ILLINOIS RIVER ROAD
For years, the Illinois River has served as the main artery for life in this part of Illinois. Several species of migrating waterfowl and other wildlife make their home in the wetland and forest habitats along its banks. Natural areas such as Starved Rock and Mathiesson State Parks, Wildlife Prairie State Park, and Emiquon TNC Preserve and National Wildlife Refuge provide a varied and beautiful habitat for several of the species that have come to characterize the American frontier experience, such as buffalo, wild geese, and the American bald eagle. These nature areas also contain miles of hiking and biking trails, allowing visitors to listen to the songbirds, enjoy the brilliant autumn colors, or participate in winter sports such as cross country skiing and snowmobiling.

The Illinois River Road Scenic Byway preserves the natural river country along the banks of the Illinois River, allowing visitors to travel the same route as the early French explorers. The Byway parallels the Illinois River Country Nature Trail, a chain of nearly one hundred linked nature sites that offer outdoor recreation in the Illinois River Valley. The Dickson Mounds Museum, a nationally renowned archaeological site, provides visitors with over 15,000 square feet of exhibits, discussing the past from the prehistoric Paleo-Indians down to the Mississippian people's culture eight hundred years ago.

The natural, archaelogical, and historic heritage along the Illinois River Road shows Byway visitors the nature of life along the riverbanks. From Starved Rock State Park just outside Ottawa, south to the Emiquon Preserve near Havanna, visitors can experience the seasonal colors and rhythms of the forests, wetlands, bluffs and prairies that the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway offers.

Visit the Illinois River Road for more information.