Overall Route Rating
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4 out of 5 Rider Rating 4
2 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Old Dirt 336 (5 McR Points) on May 06, 2012

Rider Reviews

nihao76
21 McR Points
May 8, 2015
Nice route from Lousiana, MO to Hannibal, MO on…
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mchance
808 McR Points
October 29, 2020
I've ridden this route a couple of times. It's…
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Written Directions

Just south of Quincy IL., south off I- 72 is Kinderhook IL. Take Hwy #96. When #96 turns east, just south of Mozier, continue south through Hamburg and Batchtown.A left on Schleeper rd. and then a right at the T intersection, will lead you first to Brussels Ferry, then south on the Great River Road to Grafton.

Scenery

Although not a official/government named extention of the Great River Road US Scenic Byway, if you like the Great River Road, this route is a great way to extend your drive. The roads skirt the Mississippi River Bluffs for most of your trip. A lot of rural scenery and rustic beauty. Flat farm land to hillside vistas of the Big Muddy.

Drive Enjoyment

The first third and last third of this route are excellent paved roads with lane markings. The middle third narrows and is mostly unlined. The narrower sections of this trip is twistier and tighter. Small creek crossing bidges can be rough, but most were improved last year.

Tourism Opportunities

Bars and Pubs dot the roadsides. Restaurants in Brussels and Grafton serve a wide variety of local fare, wines and spirits.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

On the narrow, unlined sections, let your riding ability and road surfaces dictate your speed. Some turns are quite tight and challenging. When cresting rises, stay single file and to the right.
 

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nihao76
May 8, 2015
21 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring
Nice route from Lousiana, MO to Hannibal, MO on Rt 79 al so from Lousiana to where two rivers meet take 96 down to county 2 and you'll end up down in Brussels where you can take the ferry across the IL to rt 100 and ride back up North to Hardin x the river again up to Kampsville and back on 96. We did in about 3hrs beautiful county 2 winds and dips goes through woods and over a few 20ft long gravel spots but rest is all paved. Get gas before you go! I didn't see one gas stop just bars.
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mchance
October 29, 2020
808 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
I've ridden this route a couple of times. It's definitely a change of pace from most of the more modern highways that are part of the official Great River Road network. And I'll second the comment about filling up before you go. There are no real gas stations between Pleasant Hill and Grafton (over 50 miles). Once off of IL-96 and onto the Mississippi River Road, it's rough chip-and-seal pavement, roughly a lane and a half wide. And the curves are not well marked, if at all. There are a few "chicanes" where the road appears to end into a large tree, only to have a 10-15 MPH lefthander blind apex/blind crest immediately into another tight righthander appear out of nowhere just before you hit the tree. With no warning signs or markings. More than once I negotiated the turns, only to be greeted by a large farm vehicle coming the other direction, taking up most of the road. But mostly it's rolling hills and curves, at the base of the bluffs at the edge of the river flats. Definitely worth a ride, and one of the more interesting roads in Illinois.
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