Ohio River Scenic Byway
Ohio River Scenic Byway -- Illinois Must See Tour

Departure: Fort Defiance Park, Illinois
Destination: Garden of the Gods, Illinois
Time to allow: 1 day

The Byway through Illinois offers one adventure after another.

Day 1

  • Start: Fort Defiance Park (IL)

    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    The park commemorates the Civil War Fort Defiance, commanded by General U.S. Grant. The site offers a breathtaking view of the river. Stop for a few minutes to view the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, where you can see tugs working on the rivers. There are picnic tables and the Boatmen's Memorial, which lends itself to great photo opportunities, where the nation's largest rivers meet.

  • Stop 2: Cairo

    From previous stop: 5 minutes / 2 mi (3.2 km)
    Directions:

    Go north on Highway 51 to Cairo.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    One of the southernmost tips of Illinois, Cairo lies at the intersection of Highway 51 and Interstate 57, on the Ohio River. Taking Hwy. 51 right through Cairo (on Washington Ave.) travel 1 1/2 miles to The Hewer Statue in Halliday Park, on the corner of Washington and Poplar Avenues. About 1/2 mile later you can see the Safford Memorial Library (a 15 minute stop), where you can pick up a 50 cent book out of the "treasure bin" to read in bed that night. Across the street is the U.S. Custom House Museum (a 30 minute stop).

  • Stop 3: Millionaires' Row

    From previous stop: same location
    Directions:

    Follow Washington Avenue where Highway 51 and Washington Avenue split.
    Suggested time at this stop: 20 minutes

    Where Hwy. 51 and Washington Ave. split you can take a short detour following Washington Ave. along "Millionaires' Row" to see turn of the century mansions such as "River Lore" and "Magnolia Manor," which is open for tours. Turn right on 28th St. to rejoin the Byway.

  • Stop 4: Mounds City National Cemetery (IL)

    From previous stop: 5 minutes / 5 mi (8.0 km)
    Directions:

    Head north on Hwy. 51 out of Cairo. The Mounds City National Cemetery is at the junction of Highways 51 and 37.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    Confederate and Union soldiers are buried here. Started in 1864, the cemetery is one of 12 original national cemeteries.

  • Stop 5: Olmstead Lock and Dam Project (IL)

    From previous stop: 5 minutes / 5 mi (8.0 km)
    Directions:

    Travel north on Hwy. 37.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    The Olmstead Lock and Dam is scheduled to be completed in 2006. There are a lookout pavilion and restrooms here.

  • Stop 6: Superman Square (IL)

    From previous stop: same location
    Directions:

    Follow Hwy. 37, for about 5 miles, to the Grand Chain Joppa Blacktop which intersects Hwy. 45. Highway 45 goes south into Metropolis, where you can see the Superman Square in the center of town.
    Suggested time at this stop: 10 minutes

    Metropolis features a 15-foot Superman statue in its town square, using its one-of-a-kind name in its favor. You can also visit an accompanying museum about the city's favorite, self-proclaimed son.

  • Stop 7: Fort Massac State Park (IL)

    From previous stop: 5 minutes / 2 mi (3.2 km)
    Directions:

    Go south on Highway 45 to the park.
    Suggested time at this stop: 30 minutes

    Fort Massac State Park overlooks the Ohio River from the southern tip of Illinois. This location has been preserved and maintained since 1908, when it became Illinois' first state park.

    Today, Fort Massac is a captivating reminder of days gone by. The reconstructed timber fortification (a replica that includes blockhouses) of one built in 1794 provides a unique hands-on opportunity to explore our national heritage. A museum presents the engrossing tale of the fort's history with actual artifacts, archive photographs, period costumes, and a short interpretive video presentation.

    Actual re-creations of 1700s pioneer life during the annual Fort Massac Encampment and several living history weekends each year bring the past to life, letting you experience it yourself. With all this, and picnicking, camping, hiking, boating, and hunting opportunities available in the rest of the 1,450-acre area, the park is a self-contained family vacation spot.

  • Stop 8: Kinkaid Mounds (IL)

    From previous stop: same location
    Directions:

    Travel east on Highway 45 through Unionville and New Liberty and then north to the Kinkaid Mounds.
    Suggested time at this stop: 20 minutes

    A monument to the Native American people who once inhabitated the region.

  • Stop 9: Golconda (IL)

    From previous stop: same location
    Directions:

    Continue north on the Byway, through Bay City, to the city of Golconda (about 45 miles from Metropolis).
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    In Golconda you can visit the Golconda Marina (15 minute stop), the Buel House, and many antique and novelty shops. At the Buel House (certified by the National Park Service as an official Trail of Tears designated site), the Cherokee were offered food and hospitality.

  • Stop 10: Cave in Rock State Park (IL)

    From previous stop: 35 minutes / 27 mi (43.2 km)
    Directions:

    Head north on Hwy. 146; you will go beyond Elizabethtown. Cave-in-Rock is a little south of the Byway on Highway 91.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    Cave-in-Rock State Park is a great limestone cavern on the Ohio River. The enormous cave, once home to river pirates, provides a vantage point from which to watch today's river traffic.

    Visitors can enjoy lodging, trails, picnic facilities, a restaurant, and a ferry across the river.

  • End: Garden of the Gods (IL)

    From previous stop: 45 minutes / 25 mi (40.0 km)
    Directions:

    Go north from Cave-In-Rock on Highway 1 to the turn-off for Garden of the Gods. Head west to Garden of the Gods.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest, with its unique rock formations, has been a popular attraction in Southeastern Illinois for a great while. One of the first roads in this region passed through the area running from the salt works at Equality to the Ohio River.

    Anvil Rock, then known as Devil's Rock, became one of the first rock formations named in the interior of Southern Illinois. Today, a paved road off of Karber's Ridge makes it much easier for visitors to explore Garden of the Gods. A short-looped trail from the parking lot makes it easy for visitors to see the main rock formations, including the well-known Camel Rock.

    Anvil Rock and other formations can be seen along the trails in the Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area.

Totals for Day 1

Total Distance Traveled: 66 miles / 105.6 km
Total Travel Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Stopping Time: 6 hours 50 minutes