Illinois Road Trip Ideas: 11 Best Road Trips + Itinerary
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
With so many cities, small towns, and wide open spaces, the Land of Lincoln is a great state for a road trip. Whether you have a few hours, a day, a few days, or longer, check out these Illinois road trip ideas for your next adventure. These are some of the best Illinois road trips you can take!
Table of Contents
1-Day Road Trip In Illinois
- Route: Burden Falls > Jackson Falls > Cache River Basin Vineyard & Winery > Ferne Clyffe State Park > Feather Hills Vineyard and Winery
- Distance: 64 miles
- Trip Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
Go chasing waterfalls throughout Illinois with this epic road trip. Pack your camera and jump in the car to see some of Illinois' finest! And then treat yourself to some wine at a couple of vineyards. This wine and waterfalls day trip in Illinois is a unique adventure!
3-Day Weekend Road Trip In Illinois
- Route: Gold Pyramid House > Leaning Tower of Niles > Gemini Giant > Hippie Memorial > Two Story Outhouse > World's Largest Wind Chime > World's Largest Catsup Bottle > America's Largest Cross > Piasa Bird > Superman Statue
- Distance: 823 miles
- Trip Time: 13 hours 43 minutes
If quirky roadside attractions in Illinois are your thing, this road trip is for you! Take some time on a long weekend and have fun discovering the weird side of Illinois. From the Gold Pyramid House in Wadsworth to some of the world's largest attractions in Casey, this trip will put a smile on your face!
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Illinois Hidden Gems Road Trip
- Route: Pomona Natural Bridge > Pomona Winery > Dixie Barbecue > Ozark Hills Nature Preserve > Annabelle Market > Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center
- Distance: 51 miles
- Trip Time: 1 hr 20 min
There are certainly plenty of hidden gems to discover, and you can use this Illinois road trip itinerary to find some of the most extraordinary ones! You'll start off at an awe-inspiring natural bridge, head to a winery, dine on some mouthwatering BBQ, shop at a market, and explore some wetlands. This road trip through Illinois has a little bit of everything!
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Illinois Fairytale Road Trip
- Route: RavenStone Castle > Aurora Sunken Gardens > Allerton Park and Retreat Center > Castle Of Palmyra > Villa Kathrine > Boo Castle Park
- Distance: 649 miles
- Trip Time: 11 hours 42 minutes
Most children and even some adults dream of being in a fairy tale. And we have a wonderful rod trip of a lifetime to some of the most fairytale-like places in the state. On this Illinois road trip itinerary, you'll see several castles, a garden, and even a playground the kids will absolutely love.
Best Illinois Road Trip For Spring
- Route: Ferne Clyffe Waterfall Trail > Kinkaid Lake Spillway > Cedar Falls > Little Pakentuck Waterfall Trail > Jackson Falls > Burden Falls
- Distance: 119 miles
- Trip Time: 3 hours
One of the best Illinois road trips you can take during the spring is to see some of its most beautiful waterfalls. Not only will you view several waterfalls, but this trip gets you outdoors and breathing in the fresh air.
Best Summer Road Trip In Illinois
- Route: Sunrise Park > Three Oaks Recreation Area > Anderson Japanese Gardens > Fox Hollow Tubing Adventure > I & M Canal Boat > Starved Rock State Park > Grand View Drive
- Distance: 250 miles
- Trip Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
Looking for an epic summer adventure? How about a road trip to some of the best summer spots in Illinois? Start your day at one of Lake Michigan's finest beaches. Stroll through Anderson Japanese Gardens then go tubing on the Fox River. These are just a few of the highlights!
Best Illinois Road Trip For Fall
- Route: Long Hollow Scenic Overlook > Mississippi Palisades State Park > Black Hawk Statue > Lowden - Miller Forest >
- Distance: 77 miles
- Trip Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Nothing is more beautiful than the changing colors of the leaves in the fall. Take it all in during this autumn road trip, one of the best road trips in Illinois.
Best Winter Road Trip In Illinois
- Route: Chicago Botanic Garden > Lincoln Park Zoo > Starved Rock Lodge > Folepi's Winter Wonderland > McIntosh Christmas Road > Shelbyville Festival of Lights
- Distance: 331 miles
- Trip Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Turn up the Christmas music and cruise through Illinois to see the most beautiful lights. It's sure to get you in the holiday spirit! You'll have to wait until the holiday season for this one, but it's worth it. This is one Illinois road trip you won't want to miss!
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Family Friendly Illinois Road Trip
- Route: Junction Diner > Lincoln Park Zoo > Leaning Tower of Niles > Great Wolf Lodge > Jurassic Gardens > Illinois Railway Museum > Pilot Pete's
- Distance: 137 miles
- Trip Time: 3 hours 27 minutes
Need an Illinois road trip itinerary the whole family can enjoy? With roadside attractions, train-themed stops, and even a waterpark hotel along the way, kids and adults alike will have a blast!
Road Trip to Illinois Landmarks & Natural Wonders
- Route: Illinois Beach State Park > Mississippi Palisades State Park > Starved Rock State Park > Matthiessen State Park > Pomona Natural Bridge > Giant City State Park > Ferne Clyffe State Park > Cache River Natural Area > Garden of the Gods > Cave-in-Rock State Park
- Distance: 733 miles
- Trip Time: 3 hours 23 minutes
So much beauty in Illinois, so little time. That's why we created one big road trip to let you see some of the most gorgeous places in the state! From the shores of Lake Michigan to views of the Mississippi River, and exploring some of the state's most magnificent parks as well as a cave, this is perhaps the best Illinois road trip you can take.
Road Trip to Best Small Towns in Illinois
- Route: Clarendon Hills > Harvard > Woodstock > Cherry Valley > Galena > Mount Carroll > Fulton > Morrison > Franklin Grove > Sycamore
- Distance: 365 miles
- Trip Time: 8 hours
We've got a lot of charm going on here in Illinois. Take this road trip to enjoy the small towns that make our state great. This Illinois road trip itinerary focuses on the northern part of the state and really showcases small-town charm.
Which of these Illinois road trip ideas do you like the best? There’s so much to see in this state that it’s a good idea to go with an itinerary. Tell us, which road trip adventure will you take first?
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More to Explore
Illinois Road Trip Ideas
What are the most popular landmarks to visit in Illinois?
Some of the most popular landmarks to visit in Illinois are the following:
- Millennium Park and Cloud Gate in Chicago
- Navy Pier in Chicago
- Chicago Riverwalk
- Illinois’ Historic Route 66 (there’s nothing quite like driving along the Mother Road)
- Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. This historic site is the home that Abraham Lincoln once owned.
- The Dana-Thomas House in Springfield which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
- Wrigley Field in the Windy City
- Grand View Drive, a gorgeous scenic drive in Peoria
- The Great River Road which follows the Mississippi River and runs through Illinois from the borders of Wisconsin and Iowa, between Illinois and Missouri, and down to Kentucky. This route is a great midwestern scenic byway.
What are the most popular state parks to visit in Illinois?
Some of the most popular state parks to visit in Illinois include:
- Starved Rock State Park which is filled with canyons and waterfalls
- Ferne Clyffe State Park
- Matthiessen State Park
- Cave-in-Rock State Park
- Mississippi Palisades State Park
- Garden of the Gods Recreation Area
- Shawnee National Forest
What are the major highways in Illinois?
Some of the major highways in Illinois include:
- I-57
- I-294
- Business Loop 55
- In addition, for road trippers, there’s Historic Route 66 and the Great River Road