Top Scenic Drives in Missouri This Winter

Winter transforms Missouri into a stunning landscape of snow-covered forests, frosted bluffs, quiet river valleys, and peaceful state parks. Whether you’re near St. Louis or Kansas City, or deep in the Ozarks, the state offers several scenic winter drives that are perfect for slow, relaxing road trips or day-long adventures.

But before you head out on any cold-weather route, it’s essential to make sure your vehicle is ready for freezing temperatures, icy patches, and early sunsets. If you haven’t yet prepared for the season, a professional winterization service can help ensure your tires, battery, fluids, and wipers are ready for the road.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the best scenic winter drives in Missouri, complete with travel tips and local stops to make your journey unforgettable.

1. Missouri Route 94 (The Missouri River Wine Country Corridor)

Running along the Missouri River between Defiance, Augusta, and Hermann, Route 94 offers one of the most peaceful winter landscapes in the state. Frosted vineyards, historic river towns, and towering bluffs make this route especially scenic after an early-morning snowfall.

This corridor also winds through some of Missouri’s most charming wineries, with over 125 to choose from across eight unique wine trails in various areas around the state.

• The Hermann Wine Trail between Hermann and New Haven offers breathtaking vistas and historic wineries; it includes five wineries.
• The Kansas City Wine Trail is centered around the KC region, with great wines and friendly people; it includes eight wineries.
• The Lake of the Ozarks Wine Trail offers scenic beauty, fine wines, and gourmet food; it includes four wineries.
• The Meramec River Wine Trail in the Ozark Highlands is renowned for the picturesque waterways of the Meramec River; it includes five wineries.
• The Northwest Missouri Wine Trail includes wineries across the northwest area of Missouri wine country; it includes nine wineries.
• The Ozark Mountain Wine Trail in southwest Missouri winds through picturesque countryside for the perfect escape; it includes four wineries.
• The Winestein Trail in northwest Missouri has beautiful scenery throughout the drive; it includes two wineries.

Many hold cozy, seasonal events throughout the colder months, perfect for warming up mid-drive.

Explore particular routes throughout the Missouri Wine Trails to find where you’d like to visit.

Travel Tips

Although the drive is scenic, some areas may pose additional driving risks during winter. While driving along the Missouri Route 94:

• Slow down on turns and shaded road sections, as these may conceal dangerous black ice.
• Many wineries operate on reduced winter hours, so be sure to check schedules if you plan to stop.
• Remember that it is never a good idea to drink and drive, so if you intend on partaking in any local wines, have a designated driver or purchase wine bottles to enjoy once you’re home.

2. Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Route 19 + Surrounding Roads)

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways offers one of Missouri’s most peaceful winter drives, with Route 19 and Highway 60 winding through steep hollows, forested hills, icy bluffs, and crystal-clear rivers. Created to protect over 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers, this region becomes especially serene in winter as crowds thin and mist rises off the warmer spring-fed waters.

Over 60% of the rivers’ flow comes from hundreds of natural springs, including Big Spring, one of the largest in the United States. In colder temperatures, these springs create a soft morning fog along the riverbanks, making the drive particularly scenic after sunrise.

The landscape here is classic Ozark terrain, with sinkholes, rocky outcrops, caves, and limestone bluffs visible from the roadway. Over 300 caves have been recorded in the area, and winter often reveals frozen seeps and ice formations tucked into the hillsides.

Wildlife viewing is also excellent during winter. With nearly 200 species of birds and a wide variety of mammals, it’s not uncommon to spot bald eagles, wild turkeys, deer, or river birds along the waterways.

Quiet roads, stunning overlooks, and easy access points to the rivers make this an ideal winter road trip for those who want a peaceful, nature-focused experience.

Travel Tips

• Cell phone service can fade in remote areas, so be sure to prep ahead, like downloading maps.
• Make sure your tires have proper tread to handle the steep, winding hills on the Riverways.

3. Glade Top Trail (Mark Twain National Forest)

The Glade Top Trail is Missouri’s only National Forest Scenic Byway, and winter is one of the best times to experience its quiet, panoramic beauty. Stretching 23 miles across the narrow ridge tops in the Mark Twain National Forest, the route offers seven breathtaking overlooks with views reaching as far as the Springfield Plateau to the north and the Boston Mountains in Arkansas to the south.

The byway follows an all-weather gravel road originally constructed in the 1930s, and its remote, untouched feel makes it exceptionally peaceful in colder months. Winter reveals the dramatic contours of the landscape, like rolling hills, exposed dolomite glades, and open woodlands, offering wide-open views you can’t always see when vegetation is dense in summer.

This region contains some of the best remaining glade ecosystems in the United States. These rocky “barrens” support unique plant communities adapted to thin soils and extreme seasonal conditions. While wildflowers peak in warmer months, winter travelers can still enjoy sweeping views across limestone outcrops, tall native grasses, and the rugged ridgelines that define this part of the Ozarks.

Travel Tips

• Ensure your tires and suspension are in good condition, as some sections of road are gravel, which may be more challenging to navigate and handle.
• After a snowfall, check local road conditions before heading deep into the forest to avoid getting stuck or sliding off the road, as roads may be less traveled, making help difficult to reach.

4. Highway 21 to Elephant Rocks & Johnson’s Shut-Ins

Highway 21 offers one of Missouri’s most memorable winter drives, leading you through rolling hills, rocky ridgelines, and frost-covered forests on the way to two of the state’s most unique natural landmarks: Elephant Rocks State Park and Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.

At Elephant Rocks State Park, massive 1.5-billion-year-old granite boulders sit end-to-end like a train of stone “elephants,” creating a landscape unlike anywhere else in the Midwest. The easy, paved Braille Trail winds directly through the formations, making it simple to admire the giant pink-hued rocks dusted with snow. Winter also brings a peaceful stillness to the park, letting you explore rock corridors, open clearings, and even the nearby ruins of an old railroad engine house without the warm-season crowds.

A short drive south takes you to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, where volcanic rock formations create natural chutes and narrow channels along the Black River. In winter, the rugged landscape is especially striking: dark rock outcrops contrast against frozen spray, evergreen trees, and quiet leafless woods. The overlook areas and hiking paths offer serene views of the shut-ins and the surrounding St. Francois Mountains.

5. Kansas City to Weston Bend State Park (Hwy 45)

If you’re based near Kansas City, head north from the city to Weston Bend State Park. This short, scenic route winds through rolling farmland and historic small towns before opening into one of northwest Missouri’s quietest cold-weather retreats.

Even in winter, Weston Bend is packed with charm. Its dense woodlands take on a calming stillness, and the Missouri River Overlook offers sweeping views of the river valley framed by leafless trees and soft, sloping bluffs. The overlook is also accessible, making it an easy reward for visitors of all mobility levels.

A 3-mile paved bicycle trail loops gently through the park’s woods, perfect for winter walking, jogging, or cold-weather biking. Additional hiking trails branch off into more rugged terrain, offering peaceful solitude and the chance to spot winter wildlife.

After exploring the park, consider continuing your drive a few minutes north into historic Weston, known for its boutiques, local distilleries, and festive winter atmosphere, to round out your KC-area winter drive.

Travel Tips

• Morning temperatures can make river-adjacent roads slick, so drive with caution.
• This is a great half-day trip for Kansas City families or weekend explorers from anywhere nearby.

6. St. Louis to Pere Marquette State Park (Great River Road)

Just north of St. Louis, the Great River Road transforms into one of the region’s most iconic winter drives. The particular stretch from St. Louis through Alton, Grafton, and ending at Pere Marquette State Park is known for sweeping Mississippi River views, towering limestone bluffs, and charming river towns that feel especially peaceful in the colder months.

Leaving the city, you’ll follow the river toward Alton, Illinois, where historic buildings, winter eagles, and riverfront overlooks set the tone for the drive ahead. Continuing northwest, the road hugs the water as the signature bluffs rise dramatically beside you. After a light snowfall, the bluffs take on a frosted, almost sculptural look, making the route especially memorable.

Near Grafton, the scenery widens to a confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Winter often brings migrating bald eagles to the area, offering visitors prime viewing opportunities at roadside pull-offs and designated lookouts.

From Grafton, it’s a short and beautiful final stretch into Pere Marquette State Park, the largest state park in Illinois and a favorite winter escape for St. Louis-area road trippers. The park is known for panoramic river views, quiet trail systems, and the striking sandstone and limestone formations typical of the region. The Pere Marquette Lodge, built of massive timbers and native stone, adds to the cozy, winter retreat feel, whether you’re stopping for lunch, warming up by the fire, or continuing deeper into the park’s hiking trails.

Travel Tips

• If you’re looking for the bald eagles, they’re most active mid-morning. Bring binoculars on your trip for easier spotting!
• Check your tire pressure, particularly before crossing icy bridges, as compromised traction can make them more dangerous to drive on.

7. Table Rock Lake Loop (Hwy 76 & Surrounding Roads)

Southwest Missouri’s Ozark Mountains offer some of the state’s most stunning year-round scenery, and a loop around Table Rock Lake delivers a peaceful, winding drive filled with wooded hillsides, quiet coves, and panoramic lake views. While the region is famous for its fall foliage, the loop remains a beautiful cold-weather escape, where bare trees reveal sweeping vistas you can’t always see in the summer months.

Starting near Branson, follow the shoreline roads as they curve around the lake’s arms and inlets. The drive offers a mix of high overlooks and low, water-level stretches where the lake sits glassy and still on winter mornings. Along the route, you’ll find plenty of places to stop and take in the scenery, such as boat launches, trailheads, fishing areas, and scenic pull-offs that feel especially tranquil in the off-season.

Table Rock State Park makes a great midpoint stop, offering easy-access lakeside trails, picnic spots, and quiet corners perfect for stretching your legs. The Dewey Short Visitor Center nearby offers expansive views of Table Rock Dam and the White River valley, along with interpretive exhibits highlighting the area’s natural and cultural history.

As the loop continues through the surrounding Ozark foothills, you’ll pass through small communities and wooded countryside, offering numerous opportunities for hiking, photography, and wildlife spotting. The slower pace and uncluttered views make this route ideal for a relaxed day trip full of scenic variety.

Plan your drive ahead of time using the Table Rock Loop Itineraries from VisitMo.

Travel Tips

• With early sunsets, make sure your headlights and wipers are winter-ready for ultimate visibility.
• Winter is the quietest time here, perfect for relaxed, scenic cruising. That could also mean more wildlife, so stay alert while enjoying the views.

Common Questions About Missouri Scenic Winter Drives

What’s the best time of day for winter scenic drives?

Mid-morning to early afternoon is ideal. Roads are less icy, sunlight improves visibility, and wildlife is more active, especially along river routes.

Do I need winter tires for a Missouri winter road trip?

While not required, winter tires significantly improve traction on icy and cold roads. If you plan to drive on gravel, forested, or hilly roads, winter tires or high-quality all-weather tires are highly recommended.

What’s the most famous road in Missouri?

The Great River Road near St. Louis is one of Missouri’s most recognized scenic routes and is frequently ranked among the Midwest’s best drives.

What’s the most scenic route in Missouri?

Glade Top Trail is often considered Missouri’s most scenic winter route due to its panoramic ridge-top views and untouched forest landscapes.

Prepare Your Vehicle for Safe Winter Scenic Drives with Telle Tire

A beautiful winter drive is only enjoyable when your vehicle is ready for the season. Before you explore Missouri’s snow-dusted vineyards, icy rivers, or rolling Ozark hills, make sure your car, SUV, or truck is equipped for cold-weather travel.

Take it to Telle for complete winterization services, including:

• Tire inspections & replacements
• Battery and charging system tests
• Brake inspections
• Wiper and fluid checks
• Heating & defrosting system evaluations

With locations throughout Missouri, it’s easy to get your vehicle winter-ready wherever your scenic drive begins. Take your vehicle to your nearest Telle Tire location and enjoy your Missouri winter adventure with confidence.

Want to save some money on your road trip vehicle preparation? Check out Winter Service Special and our other available specials to save even more on your vehicle maintenance needs.