Explore Off the Beaten Track on the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route. Illinois

There is a place in Illinois where three rivers come together to form one. Bring your hiking shoes and bikes to explore off the beaten track on the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route. The scenic routes and highways are mostly a straight drive on one road, with little side trips along the way. It is an easy drive even for an inexperienced traveler. Go back in time to when Lewis and Clark explored these rivers on their way west, further back to the time when the Native Americans used these rivers as their m ain transportation and to the time of the early French Explorers who set up the first trading posts. It will take close to two hours to travel the route. How many places you decide to stop and explore depends on how much time you have. The more the better, but if time is limited, pick the ones that interest you the most. You can always come back and explore off the beaten track a second time, in fact it will be hard for you not to want to.

Pere Marquette State Park
Fr. Pere Marquette was one of the early French Explorers of the area. With over 8,000 acres where you can camp, hike, bike or go horseback riding. You can get a view of both the Illinois and Mississippi rivers form the scenic overviews.

Brussels Ferry
how about a free ride across The Illinois River ? Not a bad idea especially on a hot summers day. Not far away is the Mark Twain Wildlife Refuge. You can really explore off the beaten track here, just respect the wildlife. And there is plenty of wildlife to respect. Make sure you have your camera.

Clark Bridge
You will not see a bridge like this anywhere else. And when you see it at night, it is an awesome sight. It is worth it just to take a trip back and forth just to say you have been on it.

Grand Bluffs
You cannot miss the Bluffs.. They tower above the road and the river and offer some great photograph opportunities. You cant get to them to climb up, but they are beautiful pictures all by themselves.