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Mississ p <br />National River <br />Recreation Area <br />Hastings <br />Vermillion <br />River <br />ottoms <br />Cannon Valley Trail <br />Pioneer State Trail <br />Goodhue <br />Mississippi River <br />Mississippi Bluffs <br />Metro Mississippi <br />Open Water <br />Trails <br />State Parks <br />Mississippi National River <br />& Recreation Area <br />Interstate Highways <br />US Trunk Highways <br />State Trunk Highways <br />timeCounty Boundary <br />Red Wing <br />Frontenac <br />State Park <br />Lake City <br />Wabasha <br />0 <br />ro <br />Kellogg <br />Wabasha <br />Carley State Park <br />Mississippi River Trail Bikeway - The MRT is a <br />bikeway, largely on the shoulders of low volume, paved <br />roads, offering the safest and best bicycling experience <br />along the length of the Mississippi River through ten st: <br />from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexi4 <br />John A. Latsch <br />State Park <br />Whitewater State Park <br />Character of the River <br />The river is part of an immense <br />valley, steeply lined with <br />exposed bluffs and hardwood <br />forests, and visible as a vast <br />opening even from great <br />distances. <br />Minneiska <br />Root River <br />State Trail+'"" <br />MISSISSIPPI BLUFFS ROUTE <br />COMPOSITION: <br />tes, 94% On -road Route <br />o, 6% Off -road Trail <br />Winona <br />Beaver Creek Valley <br />State Park <br />Great River Bluffs <br />State Park <br />Apple <br />Blossom <br />Scenic Drive <br />Dakota <br />Key Themes <br />The Mississippi Bluffs segment <br />offers many opportunities <br />to prove your physical valor <br />amongst the bikeway's <br />numerous valleys and peaks. <br />North of La Crescent ascend <br />(and descend) 600' up the <br />bluff on the Apple Blossom <br />scenic drive. <br />See the unique driftless <br />environment where the <br />glaciers, that defined much of <br />Minnnesota's wild character, <br />did not cover the landscape. <br />Historic river towns offer <br />glimpses of the past. See <br />how the Mississippi River <br />influenced early development <br />in Minnesota. <br />La Crescent <br />0 Brownsville <br />Upper Mississippi <br />River Wildlife <br />Refuge <br />ROUTE CHARACTERISTICS: <br />Surface: Paved <br />Distance: 165 miles <br />II1iia11erige awaits you in the <br />blufflands. Steep climbs and descents will test <br />your abilities, but the high ridges will reward <br />you with breathtaking panoramas of the river <br />valley. In the unglaciated corner of Minnesota, <br />the hills remain steep and the views are <br />unrivaled, presenting mile after mile of beautiful <br />scenery. From the peaks, open vistas of the river <br />gorge alternate with the vibrant hardwood <br />forests. In the lowlands, the bluffs create a <br />dramatic backdrop to the vast floodplain of <br />the Mississippi River. Many communities have <br />historic downtowns near the water, which <br />prospered because of trade and travel along <br />the waterway. Lake City is the birthplace of <br />waterskiing. <br />Bird watching is well loved in the bluff country. <br />The river valley is a major flyway for waterfowl, <br />eagles and hawks. Protected wild areas support <br />diverse songbirds, grouse and wild turkey as <br />well as other forms of wildlife. You'll discover <br />other attractions such as the Vermillion River <br />Bottoms, Frontenac State Park, the charming <br />riverfronts of Wabasha and Frontenac, Great <br />River Bluffs State Park, Apple Blossom Scenic <br />Drive, and the Upper Mississippi National <br />Wildlife Refuge. <br />HASTINGS TO THE IOWA BORDER <br />For more information: www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/mrt.html <br />