The Great River Road Replaces Danger with the Amazing Natural Beauty of the Mississippi River
Dangerous roads might be exciting but not every exciting road is dangerous. So, in this article we will talk about one of the most unsung great roads in the United States: the Great River Road. There are many much more famous roads in the US such as Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Road also known as Highway 1.
The Great River Road follows the Mississippi River for about 3000 miles! Clearly, this is a drive that people do over a period of years. There are hundreds of small to medium-sized towns along the Great River Road so the average driving time is pretty slow. In addition, almost every town has something to offer people who park the car, get out to stretch their legs, and walk around the village.
From Central Minnesota to Southern Mississippi
Despite having long names that originated in Native American languages, Minnesota and Mississippi could not be further apart culturally and meteorologically.
In August, it could be much hotter in central Minnesota than in southern Mississippi but the great humidity in the south makes August in Mississippi unbearable for everyone who didn’t grow up there. Similarly, January in southern Mississippi is quite pleasant with no frosts and no snow. Winter in central Minnesota is unspeakable unless you grew up there and are simply used to it.
Take in the Mississippi River in Wisconsin
Although the Great River Road traverses ten states, we will focus here on the relatively short length of the road in Wisconsin. We will find many river towns that are as narrow as a single street wide with the bluffs to the east and the vast state of Wisconsin beyond them. In many places, you can climb the bluffs—they aren’t very high—and get a great view of the river and of the vast expanse of the Midwest.
We will travel north to south so the car you are in will be closer to the river.
St. Croix River
The mighty St. Croix River flows into the mightier Mississippi River at Prescott, the first river town on the Great River Road in Wisconsin. The Great River Road Visitor and Learning Center is here. It is well worth an hour or more and the kids will enjoy the interactive exhibits. This is the perfect place to get orientated for the drive through Wisconsin along the river.
Vineyards
All along the road, you will find vineyards, orchards, and cherries to pick yourself in season. We won’t recommend any single vineyard as they all have good wines, cheerful Midwestern staff, and make travelers feel welcome.
The first but by far not the last vineyard is in Prescott.
The Family Values of the Midwest
As you leave Prescott—it happens quickly—you’ll be driving on state road 35. The road is always very well maintained. The homes on either side of the road are also well-kept. There is no litter on the sides of the road and a traveler always gets the feeling that they are at the center of the great Midwestern family-oriented society.
Awanderin’
The road meanders sometimes close to and sometimes away from the river. Soon you’ll arrive in Diamond Bluff, a town of some 500 people. In any of the little villages along the road, you can get out and walk around. Even a short 15 minutes stretching walk will keep your legs in good fit and the walk will let you see the town up close.
The next town is a bit larger as Hager City is across the river from Red Wing, Minnesota.
The next town is Bay City after which the road once again meanders away from the river for a few miles before coming back to it in Warrentown. North of the village is a wayside rest area. These rest areas are also a good place to stretch your legs and to marvel at the river.
Since this part of Wisconsin is so lightly populated, imaginative visitors can get a sense of what life along the river 100-200 years ago might have been like.
Just past Warrentown is the Rush River Delta State Natural Area. If you have high boots, you could hike a short distance in the wetlands here. The ground is too swampy for plain shoes.
Next up is Maiden Rock, a small town with basically just the one road but it does boast a hotel which many visitors say is clean and comfortable. From here for many miles, you’ll be on the narrowest stretch of the road in Wisconsin. The bluffs to your right seem to hang over the road while the river to the west seems larger than it really is given the contrast between the cramped sense you get looking to the east and the open sense you get looking to the west.
Hardy hikers can climb Maiden Rock Bluff which rewards hikers with a magnificent view of the river.
Stockholm
This is a town of fewer than 100 residents but it has some commerce and another well-maintained hotel. Stockholm is home to the Purple Turtle Artisan Collective which boasts hand crafted work from artisans from all over the country and especially from Wisconsin.
We hope that the collective will re-open soon after the virus has passed.
Pepin
This little village has far more to offer travelers than one might expect from a town of about 1000 residents. The town has a collective of its own, a jewelry studio, a pickle factory, and two museums, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and the Depot Museum.
After you leave Pepin, you’ll come to the Chippewa River. On either side of the road along the Chippewa are natural areas which offer hiking up into the bluffs or down to the Mississippi.
Alma
Most of the homes in Alma are on the road as the town at its narrowest is exactly one road wide. This is a great little town to walk in from the quilt shop at the northern edge to the museum at the southern edge.
Alma gives way to Buffalo City and Cochrane before arriving at Merrick State Park which offers boating, fishing, camping, hiking, and more.
Fountain City comes and goes pretty quickly. There are plenty of wetlands on this next stretch of the road until you reach Trempealeau which at a population of some 1500 will seem like a veritable metropolis after so many really small towns!
Finally you’ll reach the “suburbs” of La Crosse and then the city itself. La Crosse has everything a city of even modest size should have from a good choice of restaurants, city parks and playgrounds, hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts, plus historic buildings and riverfront activities.
La Crosse also has a minor league baseball team - if you're lucky they'll be playing in town during your visit.
Prairie Du Chien
Down the road from La Crosse is the smaller town of Prairie Du Chien. Since we are now in the far southwestern side of Wisconsin, there is more 18th and 19th century history here. Fort Crawford Museum gives a good overview of the westward migration across the vast continent plus the life the local settlers forged here.
The Great River Road in Wisconsin ends where Dubuque, Iowa casts its “big city” influence. You can cross into Dubuque or continue south towards Galena, Illinois where General and President Ulysses S. Grant had a home. The tour of President Grant’s home has a most poignant side in the room in the basement where runaway slaves were kept during the day, fed and clothed as the need may have been, and then sent on their journey north at night.
Let’s All Get Well
At this time, a long road trip seems like a pipedream. However, we know that road trips will come back once the virus recedes. The Great River Road is one of the many wonderful drives you can undertake in the United States even if there are no death defying hairpin turns along the way!
As for now, we wish good health to everyone and get your motor runnin’!