Apple Blossom Scenic Drive
Apple Blossom Scenic Drive is a State Scenic Byway in Minnesota. Within Minnesota it covers roughly 19 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Apple Blossom Scenic Drive with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Apple Blossom Scenic Drive is a 17-mile loop through the Mississippi River bluff country around La Crescent, Minnesota's self-proclaimed Apple Capital. Following Highway 29 through La Crescent, Dakota, and Nodine, the route winds past orchards first planted on the river bluffs in the 1850s, with roadside stands selling apples, cider, Indian corn, and pumpkins depending on the season. Early to mid-May is peak apple blossom time, when the hillside orchards fill the air with fragrance and views open out over the Mississippi River Valley below; fall brings its own show of color as the same bluffs turn red and gold. The drive is short enough to complete in under an hour, but the overlooks along the way, including the Apple Blossom Overlook itself, make it worth slowing down for. It's a quick, seasonal detour rather than a long-haul scenic drive, best timed to blossom season or fall harvest.
- 17-mile loop, La Crescent area
- Mississippi River bluff views
- 1850s apple orchards
- peak bloom early-to-mid May
- Apple Blossom Overlook
Plan a drive on Apple Blossom Scenic Drive →
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 Apple Blossom Scenic Drive
No campgrounds are listed close to Apple Blossom Scenic Drive yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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