Section 7, Stillwater, MN to Muscatine, IA, 370 Miles
As you move south through this section of the route the Mississippi Valley widens. It now reaches points where the valley can span several miles in width. The main crop is no longer wheat. Now you will see fields of corn, oats and soybeans. Livestock, dairy, poultry and apple orchards are also important industries. The route passes Effigy Mound National Monument. Covering some three square miles, the monument protects over 200 ancient peoples burial sites dating back approximately 2,500 years. The monument also offers hiking trails that wander through beautiful hardwood forests. In the summer months wildflowers are abundant. One such, the Day Lilly, is actually an imported species that has gone wild.
