Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route
33 miles of the Great River Road under limestone bluffs where the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois rivers meet, from Hartford through Alton to Grafton.
Also known as Part of the Great River Road (Illinois Route 100)
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length33 miles[1]
- Drive timeTwo days to enjoy the whole byway[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
- RoadsIllinois Route 100 (the Great River Road) between Alton and Grafton[3]
- Start and endNear Hartford, IL and near Batchtown, ILNearest towns to the ends of the U.S. DOT route line
- Fees and passesNo fees on the byway; the state's Brussels Ferry across the Illinois River near Grafton is free and runs 24 hours a day.[3]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route follows the Mississippi near where the Missouri and Illinois rivers join it. FHWA describes a floodplain of about 35,000 acres, old river towns from the 1700s, and wooded limestone bluffs along the road.
From the Lewis and Clark site at Hartford, the route runs through Alton and the village of Elsah to Grafton, at the mouth of the Illinois River. Pere Marquette State Park sits on the bluffs just beyond.
Near Grafton, the state's free Brussels Ferry crosses the Illinois River around the clock, a short side trip into Calhoun County.
Stops along the way
-
Alton
River town with the National Great Rivers Museum at Melvin Price Locks and Dam.
Official information · 38.89061, -90.18428 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Elsah
Small historic village under the bluffs.
Official information · 38.95617, -90.35984 · about 0.4 mi from the route line
-
Grafton
Where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi; the free Brussels Ferry crosses just west of town.
Official information · 38.97006, -90.43151 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Pere Marquette State Park
Large state park on the bluffs above the Illinois River.
Official information · 39.00442, -90.52619 · about 1.0 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Alton Farmers' & Artisans' MarketAlton, IL · about 0.0 mi from the route
- Bethalto Market In The ParkBethalto, IL · about 4.3 mi from the route
- Spanish Lake Farmers MarketSt Louis, MO · about 6.3 mi from the route
- Land of Goshen Farmers' MarketEdwardsville, IL · about 7.8 mi from the route
- A Red Circle dba Healthy Community MarkeSt. Louis, MO · about 8.4 mi from the route
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Meeting of the Great Rivers (Enjoy Illinois, Illinois Office of Tourism) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Ferry Services (Illinois Department of Transportation) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).