Mark Twain Region

The Mark Twain Region runs along the Mississippi River across the northeastern corner of Missouri, named for the author whose boyhood in Hannibal shaped a substantial portion of American literature. The landscape is gently rolling farmland punctuated by river bluffs, with the Mississippi defining the eastern boundary and a series of inland counties extending west. Marion, Ralls, Pike, Lewis, Monroe, and Audrain counties make up most of the region, with Hannibal serving as the obvious anchor. Other stops include Louisiana — the river town, not the state — Bowling Green, Mexico, and Clarksville. The Great River Road follows the Mississippi along the region’s eastern edge. Most visits here are paced for a long weekend rather than a single day. Hannibal handles the Twain-related sites and a working stretch of the river; the inland counties offer state parks, antique shops, agricultural country, and eagle-watching in winter when the locks bring concentrated bird activity along the river.