Great River Road
On the Great River Road in Illinois
The Great River Road is a 2,069-mile route that runs north-south on both sides of the Mississippi River from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way the route passes through ten states: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The Great river Road is not a single route but a designated scenic byway that passes over many federal, state, county and municipal roads and streets. In some areas it shares the route with other scenic byways.
As an idea, the Great River Road was born in 1936. Signage along what became the designated route started to appear in the late 1950's and Congress finally began funding recommended improvements along the route in 1973. By 1982 more than $310 million went into upgrading the infrastructure of the Great River Road. There was also a time when extensions of the route fed into Ontario and Manitoba.
Attractions along the Great River Road
Arkansas
- Arkansas Post National Memorial
- Desha County Museum
- Ditch Bayou Battle Site
- Hampson Museum State Park
- Lake Chicot State Park
- Lakeport Plantation
- Louisiana Purchase Monument State Park
- Rohwer Relocation Site
- St. Francis National Forest
- Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge
- White River National Wildlife Refuge
Illinois
- Big River State Forest
- Black Hawk State Historic Site
- Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site
- Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge
- Delabar State Park
- Fort de Chartres State Historic Site
- Fort Defiance State Park
- Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site
- George M. Verity Riverboat Museum
- Holy Family Log Church National Historic Landmark
- Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area
- John Deere & Company Historic Sites
- Loud Thunder State Forest
- Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge
- Mississippi Palisades State Park and National Landmark
- Mississippi River Visitor Center
- Nauvoo State Park
- Nauvoo Temple and Historic Sites
- Pere Marquette State Park
- Pierre Menard Home National Historic Landmark
- Rock Island Arsenal
- Shawnee National Forest
- Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge
- Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Iowa
- Effigy Mounds National Monument
- Green Island State Wildlife Refuge
- Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
- Mines of Spain State Recreation Area
- Nahant Marsh Education Center
- National Mississippi River Museum
- Old Fort Madison
- Pikes Peak State Park
- Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science
- Toolesboro Indian Mounds National Historic Landmark
- Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
- Wildcat Den State Park
- Yellow River Forest State Recreation Area
Kentucky
- Columbus-Belmont State Park
- Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
- Wickliffe Mounds State Park
Louisiana
- Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge
- Houmas House Plantation
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
- Louisiana State Cotton Museum
- Oak Alley Plantation
- Port Hudson State Historical Site
- River Road African-American Museum
- San Francisco Plantation
- Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge
- Winter Quarters State Historic Site
Minnesota
- Chippewa National Forest
- Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
- Croft Mine Historical Park
- Frontenac State Park
- Great River Bluffs State Park
- Itasca State Park
- John A. Latsch State Park
- Lake Bemidji State Park
- Lake Maria State Park
- Lindbergh State Park
- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
- Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
- Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Mississippi
- Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge
- Delta National Forest
- Great River Road State Park
- Homochitto National Forest
- Leroy Percy State Park
- Natchez National Historical Park
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge
- Vicksburg National Military Park
- Winterville Mounds and museum
- Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge
Missouri
- Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge
- Dupont Conservation Area
- Great River National Wildlife Refuge
- Holcim Cement Clarksville Refuge
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
- Ted Shanks Conservation Area
Tennessee
- Alex Haley State Historic Site
- Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge
- Fort Pillow State Historic Park
- Lake Isom National Wildlife Refuge
- Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge
- Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
- Reelfoot Lake State Park
- Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
Wisconsin
- Bald Eagle Bluff State Natural Area
- Fort Crawford
- Nelson Dewey State Park
- Perrot State Park
- Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge
- Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
- Wyalusing State Park
Maps of the Great River Road
- Arkansas North Section
- Arkansas South Section
- Illinois North Section
- Illinois South Section
- Iowa Section
- Kentucky Section
- Louisiana North Section
- Louisiana Middle Section
- Louisiana South Section
- Minnesota Section
- Mississippi North Section
- Mississippi South Section
- Missouri Section
- Tennessee Section
- Wisconsin North Section
- Wisconsin South Section
A foggy morning at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana
The Old Courthouse Museum in Vicksburg
Upper photo courtesy of Wikipedia userid Kbh3rd, CCA-by-SA 3.0 License
Other photos and maps are in the public domain