Plan Your Trip on the Minnesota Great River Road this September
Fall is the perfect time to drive the Great River Road, one of America’s most scenic routes. This National Scenic Byway and All-American Road follows the Mississippi River for nearly 3,000 miles through 10 states, from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. And in 2025, the Great River Road was voted as the Best Scenic Drive in America in the 2025 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards!
September is Drive the Great River Road Month, and the MN Mississippi River Parkway Commission is providing exclusive content on 700+ places to explore by vehicle, foot, bicycle, boat, train, and plane. You’ll find fun fall festivals, farmers’ markets, and other attractions all throughout our 10-state region. Whether you’re riding your motorcycle or taking a family trip in the minivan, there’s plenty to discover along America’s greatest drive.
Need some travel inspiration? Here’s some helpful info you can use to plan your trip during Drive the Great River Road Month (or any time of year, really):
- Order your free copy of our 10-state map, which features the top attractions along the Great River Road.
- Discover attractions along the Mississippi River, including museums, historical sites, locks & dams, scenic overlooks, and more.
- Our network of nearly 100 Interpretive Centers (museums, historical sites, and more) tell the story of the Mississippi River and its people, land, and culture.
- Learn about the northern Great River Road as it passes through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.
- Explore the southern Great River Road in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
- Why was the Great River Road named an All-American Road? Find out here.
The Plan Your Trip interactive map available at www.mnmississippiriver.com can help you find your next adventure along the Mighty Mississippi River in Minnesota. It’s your one-stop shop for details on the Great River Road route (follow the green & white “pilot’s wheel” signs) and insider information on things to see and do, organized and searchable by category.
The interactive map includes:
- The Great River Road route – follow the green line that shows you the exact location of the byway
- Interpretive Centers – 13 attractions that are part of a 10-state network of sites to learn specifically about the
Mississippi River’s landscape, history and art - Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas – local, state, and federal parklands, forests, and wildlife refuges/areas
- History – history museums, historic sites, and interpretive markers
- Arts & Culture – outdoor art locations, art museums, and performance art venues
- Get On the Water – boat landings, river bridges, and fishing piers
- Minnesota Grown Members – a variety of farmers markets, garden centers, wineries, fruit & vegetable growers &
more, all within 10 miles of the Great River Road - Other Minnesota Byways – Minnesota’s other 21 State and National Scenic Byways
- Navigation capability to help you plan your travel between points of interest
The Great River Road runs through 20 Minnesota counties, 43 communities and three tribal nations from Lake Itasca to the Iowa border, so Minnesotans don’t have to travel far to Get Outdoors on or along the Mississippi. Plus, Minnesota DNR has more than 70 public recreation sites along or near the Great River Road, so travelers have countless opportunities to take advantage of the outdoors and enjoy the river this fall. For more information on the Minnesota and National Great River Road visit www.mnmississippiriver.com and www.experiencemississippiriver.com.
About the Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission
Minnesota’s Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MN-MRPC) is a statutory Commission, whose mission is…To preserve, promote and enhance the scenic, historic, and recreational resources of the Mississippi River, to foster economic growth in the corridor and to develop the national, scenic, and historic byway known as the Great River Road. The MN-MPRC is part of the larger 10-State National MRPC organized in 1938 to celebrate the Mississippi River by developing the Great River Road Scenic Byway. The 10 states are: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
About the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The mission of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is to work with Minnesotans to conserve and manage the state’s natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.