The Great River Road Trip

The Great River Road follows the mighty Mississippi, the nation’s longest river, along Illinois’ western border. Rewrite your bucket list as you soar through the forest on a zipline, take a gondola ride to the top of the bluffs, experience the flavor of Illinois wines, satisfy your sweet tooth with a banana split inspired by a paddlewheel boat, or take a cruise on an actual paddlewheel boat. Be an explorer as you climb the stairs to the top of the largest prehistoric settlement in North America, or rent a canoe and spend an hour or two on the waters of the mighty Mississippi, where Lewis and Clark began their famed expedition. Delve into history and view Native American mounds found along the riverbanks. Explore Ulysses S. Grant’s home, the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, and the home of Popeye. Visit the largest state park in Illinois and one untouched by glaciers that once blanketed much of the state. You’ll experience towering bluffs, rolling hills, river communities, farmlands and sweeping views. Along the way you might just discover that there’s more to the road than the river.