Shooting Star Wildflower and Historic Route Scenic Byway
Shooting Star Wildflower and Historic Route Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Minnesota. Within Minnesota it covers roughly 30 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Shooting Star Wildflower and Historic Route Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Shooting Star Scenic Byway is a 32-mile drive on Highway 56 in far-southern Minnesota, running between Interstate 90 and Highway 63 near the Iowa border, about 10 miles east of Austin. Designated in 1993, it was one of Minnesota's first official scenic byways and one of the state's first dedicated wildflower routes, with MnDOT and the Department of Natural Resources jointly managing native grasses and wildflowers, including the shooting star bloom the byway is named for, along the roadside. The drive passes cornfields and native prairie remnants alongside the small towns of Adams, Rose Creek, Taopi, and LeRoy, each contributing historic buildings, bed-and-breakfasts, and small-town charm to the route. Lake Louise State Park sits along the byway, and the parallel Shooting Star Recreational Trail offers a car-free option for the same stretch of countryside. It's a modest, agricultural-country drive rather than a dramatic landscape, valued more for its wildflowers and small-town history than sweeping views.
- 32 miles on Hwy 56 near Austin
- designated 1993, one of MN's first scenic byways
- dedicated wildflower route
- Adams, Rose Creek, Taopi, LeRoy small towns
- Lake Louise State Park
Plan a drive on Shooting Star Wildflower and Historic Route 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 Shooting Star Wildflower and Historic Route Scenic Byway
1 campground or RV park sits within about 5 miles of Shooting Star Wildflower and Historic Route Scenic Byway.
Campsite and lodging 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.