Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway

Where is the Illinois River Road?
Traversing both east and west sides of the Illinois River from Ottawa, 150 miles south to Havana, the Illinois River Road has spurs to the communities of Princeton and Canton. The Illinois River Road corridor has over 100 natural and historic sites and numerous unique communities located throughout its 10-county region.

The Scenic Byway is conveniently located between Chicago and St. Louis, but just far enough to get away from it all. So get off the beaten path and see what the Illinois River Road has in store for you!

Amur Tiger Cubs Born at Peoria Zoo

River Stories Cruise

Peoria Riverfront Museum Now Open

The Nature Conservancy Emiquon Preserve
State Rt. 78/97 , Lewistown, IL

TNC has embarked on one of the largest wetland restoration projects in the U.S. Beneath the nearly 7,000 acres of plowed cropland was a dormant seed bank of prairie, hardwood forest, and aquatic plants just waiting for a chance to emerge. The newly built boat ramp, board walks, hiking and canoe trails were designed to attract visitors just as re-flooding Thompson Lake is attracting many of the regions mammals, birds, butterflies, and fishes. Within months of flooding, the state endangered Black Necked Stilts began nesting. During spring and fall migrations the water is covered with tens of thousands of waterfowl, gulls, and terns. The prairie hosts Henslows and Grasshopper Sparrows, and the upland forests provides habitat to a range of woodpeckers and warblers. As a privately owned nature preserve, The Nature Conservancy requests that folks check in at Dickson Mounds Museum and sign a waver. While at the Museum visit the third floor observation deck to get a great overview of the entire preserve project within the context of the confluence of the Illinois and Spoon River, on a clear day you can see Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge across the river. Start with a visit to the newly constructed boardwalks to see Lake Thompson; depending on the season there are often rafts of ducks, hundreds of thousands of snow geese, or hundreds of white pelicans. The adventurous hiker might wish to walk the several miles of trails that loop through a wet forest for songbirds and pileated woodpeckers, and then roam out onto the levee to view the river, for gulls, ducks, geese and eagles. If you have a canoe or kayak the boat ramp gives you easy access to paddle through the wetlands, being careful not to disturb nesting stilts, coots, or ducks. There are also trails up on the bluff where grassland birds nest in abundance.

Other Information: -Educational Programs -Birding by Boat -Hiking -Handicap Access -Hunting

GPS: 40.35838, -90.08587
Seasons: -Winter -Spring -Summer -Fall
Checklist: Download

Phone: 3095472730

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