Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic Byway
Minnesota Scenic Byway 180 mi in Minnesota.
About the Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic Byway
Minnesota's northernmost scenic drive travels from Voyageurs National Park along the Canadian border. Ideal for anglers, boaters, birders and wildflower lovers, the route runs along the Rainy River from International Falls to Baudette, through fields of lady's slippers from Baudette to Warroad, and along the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail west of Warroad.
ZippelBay State Park has a 3-mile long beach on Lake of the Woods. This massive lake is known for its fishing, as is the Rainy River. The roadside between Baudette and Warroad blooms with wildflowers, and the area west of Warroad is part of the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail. The western end of the byway heads north on Hwy. 59 to Lake Bronson State Park.
Numerous resorts surround Voyageurs National Park and Lake of the Woods, two of the route's key attractions. The "Dancing Sky" refers to the aurora borealis, or northern lights, which frequently appear in the area thanks to its far-northern location and absence of bright city lights.
Explore Minnesota, for the Minnesota Scenic Byways Commission's own description, in its words. Byway page on exploreminnesota.com.
Camping along the byway
- Mile 42 · 1.0 mi offRoseau City Park Campground · City, county or regional park · 22 sites
- Mile 63 · 0.8 mi offWarroad City Campground · City, county or regional park
- Mile 82 · on the roadWilliams City Park & RV Campground · City, county or regional park · 25 sites
- Mile 100 · 0.7 mi offTimber Mill Park & Campground · City, county or regional park · 20 sites
- Mile 102 · 0.8 mi offHannam Park RV Park · CACITYPARKS · 8 sites
- Mile 129 · 1.4 mi offFranz Jevne State Park · State park · 18 sites · reservable
- Mile 131 · 1.1 mi offChapple Centennial RV Park · CACITYPARKS · 5 sites
- Mile 170 · on the roadVoyageurs National Park Camping Permits · National Park Service · 162 sites · reservable
Public campgrounds within 5 miles of the road as the crow flies, in order along the byway; each one's page has its facts, season and weather by month.
About this page's facts
The line is the Federal Highway Administration's scenic byways layer (HEPGIS, a snapshot of 2022-06-24, a US government work), cut at the state line and simplified for the map; the length is the line's. The designation is the program's own: the national tiers from FHWA's America's Byways roster, the rest from the layer's designation field. Road conditions, closures and seasonal gates change: check the agency's own page and the state's road conditions before you go.