The Great River Road

The Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway is the 33-mile stretch of Illinois' Great River Road that ends at Pere Marquette State Park. It starts in Hartford, near where the Missouri joins the Mississippi, and follows Route 100 for about 25 miles through Alton and along the river bluffs to Grafton and the park, where the Illinois River joins the Mississippi.

The Route, South to North

1. Hartford: the byway begins at Illinois Route 3 and New Poag Road. Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery wintered nearby at Camp River Dubois and set out on May 14, 1804.
2. Wood River and Alton: the byway follows Routes 3 and 143 into Alton, then turns onto Route 100.
3. The bluffs: Route 100 bends along the forested limestone bluffs above the Mississippi. In Alton, look up for the Piasa Bird painted on the bluff.
4. Elsah: a village of stone houses that the tourism bureau says was the first village in its entirety placed on the National Register of Historic Places, in 1973.
5. Grafton: the river town where the Illinois meets the Mississippi. See Grafton and the ferries.
6. Pere Marquette State Park: the byway's northern end. IDNR calls this one of the most beautiful stretches of the Great River Road.

When to Drive It

• Fall: IDNR says fall color drives along the wooded ravines and riverside roads near the park are popular.
• Winter: eagle season. The tourism bureau says drivers on the byway see anywhere from 25 to 150 bald eagles on a trip, mostly from late December to mid-February. See eagle watching.
• Spring and summer: riverfront dining and river activities in Grafton and Alton.

Riding Instead of Driving

The paved Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail runs about 20 miles between Pere Marquette and Alton.

Beyond Pere Marquette

Route 100 continues north past the park toward Kampsville, where IDOT's free Kampsville Ferry carries Route 108 over the Illinois River. Closer in, the free Brussels Ferry, run by IDOT around the clock, crosses the Illinois River near Grafton into Calhoun County. See the ferries.

Why It Matters

The tourism bureau notes the byway has been named one of the "Seven Wonders of Illinois". Enjoy Illinois, the state tourism office, calls this 33-mile stretch the only place in the country where the Mississippi comes together with both the Missouri and the Illinois rivers.