"No-Face" Bald Eagle along the Mississippi River
PÜ F3ST St. Louis 8.28.16
poster by Elizabeth Moore
Katharina and Jake at the Chain of Rocks Bridge
Illinois River valley
St. Louis to Chicago Illinois River Bike Route
From St. Louis: StL Riverfront trail, MCT Confluence Trail, Sam Vadalabene Great River Road Trail. After this, the majority of the route had no shoulder. Used IL100 but stayed on the eastern side of the IL River for the entire trip (except to cross via ferry at Kampsville for food). Consequently took Eldred Rd, Bluff St, River Road, Hillview Rd to Beardstown. Then Chandlerville Road and 78 into Havana. Then Manito Rd also called Manito Blacktop into Pekin. Taking 29, Wesley Rd and Main street leads you to US 150 and 116, where you'll continue north on Spring Bay Rd/26. County backroads lead to Walnut St in Ogelsby. The bridge across the Vermillion River was out as of September 2016, crossed via 71. Backtracking after Starved Rock, 78 gets you across the IL River to Dee Bennet Road, where you will connect to the I&M Canal. That baby takes you all the way to Gaylord Donnelley Trail and Centennial Trail.
Points of Interest:
Pere Marquette State Park
Sand Ridge State Forest
Starved Rock State Park
I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor
