The Great River Bluffs

Some of the most grand in the whole Driftless...

The Great River Bluffs refer to the blufflands along the Mississippi River between Winona, MN and La Crosse, WI where the hillsides are among the most prominent in the whole Driftless region (500+ feet). This region includes Great River Bluffs State Park, another unit of the Richard J. Dorer State Forest, and also across the river in Wisconsin Perrot State Park and the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge (more on this in the Wisconsin section).

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The 2,000+ acre Great River Bluffs State Park (pictured above) is the stunning backdrop for more than 38 campsites and many miles of hiking trails, and supports two state scientific natural areas with pristine examples of rare goat prairies. More details on this park can be found on page 27 of the proposal.

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We propose that the Great River Bluffs area be a smaller separate unit to the Driftless National Park & Preserve. This would help bring in extra visitorship through it's proximity to I-90 and protect another pristine area along the river.