ALL-AMERICAN ROAD
The Wisconsin Great River Road National Scenic Byway is Wisconsin's only All-American road by Federal designation of FHWA, and according to the Huffington Post, the prettiest drive in the nation.
The 250-mile Wisconsin Great River Road is part of the 10-State Great River Road National Scenic Byway, which follows the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 1938 by Frank Roosevelt, the Great River Road is America's oldest, and most distinguished Byway.
The communities along the Wisconsin Great River Road are among the oldest in the Midwest, with several having been established in the 1600s. Before European settlement, Native American tribes called the river corridor home. Today, visitors will see remnants of the Oneota, Hopewell, and other ancient tribes’ cultures in the burial and effigy mounds found up and down the Wisconsin Great River Road.
The miles of wetlands and untouched river-bottom forests that come together as the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge run along more than two-thirds of the Wisconsin Great River Road. These areas are protected as a result of an Act of Congress in 1924. The beautiful pools and winding channels that you see on the Mississippi River today are the result of the Lock and Dam system built in the 1930s.
When you walk through the doors of Villa Louis, you step into the life of one of Wisconsin’s most historic families – The Dousmans. Located on the beautiful banks of the mighty Mississippi River, this National Historic Landmark offers a panorama of Wisconsin history, from the advent of the first fur traders, to the War of 1812, through the splendor of the Victorian era.
WAYLUSING STATE PARK
At Wyalusing State Park, camp 500 feet above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. One of Wisconsin's oldest state parks, Wyalusing features family and group camps, hiking trails, a canoe trail, Native American burial mounds, bird watching, fishing, boating, bicycling, and picnicking near several scenic overlooks of the river valleys below.
At Wyalusing State Park, camp 500 feet above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. One of Wisconsin's oldest state parks, Wyalusing features family and group camps, hiking trails, a canoe trail, Native American burial mounds, bird watching, fishing, boating, bicycling, and picnicking near several scenic overlooks of the river valleys below.
The Great River Road, one of America’s Scenic Byways, houses Potosi Brewing Company, an Interpretive Center and welcoming stop for visitors traveling along Wisconsin’s corridor of the Great River Road. Here stories of the Mississippi River come alive and guests can learn more about river history as well as find brochures and other travel information about places and events in the Tri-State area.
At Stonefield you’ll explore history by the acre, including a 1900s Farming Village and Farmstead, the State Agricultural Museum, and the former home of Wisconsin’s first governor, Nelson Dewey. On your adventure through the site, you will learn the amazing story of the Badger State’s agricultural advance from a struggling group of wheat farmers to a worldwide agricultural powerhouse.
The Dickeyville Grotto & Shrines are located on the grounds of the
Holy Ghost Parish in Dickeyville, WI. They are the works of Father Matthias Wernerus, a German-American priest who served the parish from 1918 until his death in 1931.
The main Grotto is an artificial cave created out of stone, mortar, and brightly colored materials and found objects collected from all over the world.
