Map of Protected Areas of IllinoisEach dot is linked to the corresponding article:
Illinois has a variety ofprotected areas , including over 123 state-protected areas, dozens of federally protected areas, hundreds of county-level and municipal park areas, and historic sites under various governmental levels of protection. Illinois also contains sites designated as internationally important protected areas. These multiple levels of protection contribute to a statewide network of numerous recreation opportunities and conservation schemes, sometimes in a small area. For example,DeKalb County contains a 1,000-acre (4.0 km2 )forest preserve system[citation needed and a 1,500-acre (6.1 km2 ) state park (Shabbona Lake State Park ); within DeKalb County, the DeKalb Park District in theCity of DeKalb has a 700-acre (2.8 km2 ) park system.[ 1]
State protected areas [ edit ] Illinois state-ownedprotected areas includestate parks ,state forests , staterecreation areas , state fish andwildlife areas , state natural areas, and one state trail. These areas are all administered by theIllinois Department of Natural Resources . In addition, dozens of state historic sites are administered by theIllinois Historic Preservation Division .[ 2]
State historic sites [ edit ] State historic sites are typically protected for their historic and cultural importance but may include a nature preservation component, such as atCahokia Mounds State Historic Site andLincoln's New Salem . For a list, seeIllinois Historic Preservation Division .
State parks are owned by the state and generally administered by theIllinois Department of Natural Resources .[ 3] [ 4]
Name County Area (acres) Area (km2 ) Established Bodies of water Image Remarks Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park Lake 4,160 16.8 1948 Lake Michigan Apple River Canyon State Park Jo Daviess 297 1.20 1932 Apple River Argyle Lake State Park McDonough 1,700 6.9 1948 Argyle Lake Beall Woods State Park Wabash 635 2.57 1966 Coffee Creek Beaver Dam State Park Macoupin 750 3.0 1947 Beaver Dam Lake Buffalo Rock State Park & Effigy Tumuli LaSalle 298 1.21 November 15, 1928 Illinois River Castle Rock State Park Ogle 2,000 8.1 1921 Rock River Cave-in-Rock State Park Hardin 204 0.83 1929 Ohio River Chain O'Lakes State Park McHenry 1,700 6.9 1945 Bluff Lake ,Catherine Lake ,Channel Lake ,Fox Lake ,Fox River ,Grass Lake ,Marie Lake ,Nippersink Lake ,Petite Lake ,Pistakee Lake ,Redhead Lake ,Turner Lake Channahon State Park Will 20.5 0.083 1932 DuPage River ,Des Plaines River ,Kankakee River Delabar State Park Henderson 89 0.36 1960 Mississippi River Dixon Springs State Park Pope 801 3.24 1946 Wabash River Donnelley/Depue State Park Putnam 3,015 12.20 1982 Lake DePue ,Spring Lake ,Coleman Lake ,Illinois River Ferne Clyffe State Park Johnson 2,430 9.8 1949 Ferne Clyffe Lake Fort Massac State Park Massac 1,450 5.9 1908 Ohio River Fox Ridge State Park Coles 2,064 8.35 1930s Ridge Lake ,Embarras River Gebhard Woods State Park Grundy 30 0.12 1934 Nettle Creek Giant City State Park Jackson ,Union 1,100 4.5 1927 Little Grassy Lake ,Indian Creek Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park Bureau ,Lee ,Whiteside ,Rock Island ,Henry 60,314 244.08 1970 Hennepin Canal 104.5-mile (168.2 km) linear park (W To Moline then N to Rock Falls vic.) Horseshoe Lake State Park Madison 2,960 12.0 ? Horseshoe Lake Illini State Park LaSalle 510 2.1 1934 Illinois River James "Pate" Philip State Park DuPage ,Kane 3,432 13.89 1991 Brewester Creek Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park Henry 1,365 5.52 ? Johnson-Sauk Trail Lake Jubilee College State Park Peoria 3,200 13 1933 Jubilee Creek Kankakee River State Park Kankakee ,Will 4,000 16 1938 Kankakee River Old_Bridge_Piers_P1010079_Kankakee_River_SP_(old_Bridge_Piers) Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park Stephenson 715 2.89 1948 Lake Le-Aqua-Na Lake Murphysboro State Park Jackson 1,022 4.14 1948 Lake Murphysboro Lincoln Trail State Park Clark 1,023 4.14 1958 Lincoln Trail Lake Lowden State Park Ogle 207 0.84 1945 Rock River Matthiessen State Park LaSalle 1,700 6.9 1943 Deer Park Lake ,Vermilion River Mississippi Palisades State Park Carroll 2,500 10 1973 Mississippi River ,Apple River Moraine Hills State Park McHenry 2,200 8.9 1939 Lake Defiance ,Fox River Morrison-Rockwood State Park Whiteside 1,164 4.71 1971 Rock Creek ,Lake Carlton Nauvoo State Park Hancock 148 0.60 ? Mississippi River ,Lake Horton 3._Nauvoo_State_Park_and_Museum_(Nauvoo,_Illinois)_on_the_Mormon_Pioneer_National_Historic_Trail_(2004)_(883e3aa6-cf09-4e12-ae20-49477530361b) Pere Marquette State Park Jersey 8,050 32.6 1931 Mississippi River ,Illinois River Red Hills State Park Lawrence 967 3.91 1953 Muddy Creek Rock Cut State Park Winnebago 3,092 12.51 1957 Pierce Lake ,Olson Lake Rock Island Trail State Park Stark ,Peoria 1989 None 26-mile (42 km) publicrail trail . Shabbona Lake State Park DeKalb 1,550 6.3 1978 Shabbona Lake Siloam Springs State Park Adams ,Brown 3,323 13.45 1940 South Shore State Park Clinton 26,000 110 ? Carlyle Lake Starved Rock State Park LaSalle 2,630 10.6 1911 Illinois River Walnut Point State Park Douglas 671 2.72 1968 Weinberg-King State Park Schuyler 772 3.12 1968 ? Wolf Creek State Park Shelby 23,500 95 1968 Lake Shelbyville ,Wolf Creek
State fish and wildlife areas [ edit ] Areas whose primary purpose is to “reserve land and water areas for production and conservation of fish or wildlife and to provide hunting, fishing, trapping, observation, and other forms of compatible recreational use.”[ 4]
Name County Area (acres) Area (km2 ) Established Bodies of water Image Remarks Anderson Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Fulton 2,247 9.09 1947 Anderson Lake Baldwin Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Randolph 2,018 8.17 ? Baldwin Lake Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area Fulton 4,363 17.66 1980s[ 5] Illinois River Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area Alexander 1,380 5.6 ? Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Fayette 37,000 150 1966 Carlyle Lake Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Montgomery 297 1.20 1966 Coffeen Lake ,Shoal Creek Crawford County State Fish and Wildlife Area Crawford 1,129 4.57 ? Huston Creek Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area Will 5,000 20 1948 Kankakee River ,Milliken Lake Devils Island Wildlife Management Area Alexander ,Union 2,741 11.09 ? Mississippi River ,Picayune Chute Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area Fulton 1,961 7.94 2001 Double T Lake Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area Logan 974 3.94 1971 Salt Creek Green River State Wildlife Area Lee 2,565 10.38 1940 Green River Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area Hamilton 1,683 6.81 1962 Dolan Lake Heidecke Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Grundy 1,300 5.3 ? Heidecke Lake Horseshoe Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Alexander 10,200 41 ? Horseshoe Lake Iroquois County State Wildlife Area Iroquois 2,480 10.0 1944 None Occupies the edge of the former Glacial Lake Watseka. Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area Cass 16,550 67.0 June 1993 Gridley Lake ,Prairie Lake ,Drake Lake Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area St. Clair ,Monroe ,Randolph 20,000 81 ? Kaskaskia River ,Baldwin Lake Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Jackson 11,750 47.6 1968 Kinkaid Lake ,Johnson Creek ,Reed Creek Kishwaukee River State Fish and Wildlife Area DeKalb 570 2.3 2002 Kishwaukee River LaSalle Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area LaSalle 2,058 8.33 ? LaSalle Lake Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area Tazewell 1,448 5.86 1970 Mackinaw River Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area Marshall 6,000 24 1925 Illinois River Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area Bureau 911 3.69 ? 15 lakes Mazonia/Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area Grundy 1,017 4.12 1981 Braidwood Lake Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Massac 2,630 10.6 1949 Mermet Lake Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area Vermilion 2,700 11 1986 Middle Fork Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area Jersey ,Calhoun 24,386 98.69 ? Stump Lake ,Fuller Lake Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Jasper 1,775 7.18 1979 Newton Lake ,Sand Creek ,Laws Creek Peabody River State Fish and Wildlife Area Randolph 2,200 8.9 ? 20 lakes Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Tazewell 1,181 4.78 ? Pekin Lake, Worley Lake Powerton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Tazewell 1,426 5.77 September 18, 1984[ 6] [ 7] [ 8] Powerton Lake Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area Pike 1,140 4.6 1970 Illinois River Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Franklin ,Jefferson 38,900 157 ? Rend Lake Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Fulton 5,660 22.9 1945 Rice Lake Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area Saline 1,270 5.1 1959 Glen O. Jones Lake Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Wayne 1,302 5.27 1959 Sam Dale Lake Sam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area Jasper 1,180 4.8 1960 Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area Cass ,Schuyler ,Mason 10,360 41.9 1948 Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area Moultrie 6,200 25 ? Kaskaskia River ,West Okaw River Silver Springs State Fish & Wildlife Area Kendall 1,350 5.5 1969 Fox River ,Loon Lake ,Beaver Lake ,Silver Springs Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area Knox 2,500 10 1987 Snakeden Hollow Lake Spring Lake Fish and Wildlife Area Tazewell 2,032 8.22 1950 Spring Lake Ten Mile Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area Hamilton ,Jefferson 6,000 24 1988 Ten Mile Creek Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area Randolph 2,264 9.16 ? Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area Union 6,202 25.10 1940s Woodford State Fish and Wildlife Area Woodford 2,900 12 Illinois River ,Upper Peoria Lake
State recreation areas [ edit ] Name County Area (acres) Area (km2 ) Established Bodies of water Image Remarks Clinton Lake State Recreation Area DeWitt 9,300 38 1978 Clinton Lake ,Salt Creek ,Old Creek Eagle Creek State Recreation Area Shelby 11,100 45 May 1963 Lake Shelbyville ,Eagle Creek Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area Clinton 3,000 12 ? Carlyle Lake ,Lake Shelbyville Frank Holten State Recreation Area St. Clair 1,080 4.4 1964 Whispering Willow Lake ,Grand Marais Lake Golconda Marina State Recreation Area Pope 274 1.11 ? Ohio River Kickapoo State Recreation Area Vermilion 2,842 11.50 1939 Middle Fork Moraine View State Recreation Area McLean 1,687 6.83 1959 Dawson Lake ,Salt Creek Prophetstown State Recreation Area Whiteside 53 0.21 1947 Coon Creek ,Rock River Pyramid State Recreation Area Perry 19,701 79.73 1968 Super Lake Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area Fayette 1,980 8.0 ? Ramsey Lake ,Ramsey Creek Randolph County State Recreation Area Randolph 1,101 4.46 1958 Randolph County Lake Sangchris Lake State Recreation Area Christian ,Sangamon 3,022 12.23 1964 Sangchris Lake Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area Marion 3,103 12.56 1959 Washington County State Recreation Area Washington 900 3.6 1959 Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area Franklin ,Jefferson 3,300 13 1975 Rend Lake ,Big Muddy River Weldon Springs State Recreation Area DeWitt 550 2.2 1948 Salt Creek
State natural areas [ edit ] Areas of land which “either retains or has recovered to a substantial degree its original natural or primeval character, though it need not be completely undisturbed, or has floral, faunal, ecological, geological or archaeological features of scientific, educational, scenic or esthetic interest.”[ 4]
Name County Area (acres) Area (km2 ) Established Bodies of water Image Remarks Cache River State Natural Area Johnson 14,314 57.93 1970 Cache River Franklin Creek State Natural Area Lee 882 3.57 1982 Franklin Creek Fults Hill Prairie State Natural Area Monroe 997 4.03 1970 Kidd Lake Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area Grundy 2,537 10.27 1969 Goose Lake ,Des Plaines River ,Kankakee River ,Illinois River Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area Vermilion 1,104 4.47 ? Little Vermilion River (Wabash River tributary) Managed as an outlying unit of Kickapoo State Recreation Area Illinois Caverns State Natural Area Monroe 120 0.49 1985 None 9.6 km of the park are passages underground. Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve LaSalle 184 0.74 1997 Little Vermilion River (Illinois River tributary) Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area Jackson ,Randolph 198 0.80 1972 Piney Creek Prairie Ridge State Natural Area Jasper ,Marion 4,101 16.60 Revis Hill Prairie Mason 412.7 1.670 1973 Managed as an outlying unit of Sand Ridge State Forest Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak Nature Preserve Mason 1,550 6.3 1970 Managed as an outlying unit of Sand Ridge State Forest Sielbeck Forest Natural Area Johnson 385 1.56 1998 Spitler Woods State Natural Area Macon 202.5 0.819 1937 Squirrel Creek Volo Bog State Natural Area Lake 1,150 4.7 1970 Volo Bog
Other state protected areas [ edit ] Name County Area (acres) Area (km2 ) Established Bodies of water Image Remarks Big River State Forest Henderson 2,900 12 1925 Mississippi River Bohm Woods Nature Preserve [ 9] Madison 92 0.37 November 2006[ 10] [ 9] Hidden Springs State Forest Shelby 1,200 4.9 1960 Richland Creek ,Possum Creek Lewis and Clark State Historic Site Madison 2002 None North Point Marina Lake 297 1.20 ? Lake Michigan Sand Ridge State Forest Mason 7,200 29 1939 None Trail of Tears State Forest Union 5,114 20.70 1929 Mississippi River ,Clear Creek Tunnel Hill State Trail Johnson ,Pulaski ,Saline ,Williamson None 45-mile (72.4 km) Trail. Wildlife Prairie Park Peoria 1,700 6.9 2000 Deep Lake ,Caboose Lake ,Beaver Lake ,Horseshoe Lake
Federally protected areas [ edit ] Illinois contains onenational forest , theShawnee National Forest , one national grassland,Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie , and several other sites administered by theNational Park Service , including portions of National Trails. There are alsoNational Wildlife Refuges .
National Forest Service Areas [ edit ] U.S. Wilderness Areas [ edit ] The following U.S. Wilderness areas are located within theShawnee National Forest and are administered by theU.S. Forest Service :
Crab Orchard Wilderness is located within Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Areas [ edit ] National Park Service [ edit ] TheNational Park Service operates the federally ownedLincoln Home National Historic Site inSpringfield , thePullman National Historical Park inChicago , and theNew Philadelphia National Historic Site inPike County in rural western Illinois. TheChicago Portage National Historic Site is a National Park Service-affiliated site which is located in theForest Preserve District of Cook County . In addition, the National Park Service partners with theAbraham Lincoln National Heritage Area .
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [ edit ] Internationally recognized protected areas [ edit ] OneUNESCO World Heritage Site in Illinois,Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site , is protected and listed as a state-owned historic site. Two of the eight World Heritage Site structures exemplifying the20th-Century architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright are also located in Illinois:Unity Temple and theRobie House , and are protected by local and federal schemes.
In addition to cultural sites, Illinois contains five wetland areasdesignated as wetlands of international importance under theRamsar Convention :[ 11]
A variety of county and town protected areas exist in Illinois, including city park districts and county-wide Forest Preserve or Conservation Districts, as well as land owned by private conservation organizations. One of the largest systems is theForest Preserve District of Cook County , which includesBrookfield Zoo and theChicago Botanic Garden as well as 70,000 acres (280 km2 ) of open land, or 11.6 percent of Cook County's land area. Under Illinois law, counties may set up a conservation land holding district, after approval by county voters. Although most of the102 counties have not established such a public landholding agency, below are the approved county districts:
Boone County Conservation District - 4,000 acres (16 km2 ) Byron Forest Preserve District - 1,708 acres (6.91 km2 ) Champaign County Forest Preserve District - 4,000 acres (16 km2 ) Forest Preserve District of Cook County - 70,000 acres (280 km2 )DeKalb County Forest Preserve - 4,000 acres (16 km2 ) Forest Preserve District of DuPage County - 26,000 acres (110 km2 )Forest Preserve District of Kane County - 20,000 acres (81 km2 ) Forest Preserves of the Kankakee River Valley - 465 acres (1.88 km2 ) Kendall County Forest Preserve District - 2,663 acres (10.78 km2 ) Lake County Forest Preserve - 31,000 acres (130 km2 )Macon County Conservation District - 3,490 acres (14.1 km2 ) McHenry County Conservation District - 24,000 acres (97 km2 )Putnam Country Conservation District - 1,100-acre (4.5 km2 ) Rock Island Forest Preserve District - 2,529 acres (10.23 km2 ) Vermilion County Conservation District - 6,600 acres (27 km2 ) Forest Preserve District of Will County - 21,966 acres (88.89 km2 )Winnebago County Forest Preserve District - 11,500 acres (47 km2 ) ^ "DeKalb Park District" .DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau . RetrievedJuly 10, 2023 .^ "State Historic Sites" .dnrhistoric.illinois.gov . RetrievedJuly 11, 2023 .^ "State Parks & Outdoor Recreation" . Illinois Department of Natural Resources. RetrievedJuly 11, 2023 .^a b c "State Parks Designation Act" .Illinois General Assembly . RetrievedMarch 24, 2024 .^ "About Banner Marsh SFWA" .dnr.illinois.gov . RetrievedOctober 21, 2023 .^ "Public fishing available" .Lemont Metropolitan . September 13, 1984. p. 15. RetrievedOctober 19, 2023 .^ Hogan, John (August 25, 1985)."The fishing is great on Edison Lakes" .The Life . p. 12. RetrievedOctober 19, 2023 . ^ McNally, Tom (May 30, 1984)."New lake near Pekin ready soon" .Chicago Tribune . p. 48. RetrievedOctober 19, 2023 . ^a b "Bohm Woods Nature Preserve" . Illinois Department of Natural Resources. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2024 .^ "Bohm Woods State Nature Preserve" . Heartlands Consevancy. RetrievedJanuary 21, 2022 .^ "The Annotated Ramsar List: United States of America" (PDF) . Ramsar.org. RetrievedFebruary 13, 2020 .
Parks;
Forests;
Recreation Areas;
Fish and Wildlife Areas;
Natural Areas;
National Historic Sites and Trails
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