Ride to the River Road

Until you get past Carrollton which is about 80 miles from Springfield and is a recommended fuel stop, you will be riding thru prime Central Illinois farm country. Yep, that means flat as a pancake.Once past the fuel stop you will start to get into rolling hills and some curves which will bring you into the Illinois River valley at the bottom of the hill at Eldred. It's about 4 miles from here to the river ferry crossing (free). Kampsville is where you get on the ferry. You will find a couple of food stops here or wait til you get farther down the road to Hardin, Brussels (Brussels Hotel...great family style eating) or Grafton. Once across the ferry follow my loop or stay on Rt 100 all the way into Calhoun County to Brussels. Once you are past Brussels follow the main road to the Brussels Ferry crossing and cross over to Pere Marquette State Park.The park has some beautiful riding and some great views out over the river once you get to the top. Following the route will bring you back to Grafton which is a very popular little river town and can be quite crowded depending on what activities are slated. You will find lots of places to eat & drink here, one of my favorites is the Loading Dock on the river.Follow the river road to Alton and enjoy the view of white limestone river bluffs as you go. Go towards the intersection of Broadway and 140 and make a stop at Fast Eddie's Bonaire. This place is always rockin' and is a favorite of many Ilinois and Missouri folks. Once you leave Alton, heading north will bring you to Beaver Dam State Park which I recommend taking a trip thru. After heading out from there, you will head north to Carlinville. If you are still hungry stop on teh northeast corner of the square for a bowl of chili at Taylor's Chili Parlor.Heading back to the start of the ride will get you about 270 miles for the day. Plan on lots of stopping cause there's lot's to see.

This is a motorcycle ride in the state of Illinois. This motorcycle route has 6 scenery characteristics and other road conditions to help you plan your road trip. This motorcycle map was created by tighedog in January. Click here to see other Motorcycle Roads by tighedog