This route is one of the 100 US National Forest Scenic byways and one of Minnesota's best road trips in terms of outdoor activities and breathtaking scenery. Besides a wide variety of beautiful scenery, this route abounds with great side trips and detours for you to explore.

The first section of this route runs through the dense hardwood forests with lots of aspen, oak and birch trees. This stretch of the road is extremely beautiful in the fall. Continuing north, the landscape changes from hardwoods to pine and you'll even see some large white pines that are about 200 years old. This route also abounds with lakes rich in fish and wildlife. Along the way you'll have plenty of wildlife spotting opportunities, so keep your eyes open for bears, whitetail deer, geese, bald eagles, beaver, osprey and even occasional trumpeter swans. The bottom line is, this route is fantastic and will make you want to come back again and again!

The town of Marcell is a good stopping place for food, gas or a little shopping.

On the attractions side, this road trip offers a plethora of outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, boating and many other recreational activities. Other than that, you'll hardly find any restaurants, craft shops or museums along this route. If you're into camping you can stay at a Chippewa National Forest's campground that overlooks North Star Lake. It offers RV sites, tent pad, fireplace, water hookups, restrooms and picnic tables. Gas, food, and motels are available at the town of Marcell. There's also the Marcell Ranger District office that you can visit to get some information about other scenic drives in the area: Chippewa Adventure and "The Fall Color Tour". Another popular campground, the Clubhouse Lake Campground, is located east of Marcell, off of Rte. 45. Adjacent to Clubhouse Lake, in an area of virgin pines, the campground offers about 50 sites and a swimming beach. There's a 5-mile hiking trail west on Minnesota 2423 that takes you to Jingo Lake. Scenic State Park is well deserving of its name. The park's overnight facilities include modern campsites, and a cabin. There are also water sports and boat rentals available here.