The Great River Road Overview

The Mississippi River (IA) [1]

In sheer size and importance, the Mississippi River has few equals. Hundreds of years ago, Native Americans used it for trade and travel, with the Hopewell Indian culture becoming the most advanced society in early North America. The French sent trappers down its banks after coveted beaver fur. For years, it served as the western boundary of America, providing the next western frontier as the United States acquired new lands. Western settlements expanded along the river, with their rugged pioneers doing their best to tame the mighty river country.

The Shimmering Waters of the Mississippi (MN) [2]

Today, the Great River Road National Scenic Byway incorporates riverside roads in all ten of the states that border the Mississippi: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. From the river's beginning in the lakes of Minnesota down to its end at the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, the natural beauty and cultural heritage along the Great River Road is as varied as the regions it passes through.

The Mississippi River from Randolph (TN) [3]

Visitors can explore the mounds of Native American cultures such as the Hopewells that line the Mississippi through several states, visit river towns unchanged since the 18th Century, and participate in interactive museums that display life along the Mississippi from past to present. The forested hills and striking bluffs provide a constantly changing view, and visitors can view the successful restoration of the American Bald Eagle in its riverside habitat.

Mississippi River From Western Kentucky (KY) [4]

Whether learning about the vast river history or watching a peaceful sunset reflected in a mile of inland water, visitors to the Great River Road National Scenic Byway will leave with a greater awe and appreciation for one of America's greatest natural wonders.