The route includes Lodi, where a duck named Susie is celebrated; Muscoda, with its spring crop of morel mushrooms; and Prairie du Chien, one of the most historically significant communities in Wisconsin.

And now that the 100-mile stretch of Highway 60 has been named a scenic byway, just the second such designation in the state, officials along the Lower Wisconsin River Road are hoping the designation — combined with the natural beauty, attractions and businesses along and near Highway 60 — will draw more visitors.

Some may buy gas at George Urban’s full-service station in Prairie du Sac or have lunch at the Spring Green General Store.

Just down the road, Brad Peck has homegrown vegetables at his sprawling road-side market. Near Boscobel, Tom Hubl can offer one of 10 rooms at the motel his parents purchased in 1948.

“This part of the state, I don’t think it gets the exposure that it should,” said Hubl, 68, who bought his parents’ business in 1979. “Hopefully it will help.”

Scenic byways have to be 30 or more miles in length, follow a state or federal highway but not the Interstate and have support from local governments. They also must have “moderate to high scenic characteristics,” said Jane Carrola, scenic byways coordinator for the state Department of Transportation.

The route will be marked with signs this year, and in years to come, it will be branded as a destination like the Great River Road, Wisconsin Dells, Door County or other major tourist areas of the state. It also could lead to visitor centers and pull-offs at scenic spots and improvements to attractions along the route, officials say.

Byway program at a glance

The Highway 60 Scenic Byway is the first under the state’s program, which was put in the state budget in 1999 and finalized in 2005. Others being considered include Highway 33 from Portage to La Crosse, the Door County peninsula and Bayfield County.

Wisconsin’s first scenic byway, the Great River Road, stretches almost 250 miles along the Mississippi River and uses Highway 35 from the far southwest corner of the state to Prescott, east of Minneapolis.

The section is part of the more than 3,000-mile, 10-state Great River Road created in 1938 that begins at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca, Minn., and ends at the Gulf of Mexico.

Since 2000, the Wisconsin section of Great River Road has received more than $5.1 million in federal grants and another $1.3 million in local funding from communities and foundations, something that also could happen for Highway 60, Carrola said.

The money has been used for various projects including advertising, roadside pull-offs and visitor centers. The National Brewery Museum, which also houses the Great River Road Interpretive Center, in Potosi, has received almost $850,000 in grants because of its location along the Great River Road, said Greg Larsen, executive director of the Potosi Brewing Co.

“It’s a wonderful addition to the route and I think you’d be hard pressed to find those funds from other sources,” Carrola said. “For the local governments, it’s a chance to work together and promote the route as a whole and provide access to these discretionary funds.”

Those who pushed for scenic byway status for Highway 60 believe it’s time to market the route from Lodi to Prairie du Chien as a premier destination, whether the mode of transportation is car, motorcycle, bicycle or canoe.

The idea for the byway came about nine years ago but actual planning began about three years ago. Mark Cupp, executive director of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, said he started by approaching communities along the river before making a proposal to the state, which has an advisory panel that includes members from tourism, commerce and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

“As we are able to draw more attention to Highway 60 and market the destinations along that route, it will be a building block for tourism efforts,” Cupp said. “I think we will begin to see growth in tourism this year, but it’s definitely a long-term effort.”

The route has state scenic byway status, but organizers say if it can be accepted into the national program, more advertising and grant money could find its way to Wisconsin.

Varied attractions

The route, which joins with the Great River Road, teems with scenic views, attractions and history.

In 1673, explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joilet used the river to become the first white men to enter the Upper Mississippi River at what now is Prairie du Chien. The 92 miles of riverway on the scenic byway are popular with canoers and anglers. The route offers short side trips to communities like Richland Center and Mazomanie and wineries near Muscoda and Prairie du Sac. The river also is a popular destination for bird watching as hundreds of eagles migrate to the open water each winter.

There are artisans in many of the communities, with Spring Green offering the history of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, American Players Theatre and shops and restaurants.

“It would be nice to see more people,” said Todd Miller, who, along with his wife, purchased the Spring Green General Store in 1993. “We’re not back to where we were before the recession started.”

Many of the communities involved with the byway project are just off Highway 60 by a mile or less. But the route plows through the downtowns of Prairie du Sac and Sauk City, something the two Sauk County communities likely will use to their advantage.

“We will be promoting getting people out of the car because we’re right on the road,” said Leslie Bruner, executive director of the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce. “We’re sitting pretty.”