Illinois Motorcycle Roads and Trips
Illinois (IL), often referred to as the "Land of Lincoln", offers a nice variety of scenic Midwestern motorcycle rides, interesting history, and notable cultural attractions. Cultural and tourist highlights include the Anderson Japanese Gardens, the numerous Amish villages throughout the state, and the Southern and Southwestern Illinois wine trails. Scenic attractions include Starved Rock State Park, the Garden of the Gods, the Shawnee National Forest, and Spoon River Valley. Historical places of interest include the homes of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Ronald Reagan, the Illinois Railway Museum, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, and the Cahokia mounds.
Note: the motorcycle rides below have been divided into two general regions:
- Northern Illinois (anything north of Springfield)
- Southern Illinois (anything south of Springfield)
Northern Illinois Motorcycle Rides
… great sample of some of the best scenery from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa … Lots of biker friendly restaurants and bars along the way
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… ride follows the Mississippi pretty closely at times and offers very nice scenic views … Palisades State Park provides some great views from the top of the bluffs ... a scenic overlook over the river (this is a relatively unknown place)
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Fabulous Mississippi River scenic views along entire length of road … smooth road surface, slow sweeping corners that hugs the path of the river the entire time … an interesting & extensive Mormon settlement history in Nauvoo
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Scenic vistas, rolling hills, farms. Exceptional fall foliage … in my opinion, probably the most scenic fall foliage road in this area
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… starts out at the beautiful Mississippi Palisades State Park ... nothing along this ride but scenery and turns
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… very hilly for Illinois, with thick woods, and deep ravines at certain points … nicely paved, some areas are narrow for a two lane road, twisty like the Tennessee hills … starved Rock State Park has a fascinating history and a nice lodge, camping, hiking, boat access
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… wonderful example of "small town Midwest" coupled with beautiful shots of nature as the ride hugs the Rock River … statue of Chief Blawkhawk sits high on the bluff overlooking the waterway … I recommend stopping in Oregon and grabbing a sandwich at The Cheese Shop in Conover Square
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… slower pace allows a rider to appreciate the small towns and surrounding farmland typical of this central Illinois area … great Amish buffet with crafts to keep those on a diet occupied while the rest of us eat! … an old-fashioned drive up root beer stand with free root beer refills and tasty
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… a get away from the city congestion .... you'll see many farms, an ultralite airfield, a competition go-cart track and a beautiful state park … the road turns twisty for a few miles
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… go from the prairies to the "mountains" of Illinois while enjoying some really winding roads with great scenery and riding thrills … in Galena, you'll find plenty of antique shops, boutiques and fine restaurants along the way
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SouthernIllinois Motorcycle Rides
Scenic river road …. Mississippi River views and bluffs at south end … you'll want to start out with a stop at Fast Eddies ... caters to the motorcycle crowd ... live bands ever weekend and great/inexpensive food like 29 cent shrimp and 1/2 pound burger for only 99 cents
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… takes you through the southern part of Illinois ... a stop at Garden of the Gods then down to Elizabethtown on the Ohio River … a number of wineries in the Alto Pass/Makanda area … you can eat fish at the Floating Resturant on the Ohio River
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… as you work your way further south on this ride the more the scenery and elevation changes for the better - you'll enjoy it! … check out the childhood cabing/home of President Lincoln … several good restaurants in Vincennes
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… passes by Turkey Run State Park with it’s incredible scenery - take the time to get off the bike and explore - it's loaded with gorges and ravines and plenty of great nature trails
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Fields, open road, light traffic, small towns is what you'll see … has some curves but is level for the most part … you cross Rend Lake where you can observe at times, various water fowl … a GREAT restaurant, we suggest you take - The Depot Supper Club
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… once across the border and into Beloit and beyond, the view becomes pure Americana; from the enduring beauty of the river-front life to the occasional small-town local rural lifestyle - certainly a "top 3" ride
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… Mississippi river is on one side, and typically there are bluffs, caves, beautiful farm fields, wetlands or something beautiful on the other side to see … you'll see LOTS of bikes along the way as well as boats on the river … be sure and stop by Pere Marquette State Park as it has some great roads too
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… area is called the Illinois Ozarks located … unlimited scenic views of the area from the hills and cliff tops ... watch for waterfalls along the roadside in the spring
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… you drive on top of a series of Army Corps of Engineers flood levees … later the route takes you into and up on some huge cliffs that parallel the flood plane … EXTREMELY beautiful in the fall due to the colors displayed by the surrounding woods
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