Missouri’s Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road shows visitors gorgeous evolving panoramas winding along the Mississippi River. The byway offers scenic overlooks of limestone bluffs in the National Register Districts of Clarksville and Louisiana — towns that house wonderful enclaves of artists and antique shopping. At the Louisiana Cemetery byway-goers can find a panoramic view of the river and of the spectacular deep green Mississippi Valley. At 850 feet above sea level, the Pinnacle, is the highest point on the Mississippi River.
Linking Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal to the smaller cities of Louisiana, Missouri’s Highway 79 runs parallel to the mighty Mississippi River. All three communities were once riverboat boomtowns; their Italianate and Victorian architecture a tribute to their wealthy settlers. Like many boomtowns, the wealth provided by the riverboats and railroads went away and many of the old mansions and businesses were abandoned. But yesteryear is being revived. Route 79 offers a scenic drive with a tourist’s eye view of Old Man River, rolling hills, limestone bluffs, and soaring eagles. The byway has bolstered Clarksville, Louisiana, and Hannibal in recent years as artsy must-sees for passersby. Named “Fifty Miles of Art,” the road acts as an artwork, crafts, and galleries corridor, offering many opportunities to artists and photographers alike to capture magnificent panoramic views on canvas or film. The once abandoned buildings, particularly in Louisiana, are being preserved and renovated. Each of the three communities has events and arts festivals planned throughout the year: from Hannibal’s River Arts Festival, to Louisiana’s Great Mansions and Estates Tour, to Clarksville’s Lock and Dam 24 Bald Eagles Winter Migration, to the Fifty Miles of Art Tour. Missouri’s Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road presents an eclectic display of arts and culture that preserve the lifestyle along this historic stretch of the Mississippi River for everyone to enjoy.