List of protected areas of Illinois
Map of Protected Areas of IllinoisEach dot is linked to the corresponding article: Parks; Forests; Recreation Areas; Fish and Wildlife Areas; Natural Areas; National Historic Sites and Trails
Illinois has a variety of protected areas , including over 123 state-protected areas, dozens of federally protected areas, hundreds of county-level and municipal park areas. 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 the City of DeKalb has a 700-acre (2.8 km2 ) park system.[ 1]
State protected areas
Illinois state-owned protected areas include state parks , state forests , state recreation areas , state fish and wildlife areas , state natural areas, and one state trail. These areas are all administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources . In addition, dozens of state historic sites are administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division .[ 2]
State historic sites
State historic sites are typically protected for their historic and cultural importance but may include a nature preservation component, such as at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and Lincoln's New Salem . For a list, see Illinois Historic Preservation Division .
State parks
State parks are owned by the state and generally administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources .[ 3] Specifically, “State Park” refers to sites “exhibiting exceptional scenic and natural features and terrain” and that “offer a wide range of recreational opportunities for the public to enjoy”.[ 4]
Name
County
Area (acres)
Area (km2 )
Estab- lished
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) public rail 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
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 )
Estab- lished
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
Name
County
Area (acres)
Area (km2 )
Estab- lished
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
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 )
Estab- lished
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)
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
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
Name
County
Area (acres)
Area (km2 )
Estab- lished
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
Illinois contains one national forest , the Shawnee National Forest , one national grassland, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie , and several other sites administered by the National Park Service , including portions of National Trails. There are also National Wildlife Refuges .
National Forest Service Areas
U.S. Wilderness Areas
The following U.S. Wilderness areas are located within the Shawnee National Forest and are administered by the U.S. Forest Service :
Crab Orchard Wilderness is located within Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Areas
National Park Service
The National Park Service operates the federally owned Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield , the Pullman National Historical Park in Chicago , and the New Philadelphia National Historic Site in Pike County in rural western Illinois. The Chicago Portage National Historic Site is a National Park Service-affiliated site which is located in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County . In addition, the National Park Service partners with the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area .
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Internationally recognized protected areas
One UNESCO 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 the 20th-Century architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright are also located in Illinois: Unity Temple and the Robie House , and are protected by local and federal schemes.
In addition to cultural sites, Illinois contains five wetland areas designated as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention :[ 11]
Local level parks
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 the Forest Preserve District of Cook County , which includes Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago 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 the 102 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 )
References
^ "DeKalb Park District" . DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau . Retrieved July 10, 2023 .
^ "State Historic Sites" . dnrhistoric.illinois.gov . Retrieved July 11, 2023 .
^ "State Parks & Outdoor Recreation" . Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 11, 2023 .
^ a b c "State Parks Designation Act" . Illinois General Assembly . Retrieved March 24, 2024 .
^ "About Banner Marsh SFWA" . dnr.illinois.gov . Retrieved October 21, 2023 .
^ "Public fishing available" . Lemont Metropolitan . September 13, 1984. p. 15. Retrieved October 19, 2023 .
^ Hogan, John (August 25, 1985). "The fishing is great on Edison Lakes" . The Life . p. 12. Retrieved October 19, 2023 .
^ McNally, Tom (May 30, 1984). "New lake near Pekin ready soon" . Chicago Tribune . p. 48. Retrieved October 19, 2023 .
^ a b "Bohm Woods Nature Preserve" . Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 25, 2024 .
^ "Bohm Woods State Nature Preserve" . Heartlands Consevancy. Retrieved January 21, 2022 .
^ "The Annotated Ramsar List: United States of America" (PDF) . Ramsar.org. Retrieved February 13, 2020 .
External links