ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail

Woodward Avenue at the Fox Theatre
Woodward Avenue at the Fox TheatrePhoto: Dennis Adams of FHWA / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail is an All-American Road in Michigan. Within Michigan it covers roughly 18 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

Woodward Avenue runs out of downtown Detroit through the city's historic heart and northern suburbs, the cradle of the American auto industry — the world's first mile of concrete highway was paved here in 1909. The route passes the Detroit Institute of Arts, grand architecture, and the suburbs that host the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, the country's largest classic-car gathering. It is a rolling monument to car culture.

Designated for its historic and cultural qualities

Plan a drive on Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail

  1. Fox Theatre

    A lavish 1928 movie palace on Woodward, the largest surviving one of its era.

  2. Detroit Institute of Arts

    A major art museum whose courtyard is wrapped in Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals, painted in 1932-33.

    Website

  3. Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

    The factory where the Model T was born in 1908, now a museum of early cars.

    Website

  4. Detroit Zoo

    A large zoo in Royal Oak, known for its polar bear tunnel and amphibian conservation center.

    Website

Where to Stay along Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail

No campgrounds are listed close to Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail yet, but there are rooms near the route.

Hotels & motelsNear Birmingham, MISearch stays →

Campsite and lodging links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.

Photos of Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail

The castle-like Hecker House on Woodward
The castle-like Hecker House on WoodwardPhoto: Dennis Adams of FHWA / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
Detroit's skyline across riverfront gardens
Detroit's skyline across riverfront gardensPhoto: Mark J. Arpin / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
The tiger sculptures outside Comerica Park
The tiger sculptures outside Comerica ParkPhoto: Dennis Adams of FHWA / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
Tents of the Arts, Beats and Eats festival
Tents of the Arts, Beats and Eats festivalPhoto: Arts, Beats and Eats, Inc / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

What is an All-American Road?

All-American Roads are the top tier of America's National Scenic Byways. To earn the title a road has to be a destination in its own right — offering features so exceptional, across several intrinsic qualities (scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational), that they can't be found anywhere else.

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