell Beach, a fishing village along the coast. The area reflects its Spanish and French history, along with influences from the people of the Spanish Canary Islands, just off the coast of Africa. Those island natives were lured to the area some 200 years ago for the trapping, fishing, and rich soil. Also along Highway 46 are plantation homes and sights of an historic battlefield. 

This is just a passing glimpse into Louisiana’s many scenic byways, where one can get a sampling of the state’s diverse beauty. The fact is that there’s much more to The Bayou State than New Orleans, which is indeed dazzling in its offerings. In fact, Louisiana has some of the most scenic routes in the country.