All Nature Sites in United States

Snowman’s Reindeer Farm is a magical place to learn and interact with Santa’s reindeer and other fun farm animals. Features include covered and heated barns to visit animals, gift shop, snack bar, visitor center, craft area, outdoor games and lots of cute picture spots. Santa visits between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Read more...

Once a private duck-hunting club, the 2,247-acre Anderson Lake and adjacent 230-acre Carlson Lake were purchased by the state in 1947 and put under the auspices of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. These lakes are floodplain lakes, receiving overflow from the nearby Illinois River during flood periods. The complex is known for its waterfowl population, primarily Mallard and Wood Read more...

An officially designated “Important Birding Area” (IBA), and purchased in the 1980’s by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this 4,363-acre complex of freshwater marshes, shallow lakes, and deepwater habitat, boasts over 100 individual bodies of water which offer some of Illinois’ most sought after fishing. During hunting seasons Banner Marsh is a very popular place with Illinois outdoorsmen. Diverse Read more...

Fishermen are in their glory in the Illinois Valley. Northern pike, walleye, sauger and smallmouth bass are among numerous varieties of fish that frequent the Illinois River. Popular among area fishing enthusiasts, Barto Landing offers some of the best year round fishing in Illinois and a free public deep-lagoon launch site on the Illinois River. For tournament reservation information contact Read more...

Bennett’s Terraqueous Gardens is a high-quality seep that lies at the base of deeply dissected bluffs and hills bordering the east side of the Illinois River. The seep community is usually saturated by groundwater that emanates at or near the base of a hill comprised of glacial till. Narrow spring runs flow in rivulets through the seep. Characteristic herbaceous plants Read more...

Located on Central Illinois’ legendary Spoon River, the little community of Bernadotte is the site of the only dam on the river, a small and quaint structure which was constructed in 1830 for local grain mill use. The dam was revamped during World War II to create a water supply to the military’s nearby Camp Ellis. Read more...

Big Creek Park features a pool with a capacity to hold 400 bathers, a water slide, pool side furniture with umbrella’s and a concession stand. Other features of this park include a recreation center for teens and seniors, frisbee golf course, dog park, skate park, walking/biking paths, playgrounds, pavilion, lighted tennis court, basketball hoops and a baseball diamond. Read more...

So named because (legend has it) the area once served as a “blind canyon” where Indians ran buffalo for capture, this 298-acre park has long been a natural favorite. Much of Buffalo Rock State Park is set high atop sandstone bluff carved by the young Illinois River just after the end of the Pleistocene epoch. Two park trails, the River Read more...

Camp Wokanda, acquired from W.D. Boyce Council of the Boy Scouts of America, offers a beautiful 316-acre woodland setting, including a lake for fishing. The camp, with dining hall, sleeping cabins, program buildings and tent camping, offers a variety of naturalist tours, environmental education, and rental options to groups interested in a secluded, close-to-nature gathering. Located just 20 minutes from Read more...

Located just east of Canton, the 250-acre Canton Lake’s lovely, wooded, 13-mile shoreline has a public campground and boat launch, as well as private residences. Open April 15-October 15, the campground offers full-hookup sites and a restroom/shower facility. A nice sandy beach is conveniently located near the campground. Peoria area fishermen will tell you that Canton Lake’s fish are the Read more...

Acquired in 1970 by the LaSalle County Conservation District, the 333-acre Catlin Park (open May-October) is a mix of bluff land oak-hickory forest, chinquapin oak savanna, maple-basswood dominated steep ravines, and tallgrass prairie habitats. Cottonwood, sycamore, and hackberry dominate the bottomland forests. Ash, basswood, and black cherry dot the landscape. These trees produce a cornucopia of nuts and fruits; provide Read more...

Owned and operated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, this 4,480-acre site contains elements of several habitats: Oak-hickory forest, riparian forest, floodplain shrub, marsh, and open lake. Note the prairie plant display garden at the refuge headquarters. Although known primarily for its waterfowl, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge also attracts numerous other bird groups into its forests, marshes, and lakes. Read more...

To promote predictable navigation of the Illinois River, the United States and State of Illinois in the 1870s and 1880s constructed locks and dams at Henry, Copperas Creek, LaGrange, and Kampsville. The Copperas Creek Lock and Dam were completed in 1876. The dam raised the river five feet from Copperas Creek, near Banner, to Henry, Illinois, nearly 60 miles north. Read more...

Peoria Park District’s 740-acre Detweiller Park is a popular multi-use destination for folks who enjoy golfing, soccer, volleyball, hiking, birding, fishing, and boating. Detweiller Drive, which runs through much of the park, features one of the finest, most diverse collections of oaks; and the early spring show of blooming redbuds should not be missed. The fall foliage of the oaks, Read more...

One of the major on-site archeological museums in the country, Dickson Mounds Museum also interprets the ecology of the Illinois River’s Emiquon region. The site itself lies where two major ecosystems meet: The Upper Mississippi River-Illinois River Bottomlands, and the Western Forest-Prairie complex. Turning onto the museum’s entry road, it’s easy to visualize this natural division, with the bottomlands situated Read more...

This 459-acre site is comprised of oak-hickory forest and open shrubland. Running Deer Trail, an extensive hiking/mountain biking/cross country trail, runs through the park, crossing several cobble-bottomed brooks and creeks. In 2003, Dirksen Park along with McNaughton Park, were entered into the Illinois Land and Water Reserve Program, designed to protect and improve woodland habitats using restoration management techniques. Dirksen Read more...

Measuring nearly 600 acres in size, Canton’s Lakeland Park is a prime example of the possibilities involved in restoring ecological integrity to strip mining sites. Much of the park’s terrain is tallgrass prairie habitat. In those sections which have been allowed to restore themselves, grassland birds such as meadowlark, sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Woodcock, Bobolink, and others frolic in the Read more...

Established in the late 19th century, the 140-acre Bradley Park is the centerpiece of Peoria’s University District. Operated by the Peoria Park District, this large park, located adjacent to Bradley University, traverses a high bluff woodland that grades down into the floodplain of Dry Run Creek. Along with numerous picnic sites, the park also features a beautiful Japanese bridge over Read more...

Initiated in 1925, the Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area presently includes about 6,000 acres spread over 3 different units along 10 miles of Illinois River shoreline. All three sites are worth a stop if touring the river for spring and fall migrations of waterfowl or shorebirds and wintering eagles. At 3,000 acres, the Marshall Unit is the largest, and Read more...

Owned and operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this 240-acre site is dedicated to raising native tree, shrub, grass, and wildflower stock to be used in both public and private habitat restoration projects. The majority of annual nursery stock distribution here goes to private Illinois landowners who possess management plans approved by their district forester, wildlife biologist, or Read more...

Donated to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources by the F.W. Matthiessen family in 1943, Matthiessen State Park is comprised of nearly 2,000 acres of prairies, bluff and deep ravine forests, as well as sandstone canyons (called “dells” by Matthiessen) cut by the still-rushing Vermilion River. The ground water which percolates through the sandstone has rendered completely natural “mineral paintings” Read more...

Approaching 900 acres in size, Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area is comprised of a restored strip mine which has attracted a vibrant community of plants and animals to its forests, lakes, and grasslands. Over a dozen lakes ranging in size from 0.5-15.5 acres dot the landscape. Dragonfly enthusiasts should check the sedges, rushes, cattails, and other emergent aquatic vegetation Read more...

This 200-acre rare prairie type was donated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service Bureau County District by Mr. and Mrs. J.D. McCune (120-acres) and the University of Illinois (80-acres). Due to the exceptionally sandy soil composition, sand prairies are exceedingly well-drained and are therefore even drier than typical Midwestern tallgrass prairies. However, the northern portion of this site supports tree Read more...

McNaughton Park’s 850 acres contain some of the most impressive specimens of white oak in the entire Illinois River Valley. This mix of oak savanna and old growth forests is also a great spot for songbirds, butterflies, and wildflowers. Common birds, like Eastern Bluebird and American Goldfinch are often seen as well as some of the less common species, like Read more...

Dedicated in 1969, the 340-acre Miller-Anderson Nature Preserve contains a variety of natural communities, dominated by old-growth oak-hickory bluff forests and maple-basswood ravines. Other communities present include sedge meadow, seep spring (floating bog), and hill prairie. Notable plant species include showy orchid, queen-of-the-prairie, and Schreber’s aster. The seep areas are characterized by large accumulations of peat (decomposed mosses), which support Read more...

Mitchell’s Grove Nature Preserve is a 184-acre wooded site donated to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1998 by William H. and Irene Mitchell. The Mitchell family’s conservation ethic has protected this unusual area since its purchase in 1879. From a geologic standpoint, Mitchell’s Grove was right in the middle of heavy glacial action, especially during the last (Wisconsin) Read more...

With a viewing platform, picnic and parking area, this small urban park provides a great place for viewing winter eagles. They also host an annual Eagle Census Festival across the street on the third weekend of January. There are live birds of prey, storytelling, music and guided tours of the river. In the spring and fall, it is worth a Read more...