ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Great River Road - Wisconsin

The highway curving along the bluffs above Lake Pepin
The highway curving along the bluffs above Lake PepinPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain

Great River Road - Wisconsin is an All-American Road in Wisconsin. Within Wisconsin it covers roughly 250 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Great River Road - Wisconsin with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

The Wisconsin leg of the Great River Road runs along the Mississippi beneath towering wooded bluffs, part of the ten-state route tracing the river to the Gulf. It passes river towns like Pepin, Alma, and Prairie du Chien, lock-and-dam overlooks, and bluff-top vistas over the wide, island-braided river. The corridor is a major flyway, busy with eagles and migrating waterfowl.

Designated for its historic and cultural qualities

Plan a drive on Great River Road - Wisconsin → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Great River Road - Wisconsin

  1. Little House Wayside

    A replica cabin marking the Pepin birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder, setting of Little House in the Big Woods.

  2. Lock and Dam No. 6

    A 1930s lock at Trempealeau with an observation deck where you can watch towboats lock through.

  3. Villa Louis

    A restored Victorian country house in Prairie du Chien on the site of an early fur trade post and fort.

  4. Wyalusing State Park

    Bluff-top overlooks 500 feet above the meeting of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, with trails past Native mounds.

  5. Nelson Dewey State Park

    A bluff park above Cassville with river views and eagle watching, beside Stonefield, a re-created 1900s farm village.

  6. Potosi

    A former lead-mining town with a long main street and the National Brewery Museum in its restored 1852 brewery.

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Where to Stay along Great River Road - Wisconsin

8 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Great River Road - Wisconsin.

Alma, WIGreat River Harbor Campground & MarinaBook a site →Kieler, WIRustic Barn Campground and RV ParkBook a site →DESOTO, WIBlackhawk ParkCheck availability →Welch, MNTreasure Island RV Park & Campground - MNBook a site →Wabasha, MNPioneer Campsite ResortBook a site →Potosi, WIGrant RiverCheck availability →Lansing, IARed Barn Campground & RestaurantBook a site →Galesville, WIChampions Riverside ResortBook a site →Hotels & motelsNear La Crosse, WISearch stays →Renting an RV?Near La Crosse, WISee RV rentals →Harvest Hosts20% offPark free overnight at farms and wineriesSee membership →

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.

Photos of Great River Road - Wisconsin

Craggy bluffs over the road and river
Craggy bluffs over the road and riverPhoto: S. Clyde / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
Islands and backwaters of the Mississippi from a bluff-top overlook
Islands and backwaters of the Mississippi from a bluff-top overlookPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain
Lock and Dam 4 and Alma from Buena Vista Park
Lock and Dam 4 and Alma from Buena Vista ParkPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain
A picnic spot facing the Minnesota bluffs across Lake Pepin
A picnic spot facing the Minnesota bluffs across Lake PepinPhoto: A. E. Crane / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
The road winding inland through green coulees
The road winding inland through green couleesPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain

What is an All-American Road?

All-American Roads are the top tier of America's National Scenic Byways. To earn the title a road has to be a destination in its own right — offering features so exceptional, across several intrinsic qualities (scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational), that they can't be found anywhere else.

← All scenic roads in Wisconsin