John Madson wrote in Godfrey, Illinois, on October 6, 1989, that in all 2,500 miles of the Mississippi River, from the crest of the watershed above Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the mouth of Southwest Pass below New Orleans, there was nothing like the 13 miles between Alton and Grafton, with palisades unmatched elsewhere and a lovely stretch of the river that belonged to the nation and was held in trust. In 1994, an organized effort to purchase the present Clifton Terrace and convert it to a park was initiated by the Alton Lake Heritage Parkway Commission and carried out by Great Rivers Land Preservation Association, Inc., a local land trust organization. With help from the Village of Godfrey, funding was obtained from the Illinois Department of Transportation to buy the property and build the first phase of Clifton Terrace Park. Preservation of scenic and culturally significant properties such as Clifton Terrace had been recommended in the Land Management Plan developed by the Alton Lake Heritage Parkway Commission, which the Illinois General Assembly established to preserve and enhance the quality of the Great River Road. Situated amid bluffs, river, and natural forest, Clifton Terrace Park is one of the few places along the Great River Road accessible to the public, and when dedicated on September 1, 1996, it continued its traditional use as a place where visitors could pause, rest, and take in the grandeur of the bluffs and the Mississippi River.