Blue-Gray Scenic Byway

Blue-Gray Scenic Byway is a Civil War heritage drive across eastern North Carolina, following the path Union General William T. Sherman's forces took marching from Bentonville to Goldsboro after the Battle of Bentonville in March 1865, the last major Confederate offensive of the war. The route runs through Johnston, Wayne, Lenoir, and Jones counties, tracing ground where Sherman's army and Confederate forces under General Joseph Johnston fought and skirmished repeatedly as the war wound toward its close. Historical markers line both sides of the road for much of its length, noting battle sites, troop movements, and the small communities that found themselves caught between the two armies. The full drive takes about two hours, and the region hosts periodic Civil War reenactments that bring the battlefield history along the route back to life for visitors. Named for the opposing uniform colors of the Union and Confederate armies, the byway is less about mountain or coastal scenery than about walking, or driving, through one of the war's final chapters.

• Bentonville to Goldsboro
• Johnston, Wayne, Lenoir, Jones counties
• Sherman's March (1865)
• Battle of Bentonville aftermath
• Civil War historical markers
• ~2-hour drive