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List of protected areas of Illinois

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Map of Protected Areas of Illinois
Each 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

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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

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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

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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)
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)
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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U.S. Wilderness Areas

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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

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National Park Service

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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

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Internationally recognized protected areas

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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

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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

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  1. ^ "DeKalb Park District". DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  2. ^ "State Historic Sites". dnrhistoric.illinois.gov. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  3. ^ "State Parks & Outdoor Recreation". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "State Parks Designation Act". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "About Banner Marsh SFWA". dnr.illinois.gov. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Public fishing available". Lemont Metropolitan. September 13, 1984. p. 15. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  7. ^ Hogan, John (August 25, 1985). "The fishing is great on Edison Lakes". The Life. p. 12. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  8. ^ McNally, Tom (May 30, 1984). "New lake near Pekin ready soon". Chicago Tribune. p. 48. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Bohm Woods Nature Preserve". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "Bohm Woods State Nature Preserve". Heartlands Consevancy. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  11. ^ "The Annotated Ramsar List: United States of America" (PDF). Ramsar.org. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
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