Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route
Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities

Touted as the longest and perhaps the most scenic bicycle path in the region, the 25-mile Vandalabene (Great River Road) Bicycle Trail runs parallel to the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route from Alton to the north of Pere Marquette State Park.

The trail provides walking and bicycling opportunities, and it is the non-motorized, interconnecting link to 80 percent of the attractions along the byway. The trail hugs the scenic limestone cliffs bordering the Mississippi River and passes through the historic towns of Alton, Elsah, Chautauqua, and Grafton, ending at Pere Marquette State Park. There are plans to extend the Vandalabene Bike Trail to connect with the West Alton Bike Trail into Missouri via the Clark Bridge.

Once in Missouri, the biker can take county roads to St. Charles and connect with the Katy Trail there. The West Alton Trail, coming off the Clark Bridge, will connect with the new Confluence Trail that serves the Melvin Price Lock and Dam and Visitor Center (northern terminus). This trail continues south, and then it splits and either crosses the Mississippi at the Eads Bridge into St. Louis or turns east to Belleville, IL. There are also pedestrian trails within Pere Marquette State Park.