| Red Hills State Park | |
|---|---|
 Red Hills State Park | |
  Location of Red Hills State Park in Illinois | |
| Location | Lawrence County, Illinois, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°43′47″N87°50′08″W / 38.72972°N 87.83556°W /38.72972; -87.83556[1] |
| Area | 967 acres (391 ha) |
| Elevation | 515 ft (157 m)[1] |
| Established | 1953 |
| Named for | the Red Hills |
| Governing body | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | dnr |
Red Hills State Park is anIllinois state park on 967 acres (391 ha) inLawrence County, Illinois, United States. The park sits at an elevation of 515 feet (157 m).[1] Red Hills State Park is open for year-round recreation includingboating,fishing,hunting,hiking and various winter sports.[2] The park includes arestaurant which is open year-round and hasbanquet facilities.[2]
Red Hills State Park is in southeastern Illinois inLawrence County. The county borders the state ofIndiana to the east. This part of Illinois was once part of theVincennes Tract, atract of land that wasceded to theUnited States of America in 1795 by Native Americans. The Natives lost a series of battles to GeneralAnthony Wayne. The treaty was signed inGreenville. TheTreaty of Greeneville was signed by a number of tribes known as theWestern Confederacy. The tribes in the confederacy included theWyandot,Lenape,Shawnee,Odawa,Ojibwe,Potawatomi,Miami,Wea,Kickapoo andKaskaskia.[3] The natives agreed to relinquish their claim to land that was north of theOhio River and east of an established line. That line passes through what is now Red Hills State Park.[2] The area grew following a series of wars and treaties and came to be known as theNorthwest Territory and comprised what is now the states ofOhio, Indiana,Michigan, Illinois,Wisconsin and part ofMinnesota.[3]
Following the forced removal of the Native Americans, the area was open to settlement by Euro-American settlers from the originalThirteen Colonies. The land that is now Red Hills State Park was divided by an old wagon road known as Old Cahokia Trace, more commonly known as Trace Road.[2] The road was the main route fromVincennes, Indiana toSt. Louis, Missouri.[2]
The establishment of Red Hill State Park coincided with the construction of adam andreservoir onMuddy Creek. The dam was completed and the park opened in 1953.[4] The creek is a maintributary of theEmbarras River. Red Hills Lake is 40 acres (16 ha) with a maximum depth of 30 feet (9.1 m). The lake has 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of shoreline. The park has expanded over the years to include many facilities that are typical of a state park including picnic areas, boat ramps, trails and campgrounds.[2]
The dam at Red Hills Lake State Park was damaged by the2008 Illinois earthquake.[4] Engineers feared that the dam could collapsed and cause flooding downstream. The decision was made to drain the lake for repairs in December 2008. The dam was repaired in 2009[5] and the lake has beenrestocked withfish.[2]
Red Hills State Park is on the Embarras River which is a tributary of theWabash River which in turn flows into theOhio River as part of theMississippi River drainage area. The park is on the Red Hills which are the highest bits of land betweenCincinnati and St. Louis. There is a 120 feet (37 m) tower atop the Red Hills that provides for scenic viewing of the area. The area comprises a variety ofecosystems including dry and wetprairies, wooded hills,ravines,meadows, and wetlands along the river and lake.[2] The park is bisected byU.S. Route 50. The areas north of the highway aredeciduous woods and the areas south of the highway are scattered woods with plots of a grains,clover and grassy prairies.[6]
Red Hills State Park is open for year-round recreation. There are shaded picnic areas spread throughout the park and three picnicpavilions. The park has more than 100 campsites that have access to modern restroom facilities, electric hook-ups and a dumping station forchemical toilets. One cabin is available to rent.[7] There are 8 miles (13 km) of trails in the park that are open to hiking, horseback riding and, in the winter months,cross-country skiing.[2] Additionally that park asvolleyball andbasketball courts.[7]
The park is open to hunting and fishing. The lake is surrounded by a paved road that provides access to the lake for fishing from the bank. Boats are permitted on the lake, but they must be battery or human powered.[7] Common game fish includebluegill,crappie,largemouth bass andchannel catfish.Ice fishing is permitted when the lake is frozen and the ice is thick enough to allow safe access.[2] Common game animals that may be legally hunted at the park arewhite-tailed deer,quail,woodcocks,doves,wild turkeys and rabbits.[6] Deer must be taken with abow. Hunting deer with guns is prohibited. Gun hunting for the other wildlife is permissible.[6]
