Arizona has no shortage of breathtaking views — More than 27,000 ADOT-maintained miles leads millions of travelers to experience roadside destinations this summer.

Along many roadways, accompanying those double-take views are eyefuls of litter. Professional and mobile photographers alike make photo op adjustments to miss the mess. No memorable backdrops with a majestic saguaro and plastic bag clinging to 200-year-old spines.

Shuffle the group left to miss a cigarette butt carpet crafted from illegal dumping. You get it — litter is ugly and doesn’t go away on its own. Even banana peels take about two years to decompose.

In a nutshell (those take about three) ADOT has lots and lots of adoptable miles. If you’ve got the time and moxy to pull together a small or large army of volunteers to help put those photogenic moments back in summer travel, we’d love to hear from you.

If you are a lover of cigarette butt murals, please apply here.

Participating in the Adopt a Highway program will supplement your artist media free of charge while you help keep it grand! If cigarette butts are not your thing — no worries, there are plenty of trash varieties and other treasures to collect too.

Thank you to the 1,200 volunteer groups and 4,758 individuals who support the Adopt a Highway Volunteer program. Your helping hands continue to make Arizona a top choice for landscape photographers.

Mary Currie is program manager in charge of ADOT’s Adopt a Highway program. Learn more at azdot.gov.