Scenic Byways & Historic Routes
8 S C E N IC B Y W A Y S & H IS T O R IC R O U T E S S C E N I C B Y WAY S & H I S T O R I C R O U T E S To see the real Iowa, hop off the interstates and follow our scenic byways and historic routes. Embark on an adventure across land traversed by Lewis & Clark. Marvel at the same spectacular vistas encountered by 19th century pioneers. Follow Iowa's National Scenic Byways along the shoreline of the mighty Mississippi and over the hills above the Missouri River plains. It's an unforgettable trek for 21st century explorers. ER IC H E RN ST 35 35 80 80 380 29 29 LEWIS & CLARK TRAIL MORMON TRAIL LOESS HILLS NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY GREAT RIVER ROAD NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY LOESS HILLS NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY Explore the rare and spectacular natural landscaping of the Loess Hills region of western Iowa, a fragile place of unique prairie fl ora and wildlife, farms and villages, nestled together among the catstep hills. Bluestem and scarlet sumac ripen under the big skies atop this rich yellow-brown loess ancient soil gathered by winds of a receding age of ice into a high wall that follows the vast Missouri River valley. The rugged range rises abruptly from the fl atlands on the west and melts into the rolling plains on the east, extending 200 miles. The Loess Hills Scenic Byway is a mosaic of designated roads that pass through this region in a general north/south direction, paralleling Interstate 29. goldenhillsrcd.org/nsb/byway.html Follow the Loess Hills Scenic Byway signs through extreme western Iowa counties. North of Sioux City, follow Highway 12. Take Highway 982 south of Sioux City; Highways 175 from Onawa, 127 between Magnolia and Logan, 183 between Soldier and Council Bluffs, and 275 south of Council Bluffs. Loess Hills LEWIS & CLARK TRAIL America's epic journey the Lewis & Clark Expedition commemorated its bicentennial 2002-2006, and Iowa is home to several signifi cant sites along the trail. To learn about the brave passage across uncharted land from the Missouri River to the Pacifi c Ocean, visit Sioux City's Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. Get to know how Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a band of 40 soldiers and boatmen on a two-year journey across the western half of the continent. Visit Council Bluffs, where the explorers held council with chiefs of the Oto and Missouri tribes. A Lewis & Clark monument and the Western Historic Trails Center offer more insights into their journey. Pay tribute to the one fatality on this historic expedition by visiting the Sergeant Floyd Monument. Watch for Lewis & Clark Trail signs along Interstate 29 to follow in the footsteps of those who discovered and recorded the value of President Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon Bonaparte. Today's route takes modern-day explorers to marinas, nature preserves and historic parks along this historic trail. nps.gov/lecl Watch for the Lewis & Clark Trail signs along Interstate 29 as it follows the Missouri River. Byways_08-09_TG10.indd 8 10/29/09 5:00:25 PM