Community Forums

BobSB · 04-18-2021, 10:54 AM

My wife and I are planning a trip for June/July that highlights the Mississippi River from one end to the other. We have a few questions:

1. Is it preferable to go from north to south or south to north? Is the weather any consideration this time of the year? North to south seems more logical to me but we are flexible.

2. Which side of the river is best for the scenery, or should we go back and forth from one side to the other depending on the area? Are there any "not to be missed" spots we should watch for?

3. Will it be necessary to plan all our campgrounds in advance or are there a sufficient number of places to stay with one or two days advance reservations? With all the increase in RV travel this year, we are concerned that we won't have the ability to stay longer in areas we find interesting if we have to plan all our stops ahead of time.

High Road Travelers · 04-18-2021, 12:23 PM

I've not taken that tour, but if I did I would go north to south to end the adventure in New Orleans. You may consider stopping in St. Louis, Vicksburg and Natchez on your way down. If you are into visiting old plantations you may look up some info on the internet. We will be at the Rivertown Rose Campground in Vicksburg next week.
This post was from earlier this year and may help,
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f42/grea...oad-523396.htm
Thanks,

rk911 · 04-18-2021, 04:05 PM

from the limited travel we've had on the GRR you'll be crossing back and forth. i'd make reservations just cuz of all of the new RVs on the road especially for parks you'll need on on thu-sat nights. sun-wed ought not to be a huge problem.

st. louis: St. Peters 370 Lakeside Park (https://www.stpetersmo.net/lakeside-park.aspx)

Savanna IL: Mississippi Palisades State Park (https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/...Palisades.aspx). You'll be about an hour south of Galena.

safe trip!

be-happy · 04-19-2021, 03:39 AM

I have traveled bits and pieces of the Great River Road over the years. I believe it would be a mistake to staying on one side vs. crossing over when needed. There are a lot of spots you will ask where did the river go! Its all great scenery however.

As for RV parks, I would pick your major citys on the route and reserve your spot. Sight are hard to find that time of year. Plan on two days at the headwaters and surrounding areas. Dubuque Iowa has a great Mississippi River Museum worth going to. Do not forget Hannibal MO, of course St. Louis for the Budweiser Brewery tour. Memphis and the list goes on.

Looks like you will have a great time. To repeat I would pick your major stops and make reservations

Good Luck safe travels

Fiesta48 · 04-19-2021, 04:47 AM

I've done parts of the Mississippi River routes. Most of the time you can not see the river. Any camping near the river is noisy due to trains running parallel to the river. You have to keep crossing over to get the most out of the trip. Many bridges are narrow, not much fun in wide vehicles. Go slow much to see.
But the river is grand. Watching barges is fun to me. I've boated it several times, best river in the US. Even did a paddle wheeler from New Orleans.

Glenn and Kathy · 04-19-2021, 12:28 PM

If you are going Southbound out of the Twin Cities, you will hit Lake City, where water skiing was invented. Next down the road is a neat little town called Wabasha. The most important thing about Wabasha is that is where you should cross the river to Nelson, WI. There you will find the Nelson Creamery, Cheese Factory. If you like cheese ya gotta stop there. There is also a RV park called Nelson's Landing RV Park. Haven't used that Park, but it is convenient if you are going that way.

Glenn