The 12 Most Scenic Backroads In Missouri You Need To Explore
Craving a drive where every curve reveals a new postcard view? Missouri’s backroads deliver river bluffs, Ozark ridgelines, historic mills, and vineyard-draped valleys that make you slow down and savor.
Whether you’re chasing fall color, sunrise fog over the Mississippi, or a Sunday-drive kind of calm, these routes will reset your sense of wonder.
Cue up a playlist, pack a thermos, and let the Show-Me State show off.
1. Glade Top National Forest Scenic Byway (Glade Top Trail) – Ava to Longrun
Perched high on an Ozark ridge, Glade Top feels like a gravel runway floating above forests. This 23-mile National Forest Scenic Byway threads south of Ava with seven overlooks opening to layer upon layer of blue-green hills fading toward Arkansas.
Morning drives smell of damp leaves and dust while hawks surf thermals over the glades. Pull into each overlook with a thermos and let the quiet settle as wind combs through sun-baked grasses.
The light shifts constantly, turning ridgelines into moving topographic lines. As Missouri’s only National Forest Scenic Byway, it’s a locals’ favorite – an old-school Sunday drive with big-screen views and room to breathe between stops.
2. Blue Buck Knob National Forest Scenic Byway – South-Central Ozarks
Blue Buck Knob rolls through a mosaic of farms, pastures, and tight hardwood stands, trading shade and sun across 24 miles near the North Fork River.
Fog lingers in hollows on cool mornings before lifting to reveal ridge views and quiet homesteads. Pullouts offer wide-angle looks at Ozark undulations, and nearby trailheads invite quick leg-stretches under pine-scented air.
Expect a laid-back rhythm: wind through curves, downshift for vistas, and follow birdsong back to the car. The byway’s mix of state and county roads keeps traffic light while the scenery stays varied.
It’s a classic Ozark sampler platter – calm, green, and grounded in the feel of working countryside.
3. Sugar Camp National Forest Scenic Byway – Cassville & Roaring River Country
Sugar Camp loops like a lazy figure-eight above Roaring River country, pairing pavement with an 8-mile gravel segment for a 28-mile scenic circuit.
Tall pines and hardwoods frame views that open unexpectedly to pastures and ridge breaks. Picnic spots at Onyx and the Sugar Camp Tower lure you to linger, breathing woodsmoke as cicadas buzz.
In fall, foliage goes full IMAX – scarlet and gold flashing across the canopy. Pull over often: trailheads, creek crossings, and quiet overlooks feel purpose-built for unhurried afternoons.
The gravel crunches under tires, windows down, with the forest’s resinous scent riding the breeze. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure loop for color chasers and picnic pros.
4. Missouri Route 19 Through Ozark National Scenic Riverways – Salem to Eminence & Winona
Route 19 trades straight lines for roller-coaster curves between Salem, Eminence, and Winona, gliding through Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Crest a hill and catch the shimmer of the Current or Jacks Fork before diving back into cool, shaded woods.
The air smells of damp rock and spring water, with outfitters and tiny towns punctuating the wildness just often enough.
Trailheads, campgrounds, and river accesses tempt detours; leave time for a gravel spur or a spring-side stroll.
This is a pace-setting road – slow enough that the landscape narrates your drive, quick enough to stay fun through the bends.
5. Route 106 To Alley Spring – Eminence’s Storybook Mill Drive
West from Eminence, MO-106 becomes a short, spectacular detour into storybook scenery. Forested roadway gives way to a turnoff where Alley Spring erupts in turquoise, powering the bright red Alley Mill set against mossy rock.
Roll down the windows and hear the Jacks Fork long before you see it; the river’s rush mixes with birdsong and camera shutters.
Pack a picnic, wander the mill, then drift to river accesses and campgrounds that branch off like side quests. In any season, the color contrast – ruby mill, teal spring, emerald forest – feels unreal.
It’s a small mileage commitment with a huge visual payoff for any backroad itinerary.
6. Highway 94 Along The Missouri River Wine Country – St. Charles To Jefferson City
Highway 94 ribbons along the Missouri River, tracing bluffs, floodplains, and the country’s first designated wine region.
Expect trailheads for the Katy Trail, hillside vineyards, and tidy river towns where porches and tasting rooms overlook passing cyclists.
In fall, treetops ignite above the pavement while the air smells of woodsmoke and crushed leaves. Pull into a winery drive, linger for a glass or a view, then nose back onto the two-lane for more river glances.
It’s slow-lane bliss with historic character – railroad relics, brick storefronts, and bluffside panoramas punctuating every few miles.
7. Highway 100 Between Hermann And New Haven – Bluffs, Vines, And River Views
Between Hermann and New Haven, Highway 100 trades straightaways for river theater. The road hugs the Missouri’s bends while historic wineries terrace the hills, their trellises catching light as barges slide below the bluffs.
Late afternoon softens everything: stone cellars, weathered barns, and the wide, patient river. Pull-offs and tasting rooms feel like invitations to press pause, breathe the damp, earthy valley air, and watch shadows lengthen across vine rows.
The drive is short, but the mood lingers – romantic, unhurried, distinctly Missouri River Valley. Pair it with a stroll through Hermann’s historic district for a perfect day.
8. Old Trails Road / Route 224 Scenic Byway – Napoleon To Lexington
Route 224, the Old Trails Road Scenic Byway, glides along the Missouri River’s edge between Napoleon and Lexington.
Orchards, vineyards, and bottomland fields unfold in quick succession, with river overlooks and historic markers adding context. Lexington’s courthouse, battlefield history, and riverfront park provide a destination with character.
On quiet weekdays, roll windows down and hear birds over the sloughs while imagining steamboats and wagon trains in the same corridor. Sunsets here turn the river to hammered copper.
It’s a compact byway packed with views, produce stands, and a sense of living history riding shotgun.
9. Route 79 – Little Dixie Highway Of The Great River Road
Route 79 sweeps along the Mississippi between Hannibal, Louisiana, and Clarksville, stitching together bluff-top overlooks, eagle habitat, and artful river towns.
Morning fog lifts off the water to reveal barges sliding below limestone cliffs and painted storefronts waking up with coffee aromas.
Pull into scenic turnouts, scan for raptors, and wander galleries along the “50 Miles of Art.” The drive balances river drama with small-town charm, making every curve feel like a reveal.
It’s a quintessential Great River Road segment – broad views, layered history, and time enough to stop whenever the light turns irresistible.
10. Historic Route 66 At Devil’s Elbow – Big Piney River Bend
At Devil’s Elbow, old Route 66 squeezes between a sharp Big Piney River bend and steep, wooded bluffs, framing one of Missouri’s most cinematic Mother Road scenes.
A historic truss bridge anchors the curve, with a cluster of vintage buildings completing the postcard. Engines echo off rock while the river slides beneath, carrying the clean smell of wet stone.
Park, walk the bridge, and let the nostalgia sink in – classic cars here feel almost expected. It’s a short stretch, but every angle photographs like a movie still, especially at golden hour.
11. Ozark Mountain Highroad (MO-76) – North Of Branson
MO-76 lifts you above Branson’s bustle, a short but sweeping state scenic byway with widescreen views of forested ridges and distant Table Rock Lake coves.
The seven-mile hop between US-65 and MO-76 begs for golden-hour laps – once each direction to catch different angles. Up here, the hum of town softens while the horizon stacks in blue layers.
Shoulders and pullouts are limited, so enjoy the motion: smooth pavement, banked curves, and ridge-top breezes through the vents.
Pair it with nearby overlooks for a quick, satisfying panorama fix before diving back into shows, marinas, or hiking trails.
12. Route 5 Between Lebanon And Camdenton – Niangua River And Lake Country
Route 5 undulates through hill country from Lebanon to Camdenton, threading trout streams, campgrounds, and the approach to Lake of the Ozarks.
Morning air carries woodsmoke from Bennett Spring as anglers ghost along the Niangua’s riffles; by afternoon, the lake shimmer flashes through trees.
Expect a gentle rhythm of curves, small diners, and pull-offs to river accesses. It’s a connector with personality – linking quiet coves, float-trip outfitters, and Ha Ha Tonka’s castle-like bluffs nearby.
End the day at a dock or a campground as whip-poor-wills start up and the lake turns to liquid bronze.