Boom or Bust Byway
Boom or Bust Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Louisiana. Within Louisiana it covers roughly 140 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Boom or Bust Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Boom or Bust Byway runs 136 miles across four northwest Louisiana parishes: Caddo, Bossier, Webster, and Claiborne. It's a National Scenic Byway built around the region's boom-and-bust economic history in oil, gas, lumber, transportation, and farming. Gilliam hosts the Sunflower Trail and Festival each June, when fields of blooms line Highway 3049 toward Shreveport. Mooringsport's Longwood General Store still serves steaks and Southern classics from a century-old building, while Plain Dealing's Big Dup's Cajun Kitchen turns out boudin, hot water cornbread, and its signature Voodoo Burger. Long rural stretches connect these small towns, tracing the same up-and-down industries that built and, at times, nearly emptied them.
- 136 miles, 4 NW Louisiana parishes
- National Scenic Byway
- Gilliam's Sunflower Trail and Festival
- oil, gas & lumber boom-bust history
- Caddo, Bossier, Webster & Claiborne parishes
Plan a drive on Boom or Bust Byway →
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.
Where to Stay along Boom or Bust Byway
3 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Boom or Bust Byway.
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