Historic Hills Scenic Byway
Historic Hills Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Iowa. Within Iowa it covers roughly 85 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Historic Hills Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Historic Hills Scenic Byway rolls 105 miles through five southeast Iowa counties and roughly 20 small towns without a single fast-food restaurant along the route. It crosses Wapello, Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren, and Lee counties end to end, passing Troy in Davis County, then the Van Buren County river villages of Keosauqua, Bentonsport, Bonaparte, and Farmington before ending at Donnellson in Lee County. Bentonsport, platted in 1839 on the Des Moines River, is a National Historic District with several bed and breakfasts, a restored 1840s village core, and the oldest wagon bridge of its type still standing in the state. Around Drakesville and Bloomfield, more than 100 Amish and Mennonite-owned businesses serve travelers with baked goods, furniture, and quilts. Other communities along the route include Birmingham, Blakesburg, Cantril, Eldon, Milton, Moravia, and Unionville, each adding its own slower-paced stop to the drive.
- 105 miles, 5 SE Iowa counties
- Bentonsport National Historic District (1839)
- oldest wagon bridge of its type in Iowa
- Amish & Mennonite country, Drakesville/Bloomfield
- 20 small towns, no fast food
Plan a drive on Historic Hills Scenic Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Historic Hills Scenic Byway
1 campground or RV park sits within about 5 miles of Historic Hills Scenic Byway.
Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.