The 5 Most Terrifying Drives You Can Possibly Take In Illinois
By Linze Rice|Published June 15, 2023
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Linze Rice
Author
Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
With most of Illinois being rural farmland, learning how to safely drive at night is a rite of passage for many Midwesterners. On the opposite spectrum are the state’s highways, which can be a lesson in survival, themselves. Either way, the wide open roads make for plenty of great driving trips in Illinois. Yet, not every roadway is created equal. In fact, the most terrifying roads in Illinois may scare you for reasons all over the map — physically or psychologically.
Have you ever driven any of the most terrifying roads in Illinois? What’s your scariest experience? Is there a road that we missed? Tell us in the comments! And if you’re looking for Illinois road trip ideas, check out these 10 best trips everyone should take at least once!