Wisconsin Great River Road is now an All American Road
With the new designation of an All American Road, the Great River Road through southwest Wisconsin is poised to welcome even more national and international travelers than it has in the past. (Submitted photo)
By Correne Martin
A new national designation is expected to result in an increased amount of visitors and tourism dollars for the region, according to officials at the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
The Wisconsin Great River Road National Scenic Byway was recently awarded the designation of an “All American Road” by the U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Federal Highway Administration.
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as National Scenic Byways or All American Roads based on qualities that include archaeology, culture, history, nature, recreation and scenery. In order to be considered a National Scenic Byway, a road is determined by a panel of experts to have at least one of these qualities and be what is often considered a “road less traveled.”
In order to rise above the National Scenic Byway status and gain the All American Road status as well, the drive must be a tourism attraction unto itself, with multiple intrinsic qualities and one-of-a-kind features that can be found nowhere else.
“The Wisconsin Great River Road is a special place with so many unbelievably inspiring places and people. This is such an honor to have the Wisconsin Great River Road take its place as one of only 15 All American Roads in the country—proving its uniqueness and unparalleled travel experience,” said Sherry Quamme, chair of the Wisconsin Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
Covering 250 miles
The Wisconsin Great River Road All American Road covers 250 miles in Wisconsin and passes through 33 Mississippi River towns along Highway 35 and conecting state and county highways. Locally, towns along the route include: Bagley, Cassville, DeSoto, Ferryville, Genoa, Glen Haven, Lynxville, Prairie du Chien, Victory and Wyalusing. (The northeast Iowa portion of the Great River Road passes through the communities of Clayton, Farmersburg, Garnavillo, Gunder, Harpers Ferry, Luana, Marquette, Millville, St. Olaf, Strawberry Point, Volga, Waterville and Waukon.)
“Nationally and internationally, this puts us in a category of unique and legendary places to visit. Our towns give visitors experiences they won’t have anywhere else, and treatment like they’re our very own local residents” Quamme said. “Frankly, in this time of being COVID-careful, people are craving and seeking an area that’s rural. They do not want to be in a congested urban area.”
The entire Great River Road connects 10 state routes as it follows the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca, Minn., to the Gulf of Mexico. This stretch of road in Wisconsin was the state’s only National Scenic Byway and was often called “the best drive in the Midwest.”
Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Scenic Byway and Door County’s Coastal Byway joined the Wisconsin Great River Road as National Scenic Byways in this recent announcement. However, the Wisconsin Great River Road now stands alone as Wisconsin’s only All American Road.
Quamme gave an example of the recognition this region is receiving online. She said the website for Rummage Along the River—70 miles of garage sales from Stoddard to Lynxville and Mt. Sterling, May 14-15—had over 494,000 hits as of Monday.
She added, “In Ferryville, our little village of 182 people had a huge number of hits to its website for the third and fourth quarter of 2020, and this first quarter of 2021.
“Travelers are looking for playgrounds, places to go fishing and hiking. They want boats and recreational vehicles, they want to know about history. All these experiences are exactly what we offer here.”
Learn more about the Wisconsin Great River Road at wigrr.com. Or find out more about the Byways program at the National Scenic Byways Foundation website, nsbfoundation.com.
