In general, you'll encounter either hills or long rolling grades along this section, with the exception of flat terrain north of Muscatine, Iowa. The route avoids most of the heavily trafficked areas along the Mississippi, although there are a few stretches that demand caution. Traffic increases wherever the route crosses the river. From Stillwater south to Afton you'll be riding through a growing residential area on narrow county roads. Traffic can be heavy on U.S. 61 between Wabasha and the junction with CR 7. In Winona you can ride an alternate called the Great Rivers State Trail which stays on the east bank of the Mississippi. Old railroad beds travel through Perrot State Park and the Trempealeau and Upper Mississipi River Wildlife and Fish Refuges. South from Dyersville, Iowa, you stay on highway and county roads, Traffic increases around Muscatine, an old industrial town.

More information about this route is available here.