Lee County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: November 24, 2001
Author: Jon Mann

This county makes a nice side trip with LaSalle County if you are traveling on I-39 in Central Illinois.

Lee County:

Exit I-39 at the Paw Paw exit, head west on Chicago Road (the interchange). The Lee County highpoint is at the farmhouse (by a grain silo) at the corner of Chicago and Compton Roads (2 1/2 miles west of the interstate).

The other two areas are on either side of a road cut just south of the silo area. As these areas are both lower they need not be visited to claim Lee county (although they take only a minute to do).

LaSalle County:

Continue on Chicago Road 1/2 mile to IL 251 (noted on the topo as US 51, which now follows I-39). Turn south on IL 251 for approximately 8 miles to the LaSalle County line. Pull into first house on the west, ask permission to walk into the field behind the house, which contains both areas. The first area is 1/10 mile behind the house. The second tiny, lower area is north, almost to the road that marks the LaSalle/Lee line.

You can then continue on IL 251 to Mendota, and follow US 34 back to I-39.