Minnesota’s Great River Road is a network of roadways offering a bounty of river experiences in a parkway setting. It spans 565 miles, 43 communities, 20 counties, three tribes, six unique destination areas, and eight scenic reaches that provide access to and tell the stories about America’s Great Mississippi River.
Look for this green and white Pilot’s Wheel sign to guide your way along
Minnesota’s 565-mile Great River Road National Scenic Byway.
Headwaters
Mississippi
Northwoods
Mississippi
crossings
Mississippi
Scenic
Mississippi
metro
Mississippi
Bluffs
Mississippi
Plan Your Trip Interactive Map
Before and during your journey, use the Plan Your Trip interactive map to understand the Great River Road and Mississippi River (bicycle) Trail alignments, discover over 700 points of interest, find over 200 local food providers, and see where Tribal lands are along the river. Beyond the car, Great River Road travel options include Amtrak train stations, excursion boat landings and airports. Beyond the river, alignments of Minnesota’s 20 other state and National scenic byways offer their own sense of place. Welcome!
Latest News
Another reopening of a Great River Road Interpretive Center! The National Eagle Center in Wabasha reopens January 15. They’ll be open Fridays through Sundays, reservations required. It’s an experience like no other for all things "eagle!"WE’RE EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU BACK STARTING JANUARY 15TH!
It is official – the National Eagle Center will be welcoming back pre-registered visitors starting Friday, January 15th! Our team and the eagle ambassadors are excited to have you back, especially as we are in the midst of a fantastic bald eagle viewing season along the Upper Mississippi River!
We’ve also updated and refreshed some of our exhibit spaces, so there are new things for returning visitors to check out. Plus, the Artists Helping Eagles exhibit will be updated for 2021 with all new pieces for sale!
Start making plans for your next visit and start out 2021 with the eagles! All dates and times for January visitor sessions are currently LIVE on our website! Learn more and register: bit.ly/37R8diz. See you in Wabasha! 🦅😍👍
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum reopens today! This fabulous museum, specially designated as a Great River Road Interpretive Center, is a must see…
Anyone in the market for a bridge? Just $1! The Brown County Highway Department will be selling the Eden Bridge, a steel truss bridge currently spanning the Minnesota River, for $1. Could be just the thing for a park or trail project, and is an interesting piece of history – www.dot.state.mn.us/historicbridges/available-bridges.html