Autumn splendor on the Upper Delaware
NARROWSBURG – The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway was voted as the top choice in the Northeastern United States and ranked #2 in the entire country in USA TODAY’s “Best Scenic Autumn Drive” Readers’ Choice contest.
Results were announced on Oct. 2 following four weeks of on-line voting.
The nearly 70-mile route links the City of Port Jervis in Orange County to the Village of Hancock in Delaware County, with the majority of miles traversing Sullivan County communities and paralleling the National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.
“New York State Route 97, originally known as Delaware River Highway Route 3-A, was built as a scenic road to open up the southern tier counties,” said Nadia Rajsz, chairperson of the volunteer committee which oversees administration of the UDSB Enhancement Concept Plan. “The Roosevelt New Deal construction project took nine years to complete at a cost of around $4.1 million. At its grand opening ceremony held on August 30, 1939, it was officially dedicated as ‘The Most Scenic Highway in the East’.”
It is an area characterized by stunning scenery, a rich history, communities both lively and quaint, and an abundance of recreational opportunities.
USA TODAY’s ‘10Best’ travel experts emphasized Route 97’s spectacular fall foliage beauty by naming it as the only New York State highway on its list of 20 nominees for the Best Scenic Autumn Drive contest.
For information on the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc. or to request a brochure, please visit www.upperdelawarescenicbyway.org
The number one Autumn Byway in the U.S. is the M2 highway along Lake Michigan.
