Finding the Route of the Voyageurs
It’s now even easier to find the Illinois River Road — Route of the Voyageurs.
Last week, officials announced the creation of a new Web site at www.illinoisriverroad.org, to provide detailed information on all the gateway communities and nature destinations along the byway. The site also allows visitors to share their “Tales from the Illinois River Road,” and post pictures and stories on the Web site.
In September 2005, the Illinois River Road — Route of the Voyageurs — was announced as a National Scenic Byway. The Illinois River Road covers 271 miles between Ottawa and Havana, and includes much of Routes 26 and 29 on each side of the river.
In Bureau County, the byway enters the county on Route 6, just north of St. Bede Academy. It runs through Spring Valley, and once west of the city, switches onto Route 29, moving through DePue and Bureau.
The designation also includes Princeton. Although Princeton is not on the Illinois River, the city is designated a gateway community, and the scenic route pathway loops through town. The gateway communities, which include Ottawa, Peoria, East Peoria, Pekin, Canton and Havana, received their designation by supporting the project from the beginning, both with personnel and financial support.
Each gateway has a nature loop, and they are considered places where people can start. Each gateway community will have an interpretive kiosk, a 10-foot-tall structure designed to give information about the byway and the local community. Princeton’s kiosk is proposed for Sixth and Peru streets.
Princeton’s loop includes Boggio’s Little Mountain Orchard, Condit’s Ranch and Stables, Donnelley DePue State Fish and Wildlife Area and Complex, Hennepin and Hopper Lakes Restoration Project, Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Hornbaker Gardens, Indian Creek Vineyard, LaFayette Home Nursery, Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area, McCune Sand Prairie, Miller-Anderson Woods Nature Preserve, Plow Creek Farm, Putnam County Conservation District, Schneider’s Orchard, Warneke Woods and the Witness Tree.
Supporters hope the designation will draw interest to this area, and it has already enabled the route to be included in a National Geographic brochure on scenic highways and byways brochure on the 275 best drives in the country. Also, an article was recently written on great places to snowmobile by the Illinois River Road.
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