MN Great River Road Receives All-American Road Designation

Via a February 23 Press Release from MN Mississippi River Parkway Commission:

Minnesota Great River Road recognized as the best of the best – an “All-American Road”

The Minnesota Great River Road, which is part of a national scenic byway that runs 3,000 miles from Minnesota to Louisiana, has been awarded the highest of byway designations by the Federal Highway Administration: All-American Road.

To receive All-American Road status, a road must possess nationally significant qualities and have one-of-a-kind features that exist nowhere else – making the byway a “destination unto itself.”

The MN Mississippi River Parkway Commission, byway organization for the MN Great River Road, welcomes the heightened attention this new designation will bring. MN-MRPC Chair, Sen. David Senjem, said, “We invite travelers from near and far to explore the Minnesota Great River Road and find out what we already know – our Mississippi River changes its character more often than in any other state, offering places of scenic beauty from the intimate to the majestic. Along its course, you will find sites connected to our national narrative, from the tragic to triumphant.”

What earned the Minnesota Great River Road All-American Road status? The 565-mile Minnesota Great River Road is designated along a cornucopia of state and local roads from the iconic Lake Itasca headwaters to the Iowa border.

Evolving river landscapes feature 40+ cities hosting river exploration. Residents and tourists are invited to experience over 700 Mississippi River historical, scenic, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological features; and twelve specially designated Great River Road Interpretive Centers. Unfortunately, all 700+ things to see and do could not be included in the All-American Road nomination. These 16 features were selected to represent the overall magic of the Minnesota Great River Road. They help provide inspiration for whatever journey you may choose… 

Eight Unique Scenic Reaches

• Lake Itasca – the Mississippi River’s birthplace
• Serpentine River – a twisting, snaking river that confounds the best of paddlers
• Headwaters Lakes – part of America’s first reservoir system meant to augment navigation
• Prairie River – where the Mississippi grows into adolescence and straightens out
• St. Anthony Falls – the Great River’s only major waterfall
• The Gorge – where the river falls 110 feet over 8.5 miles through a narrow canyon
• Where the Big River Begins – here the Mississippi becomes the river of Mark Twain
• Driftless Area – where majestic bluffs frame the broad river and valley 

Eight Historic Features

• Rustic Architecture of Itasca State Park – blending architecture with nature
• Headwaters Dams – create reservoirs that now serve recreation and wild rice production
• Charles Lindbergh House & Museum – boyhood home of America’s most famous pilot
• Oliver Kelley Farm – historic living farm experience of national farm movement leader
• St. Anthony Falls Historic District – where Pillsbury & Gold Medal Flour and General Mills began
• Historic Fort Snelling – from frontier outpost to World War II – stories of tragedy and heroism
• I-mni'-za-ska-dan (Dayton’s Bluff) – site of Hopewell Culture mounds dating back nearly 2,000 years
• River Towns (especially the historic districts of Hastings to Iowa Border towns) – quintessential river towns

What does the All-American Road designation mean to the communities along the route? Communities and attractions are included in a broader All-American Road experience along with other Mississippi River states, and they enjoy promotion on a larger stage. Resource sharing, idea sharing, and collegiality are benefits too.

The Great River Road was created in 1938 and includes Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Travelers planning a journey can find information from all ten Mississippi River states at www.experiencemississippiriver.com and Minnesota Great River Road interactive mapping, digital travel guides and more at www.mnmississippiriver.com.