Why this ride
A one-way ride of 747 km, La Crosse to St. Louis - roughly 10 h 04 in the saddle. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Great River Road Mississippi River: La Crosse to St Louis
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 747 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 10 h 04
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. La Crosse
Grandad Bluff gives La Crosse its postcard view: a limestone headland rising about 150 metres over the city, from which the whole valley lies open, the Mississippi sliding past in several braided channels, the wooded bluffs of Minnesota on the far side, and the Wisconsin river towns lining the shore. On a clear autumn day the colour is extraordinary, the oaks and maples turning red and gold along miles of ridgeline. A road climbs to the top, and the view is free.
Read the complete La Crosse write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
La Crosse is where the day begins. Next is Dubuque.
2. Dubuque
Dubuque is an old river city built on a limestone bluff above the Mississippi, in the north-east corner of Iowa, where the state meets Illinois and Wisconsin. About fifty-nine thousand people live here, and the town's history goes back to 1788, when a French-Canadian trader named Julien Dubuque, with the permission of the Meskwaki people who lived here, began mining the lead that lay close to the surface. He died in 1810, and his grave, a stone tower above the river at a site called Mines of Spain, is now a state recreation area with hiking trails and views over the water.
Read the complete Dubuque write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dubuque comes up about 194 km into the recorded legs. Next is St Louis.
3. St Louis
St. Louis is a river city with a very large arch in it. The Gateway Arch, designed by Eero Saarinen and finished in 1965, rises 630 feet on the west bank of the Mississippi, a catenary curve of stainless steel that is the tallest monument in the United States and one of the most recognisable. It marks the city's historic role as the gateway to the West, the starting point for settlers, trappers and explorers, including Lewis and Clark, who set out up the Missouri in 1804 from a camp not far north. At its feet, a museum tells the story of westward expansion, and a tram carries visitors to the top.
Read the complete St Louis write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 747 km.
Leg by leg
La Crosse to Dubuque
La Crosse → Dubuque is 194 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Dubuque to St Louis
Dubuque → St Louis is 553 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Great River Road: Galena · 132 km