Great River Road
Lake Itasca, MN → New Orleans, LA · ~3,000 miles · 2–3 weeks
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
Trace the Mississippi from a creek you can step over in Minnesota all the way to the Gulf, through river bluffs, blues towns, and ten states of American story.
Good to know: It’s a string of state and local routes, not one highway — follow the green pilot’s-wheel signs.
Updated July 2026.
Follow the Mississippi, source to sea.
It’s the country told as a river — headwaters to delta, with effigy mounds, Gateway cities, Memphis barbecue, and Cajun country strung along one waterway.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the Great River Road are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Mississippi Headwaters at Itasca, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Gateway Arch, Memphis riverfront, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Mississippi Headwaters at Itascastep across the river where it begins — open the stop guideMN
02Effigy Mounds National Monumentancient animal-shaped mounds over the bluffs — open the stop guideIA
03Gateway Archthe 630-foot stainless arch over St. Louis — open the stop guideMO
04Memphis riverfrontBeale Street blues and the bluff over the river — open the stop guideTN
05VicksburgCivil War battlefield above a Mississippi bend — open the stop guideMS
06New Orleanswhere the river meets the Gulf, and the trip ends — open the stop guideLA
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the Great River Road are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Owamni, Hanisch Bakery, Harbor View Cafe, Liberty's Restaurant and Lounge.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Owamni
A Mississippi Riverfront Minneapolis destination that gives the Great River Road a serious northern-city meal before the route turns bluff-country.
- Hanisch Bakery
Downtown institution buzzing every morning with fresh donuts, pastries, and hearty breakfast sandwiches that locals line up for daily.
- Harbor View Cafe
Seasonal scratch kitchen on Lake Pepin in nearby Pepin WI with rotating menus of fresh fish, regional produce, and no reservations.
- Liberty's Restaurant and Lounge
A local favorite since 1975 serving relaxed American comfort fare in historic downtown quarters near the riverfront.
- Bloedow Bakery
Hometown bakery since 1924 named a top-50 US bakery by Saveur, still using original recipes for its famous fried donuts.
- Lakeview Drive Inn
Winona's oldest restaurant since 1938, a family-owned drive-in making burgers, malts, and root beer to order from scratch.
- Nosh Scratch Kitchen
A downtown Winona dinner pick with enough craft and polish for the northern Great River Road stretch.
- Digger's Sting
A 3rd Street fine-dining supper club open over 50 years, repeatedly voted best steakhouse and best old-fashioned in La Crosse County.
- The Charmant
Rustic French-inspired restaurant in a restored candy factory serving fresh, simple, down-to-earth dishes from an open kitchen with river-town charm.
- The Freighthouse Restaurant
A historic rail-freight steakhouse in La Crosse, useful for turning the river-bluff section into a proper overnight.
- The Pickle Factory
A Lake Pepin riverfront meal that breaks up the Wisconsin bluff stretch with water views and easy road-trip energy.
- Sullivan's Supper Club
Classic Wisconsin supper club since 1968 overlooking the Mississippi near Perrot State Park, known for scenic views and comfort classics.
Build a trip around Great River Road drive.
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near Great River Road
Browse guided tours and bookable activities that fit this stop.
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