A great Sunday drive during peak color involves the potholes. Not the kind on the road, the sandstone formations of Fall Creek Gorge. Take SR 26 west from Lafayette through Pine Village. Turn south on 275 E it will turn into E Blvd. Rd. This route will intersect with North Rainsville Rd. Go south to Rainsville. (directions link) Turn right onto N Rocky Ford Rd. This road is parallel to Big Pine Creek. It will cross the creek, leaving the valley to Old 41. Take that road south to Carbondale where it comes back into US41. Within a half to ¾ of a mile, turn left onto W200N/Twin Bridges Rd. This will bring you back into the Big Pine Valley. At the base of the hill, turn right onto Potholes Rd. Half way up the hill, Fall Creek Gorge Nature Preserve is on the right. To come from SR 55, turn west onto E125N, this becomes N225E, turn onto E Kramer Rd at the T. This takes you through the small town of Kramer. As you go down into the valley you pass the remains of the old Mudlavia Lodge. Go right at the Y onto N125E (E Hunter Hill Rd). Your next turn is onto E200N (E Hogback Hill Rd.) this will bring you to a bridge over Big Pine Creek. Once across that bridge you are at the base of Fall Creek Gorge, the road to the left is Potholes Rd.
Either the back road from Ross Hills County Park to Williamsport or the back road from Granville Bridge to Attica presents some awesome views of the Wabash Valley. In a good color year, these views rival any better known route.
South of Attica is Portland Arch. (link) The drive from Attica to Portland Arch goes through some nicely wooded areas. From Portland Arch the back road to Williamsport also sports some nicely wooded areas and rock outcroppings.
Not far from Williamsport is SR 63 which parallels the Wabash affording views of the wooded river banks. From SR 63 to US136 it’s a short drive to Kickapoo State Park (link) in Danville Illinois. (No entrance fee) Kickapoo includes 12 miles of mountain bike trails. Much of the 2800 acres are wooded. The middle fork of the Vermillion River runs through the park.
End of part 3
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