Stone Bridges Tour

The landscape of Monroe County is dotted with a number of European-style stone arch bridges. greatriverroad.com has put together an easy driving tour to see five of these structures. The scenery along this route winds its way through scenic farmlands, colorful forests, through the historic town of Maeystown, and beneath the bluffs along the American Bottom lowlands. This stone bridge route is especially nice during autumn.

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White Rock Nature Preserve

White Rock Nature Preserve is home to 306 acres of Illinois' natural habitat. The tract is located within the Hill Prairie Corridor, a 25-mile stretch of ribbons and patches of hill prairie perched on top of the Mississippi River bluffs. White Rock Nature Preserve hosts several rare habitats including loess hill prairie, limestone glades and upland forest.

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Peterstown House

Peterstown House is a restored 1830s building began as a general store, tavern, and inn for stagecoach travelers on the Kaskaskia Trail. The Peterstown Heritage Society rescued the building from demolition and it is now a museum furnished with antique furniture of the mid-1880s.

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Kidd Lake State Natural Area

Kidd Lake State Natural Area is an example of the once expansive wetlands of the Mississippi floodplain known as the American Bottom. Kidd Lake State Natural Area is a primitive area primarily devoted as a home to wildlife. There are no man-made improvements to provide visitors easy access to the area such as trails, parking lots, etc.

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Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve

Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve sits atop bluffs with an expansive views of the Mississippi River valley. The preserve features upland habitat that includes woodland, prairie and glade communities and has the largest complex of high-quality loess hill prairies in Illinois. The area contains the Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve Trail, a 1.4 mile loop trail.

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