Canton, IL – A Fulton County tourism effort focuses on natural sites, including lakes and wetlands.
The Canton Loop is part of the Illinois Rivers Scenic Byways program.
It includes several sites reachable from Canton. They include lakes and parks in Canton, the Emiquon Preserve, the state's Banner Marsh and the Dickson Mounds Museum.
Economic Developer Kevin McGuire says the use of nature tourism can be especially important in rural areas.
Some towns are beginning to work with the program. Banner has applied for more than $500,000 in grants to build trails from the town into Banner Marsh. Liverpool is working to establish walking trails on the levee that protects the town.
Politicians are also getting behind the idea of boosting tourism. County Treasurer Victoria Harper says the county board is fully behind the idea and supports tourism pomotion financially.
The University of Illinois extension office for Fulton county provides organization. It also has one intern who is working to develop hiking and bicycle trails throughout the region.
In adddition to proposed trails radiating from Banner, the intern is working with bike trails in Lewistown and Canton.