Sometimes you just need a pleasant drive to get away from the weekday worries to relax and collect your thoughts. Taking the kids out for a drive is also a good way to bond and create lasting family memories. You can enjoy the beauty of Minnesota any time of year, as the Land of 10,000 Lakes features its natural beauty all year long. Whether you are from Minnesota, or just passing through, take a moment and appreciate the beautiful land in all its glory. Read on for our list of the top five most scenic routes in and around Owatonna.
Minnesota North Shore All-American Scenic Drive
Image via Flickr by Tony Webster | Licensed by CC BY 2.0
The North Shore All-American Scenic Byway is one of the best routes to take if you enjoy the seeing the shores and natural effects nature has on our environment. Begin your route in Duluth, one of Minnesota’s largest cities and the world’s largest freshwater inland port. You can take your time on this route and stop at one of the many small shoreline towns to chow down at one of the local restaurants, shop at some unique boutiques, or enjoy an art gallery.
The 145-mile stretch of road curls around Lake Superior’s shoreline and features vast limestone cliffs, lush forests, and impressive panoramic views of the lake. History buffs will love to stop at the 1910 Split Rock Lighthouse in Tofte that serves as a commercial fishing museum. Naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts should plan a hike at The Superior Hiking Trail in Lutsen. You’ll be treated to fresh streams and lovely waterfalls. Visit Grand Portage or Tettegouche state parks to see Minnesota’s biggest waterfalls.
Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway
As the state’s 22nd byway, Lake Mille Lacs is a 68-mile route that loops around Lake Mille Lacs and includes Highways 169, 27, 18, and 47. The county-owned Shakopee Lake Road is also part of this majestic and awe-inspiring loop. It is a serene drive, and an ideal way to spend time enjoying the Minnesota landscape.
Lake Mille Lacs offers natural beauty like few other scenic routes and serves as a treasured reminder of how important the indigenous culture is to Minnesota. Although the loop is a gorgeous display of foliage throughout most of the year, one of the best times to traverse this road is during the fall when the leaves on the trees turn to beautiful shades of yellow and orange.
Begin your drive at Lake Mille Lac’s southern shore by following along MN 169 to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. As Minnesota’s fourth largest state park, it serves as the central source of information about Ojibwe traditions and culture. Then continue on your route to a 1930’s trading post stocked with a wide selection of traditional and contemporary indigenous art unique to the Minnesota area. After some shopping, continue on your route.
Be sure to drive the 18-mile stretch of road between Garrison and Malmo. The road narrows, then rises and falls naturally with the landscape and treats travelers to a gleaming lake and flanks of trees turning golden in the autumn. The loop then turns you back through two small towns, Isle and Wahkon, ideal spots to stop for some local grub. For a final stop, be sure to visit Father Hennepin State Park and stroll through the gorgeous trees to see if you can catch sight of an albino deer, or visit the sandy beach.
Gunflint Trail National Scenic Byway
A great route for the nature lover and animal enthusiast, the Gunflint Trail National Scenic Byway is an exceptional trail to take if you hope to catch a glimpse of some moose picking wild berries. The trail runs for about 57 miles, and is a driving trip through history as you’ll see an old railroad and mine, signs of an old meteor impact, and the forest regrowing from a 2007 fire.
To experience the complete Gunflint Trail, start your journey at the harbor town of Grand Marais. Take Highway 61, and wind through Superior National Forest, admire the boreal forest ecosystem and clean lakes. The forest is scenic, and offers many opportunities to get out and enjoy the sounds of nature and view winding streams. Bird watchers can take binoculars to spot the unique birds native to the area nesting in the trees. End your journey at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center.
The Great River Road Scenic Byway
To experience the Mississippi River in a new way, drive the Great River Road Scenic Byway. Considered by many locals as one of the best drives in America, this route follows the course of the Mississippi River for about 3,000 miles from Northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The route passes through ten states, hundreds of river towns, and is one of the longest scenic byways in America. The 565-mile byway is an incredible experience for adults and children. This road trip, which follows the Great Mississippi River, features towering pines, to southern bluffs, and Minnesota’s tallest skylines.
Itasca State Park
As you journey, stop at Itasca State Park, where at 1,475-feet above the ocean the Mighty Mississippi flows for 2,552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Treat the kids to a night of camping, and enjoy the sounds of nature as you rest up for the drive ahead. For an epic family photo the next day, be sure to stop at Bemidji and take a picture with a massive statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Continue along the route, and visit the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, the historic Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud, and the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona.
So there you have it. Tom Kadlec Kia has just shared with you our list of the top five most scenic routes in and around Owatonna, Minnesota. When you’re ready to for a peaceful drive to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Minnesota, consider one of these routes. What do you think of our list scenic drives? Did we miss your favorite excursion? If we did, let us know! Leave a message and we’ll be happy to check out your ideas.
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