Southeastern Minnesota Historic Bluff Country, Inc. was created to give Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway its deserved title and rank as one of the great scenic drives in America. Withoutour organization and the byway's corridor management plan Minnesota Trunk Highway 16 would lose its rightful place among the "America's Byway" program under the Federal Highway Administration. Historic Bluff Country National Scenic Byway takes travelers on a journey through southeastern Minnesota’s picturesque Root River Valley as well as a trip back in time. Communities in this corner of Minnesota seem to be as old as the river bluffs surrounding them.
Weaving through the heart of Minnesota's Driftless Area did not allow for U.S. Highway 16 (one of many names preceding MN-16) to easily be reconfigured into the Audubon-inspired four-lane highways of our Interstate system. So in the late 1950s, I-90 by passed the untouched beauty of the Root River Valley Bluffs which would have been wiped away had the Wisconsin, Nebraskan, or Illinoisan Glaciations not left it uncovered for million of years.
Historic Bluff Country became a state scenic byway in 1995, but the history of not only the highway itself, but this unique and ancient landscape demanded national recognition. The 88-mile route extends from the Minnesota and Wisconsin border in La Crescent to the edge of the Minnesota Prairies in Dexter. It both starts and ends by intersecting with the now semi-truck congested I-90. Making it not only a gorgeous alternative to the interstate, but also a convenient one as well. That is, as long as you are not in a hurry and a sucker for scenic overlooks, historical landmarks, or a great meal at a "mom-and-pop" restaurant.
