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
Drive the Great River Road Month Scenic Highlight – St. Anthony Falls: No place anchors the Mississippi’s significance in the Twin Cities like St. Anthony Falls – the river’s only major waterfall. Its physical power gave rise to Minneapolis, but its scenic power has drawn nationally known artists since the 1800s and still attracts modern day painters and photographers. Online Metro Region Travel Guide – mndot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=a57e485b3b34475e930abfb281458c03
Drive the Great River Road Month Scenic Highlight – Prairie River: From Brainerd to St. Anthony Falls, the Mississippi becomes the Prairie River, as it straightens out and islands replace oxbows. Here, the prairie runs up to the river’s banks, not bluffs. While the banks can rise 40 to 60 feet above the river, they are not the towering, rocky bluffs that begin below St. Anthony Falls. Yet, those high banks provide views of the maturing river. The river here is scenic and offers great fishing too! Online Scenic Region Travel Guide – mndot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=0da174893d8b4a9396302f10403d04ea&folderid=8bc…
Drive the Great River Road Month Scenic Highlight – Headwaters Lakes & Reservoirs: The headwaters region includes thousands of lakes. The largest contribute to America’s first reservoir system. Created by the Corps of Engineers over 100 years ago, the reservoirs provide a wide range of scenic views. Online Northwoods Region Travel Guide – mndot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=1761d3844ee84f99a66ff214bb60f48b&folderid=8bc…
