Tens of thousands of years ago, the Illinoisan Glacier left a thick, fertile blanket of topsoil on most of what we call Illinois today. And it left very few obstacles to prevent building roads like Illinois Route 66. In fact, before being settled by Europeans, Illinois had 22 million acres of prairie habitat. Many species of wildlife made its tall grass their home: bison, Blanding’s turtles, Franklin’s ground squirrels and countless other mammals, birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. Remnants of historic trails lie underneath the pavement of Illinois Route 66, such as the unpaved Pontiac Trail which connected Chicago to St. Louis before “hard roads.” These factors that led to Illinois becoming a great center of agriculture. In the early 1850s, the Chicago and Alton Railroad was built, and many settlements sprouted up along the way. Illinois’s first hard road, Route 4, roughly paralleled the tracks. Progress and development meant that much of the original prairie land was converted for other purposes. Today, the traveler along Illinois Route 66 can see examples of restoration and preservation of prairie habitat that provides sanctuary for rare and endangered wildlife and plant life. The landscape and natural history of the great state of Illinois is a fascinating subject. We hope you enjoy delving into it before, during and after your visit to Illinois Route 66, Where The Mother Road Begins.
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Landscape & Natural History
Chicago Attractions
Joliet Region Attractions
Pontiac Region Attractions
Bloomington Region Attractions
Lincoln Region Attractions
Springfield Region Attractions
Litchfield Region Attractions
East St. Louis Region Attractions
