This Rural Road Trip Will Lead You To Some Of The Best Countryside Hidden Gems In Illinois

From point to point, you're looking at a drive that's less than two hours. You'll want to give yourself plenty of time to explore all of the attractions, so it should add up to a full day of adventure! Feel free to use this interactive map to guide your way or add your own stops to make the road trip one of a kind.

The Pomona Natural Bridge is a great trail the entire family will enjoy. There’s plenty of parking at the trailhead, and it’s just a short walk (0.3 miles) to the bridge (though the trail can get pretty steep at times, so make sure you’ve got your good hiking shoes on). The bridge itself is a natural sandstone bridge that spans about 90 feet across and 30 feet high and is the result of millions of years of erosion. The Shallow Shawnee Cave is just a bit further along the trail, so if you’ve got the time you can check that out too!

Ponoma Winery is along the Shawnee Hill Wine Trail, and one of the most unique things about this winery is that they specialize in wines made from locally grown fruits other than grapes. If you’ve never tried their delicious apple wines, you’re in for a real treat. Take a tour, sample some selections, and then buy a few bottles to take home to break out for your next special occasion. Be sure to check the website for hours of operation before you head over.

A good road trip always includes good BBQ, and Dixie is home to some of the best. Don’t let the unassuming exterior fool you, inside those walls, delicious pit BBQ is happening. This local eatery has been a neighborhood favorite since 1948, and the iconic Hog Burger is just one of the many tasty items you’ll find on the menu.

Time to walk off the BBQ sweats! The Ozark Hills Nature Preserve is a 222-acre nature preserve ideal for nature loves. From the unusual plant species like red buckeye and azaleas to the white oak and sugar maple forests, this tranquil space is one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Illinois. In the spring time expect your walk to be illuminated by hundreds of colorful wildflowers which often attract other beauties like butterflies, hummingbirds, and more.

You can’t take a countryside road trip and not stop off an at antique store or two. Annabelle Market features 9,000-square feet of shopping, so be sure to clear out your trunk ahead of time so you’ll have plenty of room to store all of your new treasures!

We end our country road trip down at the Barkhausen-Cache River Wetlands Center, a nature center and natural history museum. The 7,000-square-foot facility offers several interpretive exhibits so you can learn all about the natural and cultural history of the Cache River Wetlands and then you can take to the trails to see it firsthand. There are nearly 20 miles of hiking trails to explore here, taking you through beautiful cypress-tupelo swamps, sandstone bluffs, and floodplain forests. You might even be inspired to rent a canoe and see the preserve from an entirely different perspective!