Good Question.

The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive was established by Maricopa County residents in 1963. The drive included a section on Cave Creek Road and a section on Scottsdale Road. At the time, these two roads passed through a vast expanse of open Sonoran Desert and were the only paved roads into the then tiny towns of Cave Creek and Carefree. The county established scenic setbacks to protect roadside vegetation and two small parks at the two southern entries to the drive. Residents, working under the auspices of the Cave Creek Improvement Association (i.e. Chamber of Commerce), installed redwood plant identification signs on both sides of the drive to showcase the various species of desert flora that flourish in the area.
Information about the drive was published in tourist magazines and on postcards. Volunteers maintained the plant identification for decades. In the 1980s, the Cave Creek Road section was annexed into Phoenix (along with all the surrounding property) and the Scottsdale Road section was annexed into Scottsdale (along with surrounding property). In 1994, Scottsdale residents formed Friends of the Scenic Drive, with the support of Scottsdale, to restore and enhance the Scottsdale Road section of the drive and also create a visitor exhibit area. The Scottsdale Road section of the Scenic Drive is 6 1/2 miles long, stretching from Happy Valley Road north to Carefree Highway. Today, it’s a landmark that just celebrated its 50th birthday. It was one of the first preservation efforts in the Valley of the Sun. See http://www.scenicdrive.org for much more information.

The Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor was designated by the City of Scottsdale after annexation for planning purposes. Scottsdale has sections of other major roads that it has designated as scenic corridors. Scenic Corridors are identified in Scottsdale’s General Plan and setbacks and other city regulations protect roadside vegetation. The Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor stretches for 11 miles, beginning at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard to the south and ending at Carefree Highway to the north. The northern-most 6 12/ mile section of the scenic corridor is the Scenic Drive. You can find information about Scottsdale’s scenic corridors on the city’s website.