Reads Landing

Reads Landing, Minnesota, is a small town on the Mississippi River, just a few miles north of Wabasha, on The Great River Road, Hwy 61. It is one of the best places to watch bald eagles in the midwest. The flow of the nearby Chippewa River emptying into the Mississippi River helps keep the waters open in winter. You’ll find eagles congregating over the open water to feed on fish and waterfowl. While here, also keep an eye out for wintering rough-legged and red-tailed hawks, common goldeneyes and common mergansers. The best eagle viewing is November through March.

A two-story brick schoolhouse in Reads Landing was the second built in Minnesota. Ground was broken for the school in 1870 and it served as a school until 1965. Now it serves as the Reads Landing Museum. Visit it to learn more about the local history.

The town offers a pub in a building constructed in 1870, which originally opened as a dry goods store. Here you can enjoy a locally crafted brew on the patio overlooking the mighty Mississippi. There are also three MnDOT pulloffs north of Reads Landing on Highway 61 that offer scenic overlooks of Lake Pepin.