The trail is divided into three sections: Northern, Central, and Southern. In some locations trails are along both sides of the river.
Northern section Minnesota , a signed portion of the MRT in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The MRT begins at
Itasca State Park, near the headwaters of the river. Itasca State Park also contains more than of paved biking trails. After it leaves the park, the MRT winds north along the river, traversing county roads to the city of
Bemidji. Here the main trail connects to a number of city and regional trails. From Bemidji, the MRT heads southeast along the
Paul Bunyan Trail, a state-developed rail-trail conversion. This paved trail extends from Bemidji to
Brainerd. From Brainerd, the MRT follows county roads, some with marked bike lanes and some with paved shoulders, through the cities of
Little Falls and
St. Cloud. South of St. Cloud, the surroundings become more urban as the rider approaches the
Twin Cities,
Minneapolis and
St. Paul. The route through the two cities passes the
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area that includes
St. Anthony Falls,
Minnehaha Falls Regional Park, and
Fort Snelling State Park, among other protected areas and parks. In Minneapolis, MRT segments appropriate the established
Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway trails and
Minnehaha Trail. South of St. Paul, the MRT passes through several smaller cities before reaching
Lake Pepin. The route passes through
Wabasha and
Winona on its way to the Wisconsin state line.
Wisconsin The Wisconsin section of the MRT begins at
Prescott and continues along the eastern side of the river all the way to Illinois. The section north of
Prairie du Chien primarily follows the
Great River Road, while the section south follows various state and county highways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has prepared an online publication, ''The Great River Road Mississippi River Trail Bicycle Map: A Guide for Cycling Along Wisconsin's Great River'', which offers a detailed section by section guide of the Wisconsin route complete with road maps, services, campgrounds and route descriptions.
Iowa The Iowa section of the MRT follows the west bank of the Mississippi River for roughly 328 miles between Minnesota and Missouri. Entering from Minnesota near
Lansing,
Iowa, the route uses a mix of low-traffic highways and local roads along the Upper Mississippi River valley, connecting river towns near
Pikes Peak State Park, then continuing downstream to the city of
Dubuque with its riverfront parks and historic districts. South of Dubuque, the trail remains largely on-road as it passes through rural countryside and small towns in
Jackson and
Clinton counties before reaching the urbanized riverfront of the Iowa
Quad Cities, where paved off-road paths carry cyclists along the Mississippi through
Buffalo,
Davenport, and
Bettendorf, including continuous riverfront greenways and access through parks such as
Credit Island. Downstream from the Quad Cities, the MRT follows near
Iowa 22 and other state and county highways through
Muscatine County, serving the riverfront city of
Muscatine and nearby natural areas before continuing through to
Burlington, where short riverfront trail segments and city streets combine to keep the alignment close to the river. In far southeastern Iowa, the trail follows the byway through
Lee County, connecting
Fort Madison and
Keokuk before reaching the Missouri state line; throughout the state, the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission and local partners have identified the MRT as a priority multi-county bicycle corridor, with long-term plans to improve shoulders, add separated paths where feasible, and enhance connections to parks, wildlife refuges, and historic and cultural sites along the river.
Central Illinois The Illinois section begins at the Wisconsin-Illinois border near
Galena, Illinois and ends at the Southern tip of Illinois in
Cairo, Illinois. The trail passes through the cities of
Moline,
Rock Island,
Nauvoo, and
Quincy. Additionally, it passes near the
Cahokia Mounds State Historical Site close to
East St. Louis, Illinois. Bicycling non-profit Ride Illinois produced a trail guide with The Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 2004 covering 585 miles and breaking the trip into 11 segments. This guide identifies traffic patterns along the mixed roadways which include
Illinois Route 84,
Illinois Route 96,
Illinois Route 127, and
U.S. Route 51. The Mississippi River Trail crosses the
American Discovery Trail twice in Illinois: in the North near Rock Island and in the South near East St. Louis.
Missouri The St. Louis Riverfront Trail follows the Mississippi River for 12 miles from the
Chain of Rocks Bridge south along the levee to a point past the
Gateway Arch.
Kentucky Southern Tennessee The trail enters
Obion County from Kentucky along
State Route 157 (SR 157) and then turns right onto
SR 22 traveling southwesterly. The trail goes along the eastern boundary of
Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge. Near
Samburg, the trail turns right onto
SR 21 and follows the south shore of
Reelfoot Lake. It also passes near
Reelfoot Lake State Park. The trail enters into
Lake County and turns left onto Bluebank Road, right onto Wynnburg–Keefe Road, left onto Madie Church to Keefe Road, right onto Madie Thompson Road, left onto Madie Road, and right onto Gratio Road, entering the town of
Ridgely, Tennessee. Through Ridgely, the trail travels along Poplar Street, Main Street, and Depot Street (Levee Road). From here, the trail travels along
SR 181, also known as Great River Road. The trail enters
Dyer County and crosses over
Interstate 155 (I-155). It continues south on SR 181 for several miles until it crosses over the
Forked Deer River and into
Lauderdale County, Tennessee. From here, the trail continues east on
SR 88 and turns right onto Porter's Gap Road. Then the trail turns right onto Edith–Nankipoo Road and right onto Hobe Webb Road, traveling near the
Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge. The trail turns left onto Chisholm Lake Road, right onto Craig School Road (turning into Turkey Hill Road), and then left onto
SR 19. Then the trail turns right onto Lightfoot Luckett Road then right onto
SR 87, then left onto
SR 371. The trail turns right onto Cooper Creek Road and then right onto
U.S. Route 51 (US 51), crossing into
Tipton County over the
Hatchie River. Continuing south along US 51, the trail turns right onto Leigh's Chapel Road, left onto Flat Iron Road (turning into Simmons Street), right onto Murphy Avenue (turning into Bride Road), left onto Garland Drive, and right onto Garland Detroit Road (turning into Detroit Road, then Jamestown Road, then Randolph Road), following the top ridge of the 2nd
Chickasaw Bluff. Passing through the town of
Randolph, Tennessee, the trail turns right onto Needham Road and right onto
SR 59. The trail then turns south onto Richardson Landing road, turns right onto Pryor Road (turning into Bluff Road), and makes a left in order to stay on Bluff Road. The trail turns right onto Quito–Drummonds Road and right onto Ray Bluff Road, entering
Shelby County. The trail continues south along Ray Bluff Road (turning into New Bethel Road), right onto Bass Road, right again onto New Bethel Road, right onto West Union Road, right onto Herring Hill Road, and straight onto Riverbluff Road (turning into Bluff Road). The trail travels along the ridge of the 3rd Chickasaw Bluff and passes through
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. In the community of
Shelby Forest, Tennessee, the trail turns right onto Benjestown Road, right onto Island Forty Road (turning into Ramsey Road), and right back onto Benjestown Road. Then the trail turns left onto South Circle Road (turning into East Circle Road), right onto Northaven Drive, and right onto
SR 388 (North Watkins Street), passing through the Northaven area and crossing over the
Loosahatchie River into the Frayser community of
Memphis. Once in Memphis, the route turns right onto Millington Road, right onto Carrolton Road, left onto Benjestown Road, and right onto Whitney Avenue, passing by
General DeWitt Spain Airport and over the
Wolf River. The trail turns south onto North Mud Island Road (turning into Island Drive) and passes through the Harbortown neighborhood. Then the trail turns left onto A.W. Willis Avenue over Wolf River Harbor, right onto Front Street (passing next to the
Pyramid Arena), passes under
I-40 and the
Hernando De Soto Bridge, turns right onto Jefferson Avenue, and left onto Riverside Drive, entering
Downtown Memphis. From here, the trail continues south on Riverside Drive, passing by
Mud Island, the
MATA Trolley riverfront loop, and the South Bluffs neighborhood. The trail goes along the paths in
Tom Lee Park and the Riverwalk Trail system in Downtown Memphis. After this, the official trail is unclear. According to the MRT website, the trail travels under the
Harahan Bridge and the
Frisco Bridge, up the side of the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, and onto a sidewalk on the
Memphis-Arkansas Bridge. A route following the South side of the Memphis-Arkansas bridge from E.H. Crump park has been documented. Construction has been completed on a multi-use trail for pedestrians and cyclists along the north side of the Harahan bridge.
Arkansas Mississippi Louisiana == See also ==