The U.S Army Corps of Engineers River Project provides operation and maintenance of dams, locks, and dikes as well as 110000 acres of public lands used to support operations and maintenance of the Nine Foot Navigation Channel Project along the Upper Mississippi and lower Illinois River systems. The Illinois River - Riverlands is part of this extensive system on the lower 80 miles of the channel, along the Illinois River. The Corps project allows for flood control, water supply, navigation, wildlife management, and recreational sites along the waterway.
Recreation areas with boat ramps allowing access to the channel include Blooms Landing Access Area, Dabbs Road Access Area, Fuller Lake Access Area, Godar-Diamond Access Area, and Hadley Landing Access Area. The Gilbert Lake Access Area also provides a hiking trail. The Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the Audubon Society and partners, is responsible for the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary. This protected area provides preservation of necessary habitat for feeding and nesting along the migratory pathway and provides interpretive information and displays at the Audubon Center at Riverlands near St. Louis, Missouri.
Overnight camping is available at Pere Marquette State Park, Illinois. Explore the Illinois River - Riverlands and surrounding area with an RV available at RV Rentals Illinois and discover the Benefits of RV Travel Versus Air Travel when exploring natural regions.
The Corp of Engineers Riverlands Project Office can be reached from St Louis by taking Route 270 Northeast to Route 367 North. Turn right before the Clark Bridge on Riverlands Way and follow the signs.
The National Great Rivers Museum is situated on Highway 143 at the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway.
The Audubon Center at Riverlands is located at 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton, in the Riverlands Migratory Sanctuary. In St. Louis take I-70 West to the McKinley Bridge exit and cross into Illinois. Keep left onto Illinois Route 3 N and turn left onto Illinois 143 W to Alton and the Clark Bride. Go left on US Route 67, and cross the Clark Bridge into Missouri. Take a left just after the bridge and follow the signs to the Sanctuary and Audubon Center.
Overnight camping at Pere Marquette State Park is located on Illinois Route 100/Great River Road. This is a scenic byway that skirts the park. Roads in the state park are paved and wide enough to accommodate RVs and tow vehicles. There are no narrow bridges or steep sections. Many areas of the park are best visited on cycling paths, and there is even a paved cycling trail that leads 20 miles south of the park to the City of Alton, so campers do not have to take their vehicles to town to visit sites and access amenities.
Campground A in Pere Marquette State Park is open year-round, with RV sites reservable during the peak season, from May to October, and first come first serve in the offseason. There are 80 back-in sites with electric hookups at the campground, that can accommodate large RVs and tow vehicles. Two sites are ADA accessible.
Amenities include drinking water supplies, showers, restrooms, and an RV dump station. There are also cabins available at the campground, a group shelter, and a youth group campsite. Individual campsites have picnic tables, fire rings, and grills, and are gravel surfaced. A boat ramp, dock, picnic area, and playground provide recreational amenities for campers looking to do some fishing and enjoy an outdoor meal. There's also a play site for little ones, and there are hiking trails and a paved cycling trail extending 20 miles south to the City of Alton from the state park.
Horseback riding is another popular park activity, and horse rentals are available nearby. Pets are permitted but must be kept leashed in the state park and campground.
Fishing from the shorelines of the Mississippi River or the Illinois River is permitted, providing you have a valid state fishing license for the Illinois or Missouri area where you are conducting fishing activities. From October 1 to April 30, fishing from boats is restricted in some areas, and bank fishing only is permitted. From May to September, fishing in watercraft from the water surface is permitted in all areas. The projects along the rivers have created side channels and backwaters ideal for fishing, with largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, drum, and sturgeon being prevalent. The lower Illinois River also contains stocked trout.
Geocaching uses GPS enabled devices to conduct real-world treasure hunts! Geocachers set GPS coordinates into their devices to find hidden containers, planted at select locations. This activity is available at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary were people of all ages and mobility levels can borrow GPS equipment for free, and receive instruction on this unique activity. You can pre-register by contacting the National Great Rivers Museum or come early, as the activity is first-come, first-serve for the first 15 on site.
Excellent hiking trails abound in the Illinois River-Riverlands region. A hiking trail is available at the COE Gilbert Lake Access Area, and the Riverlands Migratory Bike Sanctuary has five trails that range in length from one to three miles. Interpretive stations along the sanctuary trails provide information on local plants and animals in the wetlands and prairie grass areas along Alton Lake.
Pere Marquette State Park also boasts excellent hiking trails for RV campers staying overnight while visiting the Riverlands region.
The Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Audubon Center at Riverlands is the flagship project of the National Audubon Society and offers interpretive displays and education on what is considered to be one of the world's most important migratory flyways, along the Mississippi River.
The bird sanctuary is especially active during transition seasons in the spring and fall when waterfowl and other avian species use the Flyway, and large populations of a wide variety of bird species can be spotted in the region. Eagles, trumpeter swans, pelicans, terns, and osprey are some of the species that visitors enjoy watching in the sanctuary and Riverlands region.
The National Great Rivers Museum provides education on the natural history and human development of the Mississippi River an the Illinois River - Riverlands region. The museum is open seven days a week, from 9 AM to 5 PM, and makes a great indoor activity, when cooler inclement weather is present in the area. Programs and tours are free. The museum is self-guided, with staff-led tours of the Melvin Price Lock and Dam start at 10 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM. The museum and lock tours are ADA accessible.
The 21-mile asphalt surfaced Confluence Bike Trail begins at Russell Commons Park in Alton, and extends south to Granite City, passing by the Melvin Price Lock and Dam, National Great Rivers Museum, and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Centers. The paved 20-mile Sam Valaladene Bike Trail, starts at the Piasa Park near Alton, at the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, and runs to Pere Marquette State Park. En route, you will travel through bluffs along the Mississippi River on an incredible scenic cycling trail.
Bike rentals are available at Pias Harbor in Godfrey, Illinois. Autumn is a great time for cycling trips in the area with changing leaves coloring the landscape, and less traffic on area trails.
