Northern

Northern Illinois covers the ring of counties west and north of Chicagoland, a stretch of working-class small cities and rural country running from the Wisconsin line south past LaSalle and west to the Mississippi at Galena. The terrain shifts from flat farmland in the eastern counties through the rolling driftless country at Galena (one of the few patches of unglaciated land in Illinois) to the canyon-and-bluff scenery of the Illinois River. Fifteen counties cover the region. Winnebago holds Rockford, the largest city; Jo Daviess holds Galena; LaSalle holds Ottawa, Streator, and Starved Rock State Park; McHenry holds Crystal Lake and Woodstock; Stephenson holds Freeport. Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks concentrate the canyon scenery; Galena’s preserved 19th-century riverfront draws weekend traffic; the Lincoln Highway and the Great River Road run through the region. Most trips split among three threads. Galena handles the historic-river-town weekend itinerary — Ulysses S. Grant’s home, Main Street antiques, the Galena River walk. Starved Rock and Matthiessen carry the sandstone-canyon hiking traffic; Rockford runs the Anderson Japanese Gardens and Klehm Arboretum. Fall foliage and spring wildflowers are the strongest seasons.