State Route 179, also known as SR 179, the Red Rock Scenic Byway, a north–south state highway in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, United States, running from Interstate 17 to SR 89A in

Sedona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

, entering

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai p ...

from Yavapai County. In 2006, the US Dept. of Transportation awarded SR 179 its highest designation within the National Scenic Byways Program: the

All-American Road A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

designation, due to the red rock and sandstone formations through which it travels along its length within the hills of the Coconino National Forest. The All-American Road designation also signifies to the travelling public that this is a road that is "a destination unto itself".

Route description

The southern terminus of SR 179 is at exit 298 off of I-17; the exit is about north of

Camp Verde Camp Verde ( yuf-x-yav, ʼMatthi:wa; Western Apache: Gambúdih) is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 10,873. The town hosts an annual corn festival in July, sponsored and orga ...

. SR 179 heads northwest from the interchange briefly before curving towards the north. It keeps this heading as it passes through the red rock area of the

Village of Oak Creek Village of Oak Creek is an unincorporated community located within Big Park a census-designated place (CDP) in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 6,147 at the 2010 census, up from 5,245 in 2000. Big Park is the name of ...

on its way to

, just a few miles north. As it enters the Sedona city limits, it roughly follows along the east bank of Oak Creek. It crosses the creek just before reaching its northern terminus at SR 89A.

History

The original SR 179 was designated between 1935 and 1939 from SR 79 (now SR 89A) to SR 69 in

Prescott Valley Prescott Valley is a town located in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, approximately east of Prescott. According to the 2020 United States Census, Prescott Valley has a population of 46,785 residents. History Prescott Valley's Fitzmaur ...

. By 1960, this route was cancelled, and SR 179 was designated on its current route.

Junction list

References

External links

Official website of the Red Rock Scenic Byway

Red Rock Scenic Byways section on the National Scenic Byways website
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179 Year 179 (Roman numerals, CLXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Veru (or, less frequently, year 932 ' ...

Transportation in Yavapai County, Arizona Transportation in Coconino County, Arizona Scenic highways in Arizona Sedona, Arizona