Great River Road Trip Travel Map & Directory

view of the mississippi river valley from effigy mounds national park — Scenic View of Mississippi River Valley from Effigy Mounds National Monument

Road Trip Travel Guide – Upper Mississippi Great River Road

Here is a summary of our articles and reviews of road trips traveling the Mississippi Great River Road from the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities to Prescott, Wisconsin. We profile scenic overlooks, campgrounds (with notations for RV camping), hiking, neat places to eat, and other interesting attractions.

Below the article profiles are a series of Google Maps illustrating these scenic road trips.

Save Money on Lodging Along the Great River Road
– Choose your destination, dates, and number of rooms

The Most Scenic Section of the Great River Road

We’ve traveled along the Mississippi River Road Scenic Drive from New Orleans to Hastings, Minnesota and believe the most impressive road trip is the Upper Mississippi sections of the Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota Great River Roads. That is because from the Iowa-Illinois Quad Cities to Red Wing Minnesota, the Mississippi River cuts through the glacial Driftless Area in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Northern Iowa and Illinois. The region is characterized by deeply carved river valleys and steep-sided wooded bluffs reaching as high as 600 feet above the river.

Another feature that makes this section of the Great River Road more distinctive is you are often actually running alongside the Mississippi whereas further south you often don’t see the river from the actual “Great River Road.”

Fall Scenic View Wisconsin Mississippi River Road — Towering Palisades are typical sights along the Upper Mississippi River Road

Mississippi River Maiden Rock — A little North of Maiden Rock looking south across the river.

Below is a list of all the travel articles we’ve posted on interesting places and things to see and do in the communities along the Upper Mississippi Great River Roads. Below that is our Google Map and Link identifying travel routes and point of interest along these routes.

Some Road Trip Attractions along the Upper Mississippi River Road

Here’s some interesting particular points of interest, things to see and do along the Upper Mississippi Great River Road

historic potosi brewery — Historic 1852 Potosi Brewery has an interesting Brewery Museum, a comfortable Pub and Brewhouse, and great food and drink.

LaCrosse Wisconsin Riverside Park — Julia Belle Swain Riverboat at LaCrosse’s Riverfront Park

grant river corps park — Top Campgrounds and RV Parks on the
Wisconsin side of the Great River Road

Shorter Road Trips Upper Mississippi Great River Road

I’ve divided up travel attractions along the River Road into several separate articles.

Overview: Upper Mississippi Great River Road
River Road Scenic Byways from the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities to St. Croix, Wisconsin
Part 1. Rock Island, Illinois to Thomson, Illinois
Top Attractions include the Mississippi River Visitor Center, John Deere Museum, a genuine Dutch Windmill, and top campgrounds.
Part 2. Savannah, IL to Dubuque, Iowa
Top Attractions include Mississippi Palisades Park, Historic River Towns of Galena and Dubuque, and the Potosi Brewery.
Part 3. McGregor, IA to LaCrosse, WI
Top Attractions include Effigy Mounds National Monument Park, Scenic Overlooks at Pikes Peak, Historic River Town of McGregor, and LaCrosse’s Grand Dad’s Bluff Scenic Overlook
Part 4, Winona, MN to Red Wing, MN
The Top Short Scenic Road Trip along both sides of the Mississippi River – Wisconsin Side
Part 5, Red Wing to Wabasha, MN
The Top Short Scenic Road Trip along both sides of the Mississippi River – Minnesota Side
Fall Color Loop: Winona to Red Wing, MN
Favorite Fall Color Day Trip along the Mississippi
Top Attractions Wisconsin Great River Road – Dubuque to LaCrosse
What to see and things to do along the scenic drive from Dubuque to LaCrosse
River Road Fall Color Pictures