Explore Minnesota: Scenic Byways

A Resort Vacation Is a Minnesota Classic

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A Minnesota resort isn't just a place to stay on your vacation, it IS your vacation. It's an experience all in itself - a chance to have your own cabin (or townhouse or lodge) by a lake.

Skyline Parkway: Get a Hawk's Eye View in Duluth

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For a distinctive view of Duluth and Lake Superior, explore the Skyline Parkway that follows a series of roads along a ridgeline in the heights of the city.

Gitchi-Gami Trail: Biking Along North Shore

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One of the most popular and scenic destinations in Minnesota is the North Shore of Lake Superior. The paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail gives cyclists a safe corridor to explore this scenic route.

Explore the Gunflint's Winter Wilderness

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When winter casts a gentle hush across Minnesota, the deepest drifts can be found along the 57-mile historic Gunflint Trail.

Avenue of the Pines: Head Into the Forest

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The 46-mile Avenue of the Pines Scenic Byway delivers what it promises -- thick evergreens that flank the road like sentries. But don't just cruise by. The best way to enjoy this Northern Minnesota route from Deer River to Northome is to head into the Chippewa National Forest.

Grand Rounds Scenic Byway provides an urban adventure

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Minnesota's Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway holds a grand distinction. It's the country's very first and only national scenic byway totally located in a major urban area. All fifty-five miles of the pretty road wind through Minneapolis, which more than two-and-a-half-million folks call home.

Great River Road: Great River, Humble Beginning

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You're probably familiar with the most famous version of the Mississippi; that wide, mighty waterway coursing down America's spine. Deep in the Minnesota Northwoods, though, the great river gets off to an endearingly small start. It's just a crystal-clear trickle you really have to see to believe.

Great River Road: Getaway With the Kids

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With bluffs to climb, some of the state's best bird-watching, apples a-plenty and the chance to ride a merry-go-round dragon or a real train, the southern stretch of Minnesota's Great River Road makes for a great family getaway.

Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway: Winter Family Fun

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When winter blankets Minnesota's Brainerd Lakes country, take a little inspiration from Paul Bunyan. Bring on the flannel, the heavy-duty pants and sturdy boots. Then get outside and have fun.

St. Croix Scenic Byway: Small Town Charm in Winter

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Adorable small towns are a key scenic drive ingredient