Missouri’s Most Scenic Highway Is a Hidden Treat for River Lovers

I'm not an expert in most things, but here's something I know like the back of my hand. The highway just chosen as one of the most scenic in Missouri is a real treat if you love rivers.

World Atlas just shared their choice for the most scenic highways in Missouri and very near the top of the list is one I've driven so many times in my life, I've lost count. It's the Great River Road which in my part of Missouri is Highway 79. They selected a 55-mile stretch which starts in Hannibal and winds down by the Mississippi River until it reaches Clarksville, Missouri. You won't find a more relaxing and winding scenic highway anywhere else in Missouri and no one can change my mind about that. Yes, there are some spectacular drives in the Missouri Ozarks, too, but they're secondary to the Great River Road. Oh, and it's one of the best places in America when the leaves change to Fall colors.

I have always been drawn to Highway 79 south of Hannibal because of the many scenic overlooks where you can pull off the road and quietly contemplate life. I've made some of my biggest decisions while staring out over the Mississippi River just off Great River Road and I didn't always make the best ones, but that's not the road or river's fault. It will always remain one of the places in this world where I find peace and that's not common in days like these that we currently live in.