Iowa Driftless Area Loop (IA-76 / Great River Road)

Northeast Iowa's Driftless corner was never flattened by glaciers, leaving tall Mississippi River bluffs and steep wooded valleys. The roughly 68-mile Waukon loop links IA-76, IA-26, and US-52, with bluff-top climbs and hairpin descents down to river towns like Lansing and McGregor.

45 mi
Length
4
Verified stops
High point
Scenic
Road type

What you'll hit along the way.

Rider-verified stops, overlooks, fuel, and the corners worth knowing about — in the order you'll meet them.

Mile 0.0

Marquette

River town at the southern end of IA-76, next to Effigy Mounds National Monument and a short hop from food and fuel in McGregor.

Mile 25.0

Waukon

County-seat hub of the loop with full services — a good base for linking the IA-76, IA-9, and IA-26 legs.

Mile 40.0

Lansing

Mississippi River town reached by a steep bluff descent; the Mt. Hosmer city park road above town has the loop's best overlook of the river valley.

Mile 52.0

New Albin

Northernmost Iowa river village on the IA-26 Great River Road leg, just shy of the Minnesota line.

No runs logged on this road yet — be the first.

Runs are rider-logged & GPS-traced in the app

Ride your own ride — times are rider-logged & GPS-traced, never a race on public roads.

Shot by the riders who've run it.

Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.

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