Great River Road — Southeast Minnesota (US-61)
The Great River Road is a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road that runs 575 miles in Minnesota from the Mississippi River headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Iowa border. The southeastern Minnesota section — following US-61 from La Crescent north through Winona and Wabasha — is the most motorcycle-frequented segment, tracing the Mississippi River bluffs through historic river towns with panoramic valley overlooks. US-61 in this stretch hugs the river on the Minnesota side, passing through Winona (with its Victorian commercial architecture and Sugarloaf Bluff) and Wabasha (home of the National Eagle Center), with frequent river-view pull-offs and the dramatic limestone bluffs of the Hiawatha Valley rising above the highway. The segment from La Crescent to Red Wing is approximately 130 miles. The byway connects at both ends to additional scenic routes including the Historic Bluff Country Byway (MN-16) and continues north toward the Twin Cities.
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.
TAG Cafe
A welcoming spot to start the day with a meal before heading south along the Mississippi bluffs.
Costco Gasoline
Convenient fuel stop before the route transitions into more rural river road territory.
St. Paul Brewing
Historic brewery housed in a former armory, a good midpoint rest with local craft beer and food.
Hastings
Charming river town with well-preserved Victorian architecture sitting at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.
Lock and Dam
Riverside stop where you can watch river traffic navigate the Mississippi lock system up close.
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.