Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway
Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Minnesota. Within Minnesota it covers roughly 240 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Minnesota River Valley National Scenic Byway runs 287 miles from Browns Valley to Belle Plaine, tracing the Minnesota River through an ancient, oversized glacial valley. The river, which begins at Big Stone Lake, now only partly fills a valley carved by a much larger prehistoric river. Granite outcroppings dated to 3.8 billion years old, among the oldest exposed rock on Earth, sit alongside wetlands, prairie remnants, wooded hills, and farmland along the route, a landscape shaped by a much larger glacial-era river than the one seen today. The byway also carries the weight of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, which left hundreds dead and forced the exile of the Dakota people from Minnesota, with sites like the Lower Sioux Agency, Fort Ridgely, and the Treaty Site History Center in St. Peter interpreting that history along the drive. Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge and several state parks make the corridor a strong birding route as well. It's one of the longest scenic byways in the state and one of the few tracing a single river's full length.
- 287 miles, Browns Valley to Belle Plaine
- 3.8-billion-year-old granite outcrops
- U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 historic sites
- Lower Sioux Agency & Fort Ridgely
- Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge birding
Designated for its historic qualities
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Places to stop along Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway
Big Stone Lake
A long, narrow lake forming part of the South Dakota border, the source of the Minnesota River.
Lac qui Parle State Park
Woods and wetlands at the lake's outlet, where tens of thousands of migrating Canada geese gather in fall.
Upper Sioux Agency State Park
The site of a federal agency for the Dakota before the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War, overlooking the confluence of the Yellow Medicine and Minnesota rivers.
Lower Sioux Agency
Where the U.S.-Dakota War began in August 1862, now interpreted by the Lower Sioux Indian Community.
WebsiteSwan Lake
One of the largest prairie pothole marshes in the country, a major stop for migrating waterfowl near Nicollet.
Where to Stay along Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway
No campgrounds are listed close to Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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Photos of Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.