Interactive Tourism Map Click Here
Every year, thousands of people make a pilgrimage to Randolph County for a day, a weekend, or a summer vacation. They visit the World Shooting & Recreation Complex, the Popeye Character Trail in Chester and the Popeye Festival each September. Others photograph one of the ten best views in America ... the Mississippi River Valley from the observation deck of the Randolph County Courthouse. April visitors prize the Morel Mushroom and find thousands in the Randolph County region.
There is history here in river tales and stories of the first settlers. There are monuments to these pioneers including Shadrach Bond and Pierre Menard. You can see the oldest church in Illinois and the Liberty Bell of the West on Kaskaskia Island. There is the Misselhorn Art Gallery in Sparta, Fort de Chartres near Prairie du Rocher and Fort Kaskaskia near Ellis Grove. Visit an eight-sided historic schoolhouse, museums, and the Cohen Home.
Find a quiet place at the Confluence Heritage Area and become one with nature while watching birds and river wildlife. The quiet flow of the waters of the Kaskaskia and Mississippi Rivers takes you away and you understand why this place is special. Gaze at the river barges moving along and, if you're lucky, you may even see the Queen of the Mississippi or the Mississippi Queen Riverboats.
The Randolph County region is a sportsman's paradise. There is trophy fishing at Baldwin Lake and the Randolph County State Recreation, and bowfishing on the Kaskaskia River. Hunt ducks, geese, turkey and deer in many locations, or just walk a trail and let the serenity flow through you. A respite from the world. Tour the Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail ... the oldest road in Illinois.
Then there is Autumn in Randolph County. Amazing color!
Click on our Pinterest pages to see the majesty of Autumn and many more Randolph County sites for all seasons of the year. Click HERE to see a pictorial essay of the Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail. Or click on some of the video links below.
There are music festivals each year and car shows attract thousands to Randolph County annually. Click on this link: Tourism Bureau Illinois South for a list of summer regional activities.
Come for the Festivals. Come for the Sights. Come for the History. Come for Nature. But come soon ... to Randolph County, Illinois.