Wisconsin Highway 35 follows the eastern bluff of the Mississippi for hundreds of miles through western Wisconsin, and Pepin sits at one of its most scenic stretches. The road hugs the shore of Lake Pepin here, with the bluffs rising steeply on one side and the lake spreading wide on the other.
Driving north from Pepin toward Maiden Rock and Stockholm, the road climbs into views that look more like the upper Rhine than the Midwest. Driving south toward Wabasha, Minnesota (just across the river), the route passes through classic bottomland and river towns. The whole corridor is designated a National Scenic Byway.
Cyclists use WI-35 as part of longer Mississippi River routes; the traffic is manageable and the shoulder reasonable through this section. The blufftop overlooks north of Pepin are worth stopping for.