Great Divide National Scenic Highway
Great Divide National Scenic Highway is a National Forest Scenic Byway in Wisconsin. Within Wisconsin it covers roughly 25 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Great Divide National Scenic Highway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Great Divide Highway is a 29-mile National Forest Scenic Byway on State Highway 77 between Glidden and Hayward in northern Wisconsin. The route crosses the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest along the low divide separating waters that drain toward Lake Superior from those flowing toward the Mississippi, passing lakes, swamps, and bogs where beaver, loons, and bald eagles are common sights. Black bear, timber wolves, and white-tailed deer live in the surrounding forest, and pull-offs along the route give travelers a chance to spot them without leaving the road. Fall is the byway's signature season, when sugar and red maples turn fiery red and gold against the dark green of pine and fir, drawing leaf-peepers from across the Upper Midwest. Allow three to five hours to drive it properly, since the appeal here is in stopping often rather than passing through quickly. It's one of the more remote scenic byways in northern Wisconsin's national forest lands.
- 29 miles on Hwy 77, Glidden to Hayward
- Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
- Lake Superior/Mississippi watershed divide
- black bear, timber wolves & bald eagles
- prime fall foliage viewing
Plan a drive on Great Divide National Scenic Highway →
What is a National Forest Scenic Byway?
National Forest Scenic Byways are routes designated by the U.S. Forest Service that thread through the mountains, canyons and old growth of America's national forests and grasslands.
Where to Stay along Great Divide National Scenic Highway
4 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Great Divide National Scenic Highway.
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