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The Great River Road

Roads along or near both banks of the Mississippi River along its entire length have been designated as "The Great River Road" and are marked with a special road sign which depicts a ship's wheel. A slightly simplified form of the same symbol appears on many maps such as the Rand McNally road atlas to indicate these roads.

The name "Great River Road" is also applied to the roads along the banks of the St Croix River in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and to some of the roads around Lake of The Woods in Minnesota and Ontario.

In the south the levees (embankments) prevent you from obtaining any views of the river, except when crossing the bridges. At the little town of St Joseph, Louisiana, we managed to find a way up onto a levee, with a good view of the river.

The bridges over the Mississippi are most impressive structures. In the south and middle section of the river many of the bridges have lengthy raised approach causeways over the levees and immediate flood plains adjacent to the river. These bridges and causeways are considerable civil engineering achievements, all the more so considering that they are built on little more than mud.

Further north more views of the river can be obtained, for example on Missouri State Highway 79 between Lock and Dam 24 and Hannibal, and on US61 between Keokuk and Fort Madison.

By far the best views of the river are on Wisconsin State Highway 35 between Prairie du Chien and La Crosse. The road runs alongside the river, with bluffs either side, and this must be considered the best part of the Great River Road as far as views are concerned.

It's well worth a stop at one of the locks and dams, which have viewing platforms open to the public free of charge.

The Great River Road is not part of the National Park Service system.

Some Ideas for Places to Stay

There are of course any number of towns of all sizes along the Mississippi. Here are a few recommendations, but this list is certainly not intended to be exhaustive:

Forrest City, Arkansas - on I-40 west of Memphis, Tennessee.
Helena and West Helena, Arkansas - we only passed through these towns but they seemed quite good.
Collinsville, Illinois - on I-55/I-70 east of St Louis, Missouri. The area near the Interstate is better than the old town of Collinsville. If you are prepared to brave the traffic then a look at the amazing Gateway Arch in St Louis is well worthwhile.
Burlington, Iowa - there is a good little park at the northern end of the old downtown area giving an excellent view over the river.
Natchez, Mississippi, which is also convenient for the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Vicksburg, Mississippi. The bridge here is impressive. There is a good welcome centre on the Mississippi side just east of the bridge, with an excellent view of the bridge and the river.
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

The Great River Road

Some Ideas for Places to Stay

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