Biking on the Great River Road September, 2004 We camped at Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois and biked the 20-mile Sam Vandalabene Bike Trail from Alton back to the camp, with stop in Grafton for ice cream and a short detour to the park's visitor center and lodge. The weather was perfect, and we had no breakdowns of either equipment or people. (Unless you count Matt's blowout before we even started.) Camping was highlighted by the Scouts' fantastic chili dinner.