This Dreamy Road Trip Will Take You To The Best Fall Foliage In All Of Iowa

There are 80 miles of paved roads between Jackson and Jones counties. Limestone bluffs, three rivers, and rolling farm land make the Grant Wood Scenic Byway a truly special area of Iowa.

Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development

This is the area of Iowa that inspired Grant Wood to paint the rolling hills of his home around Stone City.

Highway 52 outside of Bellevue

Phil Roeder/Flickr

This eastern Iowa byway is located in the eastern part of the state. It starts just south of Bellevue on Jackson County Road Z-15. The timberland is home to countless numbers of wild animals. This is a great place to spot deer, turkey, and many types of native birds.

Bellevue State Park overlooking the Mississippi River

Phil Roeder/Flickr

Bellevue offers a number of scenic overlooks.

The route passes through Springbrook and Andrew. From there, you can go north or south and end up in Maquoketa.

Friends of the Maquoketa Caves State Park/Facebook

The Maquoketa Caves State Park is one of the most beautiful and interesting natural sites in the state.

The fall colors along the Grant Wood Scenic Byway are beautiful in October.

empressoftheuniverse/Trip Advisor

The route goes west from Maquoketa on Iowa 64 through Baldwin, Monmouth, and Wyoming.

The hills surrounding Anamosa and the tiny town of Stone City were the famous 1930s artist Grant Wood’s inspiration.

Louis/Flickr

Phil Roeder/Flickr

Many historical buildings in the area are built with local quarried limestone from Stone City. Be sure to drive by the Anamosa State Penitentiary to see an amazing structure made from this one-of-a-kind stone material.

There are many attractions along the byway.