Decatur Magazine: Decatur, Illinois: Travel: Illinois' Natural Wonders

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Illinois' Natural Wonders
A supplement to the October/November 2004 issue of Decatur Magazine.

For a photographic journey and explanation of what’s left of Illinois’ wilderness, you can’t beat the book, Illinois Wilds by Michael R. Jeffords, Susan L. Post, and Kenneth R. Robertson (Phoenix Publishing, Urbana, Ill., $36, hardcover).

Jeffords, also a staff photographer with The Illinois Steward, a University of Illinois publication that celebrates the state’s natural resources and topics of natural heritage, puts the following “wild” locations on his favorites list:

Beall Woods State Park—Mt. Carmel, IL.
Glimpse one of the few remaining tracts of old growth forest found east of the Mississippi River.
(618/298-2442)

Goose Lake Prairie State Park—Morris, IL.
Illinois’ largest remnant of prairie provides nesting habitat and lets you see how the state looked 150 years ago.
(815/942-2899)

Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area—Eddyville, IL.
Descend a narrow stone staircase to reach a rugged, isolated canyon fed by a dozen ice-cold spring pools. Over 700 species of plants located within the Shawnee National Forest.
(618/658-2111)

Tower Rock—Grand Tower, IL.
An 80-ft. tall block of limestone in the middle of the lower Mississippi that instills fear in river pilots and inspires poetry about its beauty. Said to be the smallest park in the nation, and it’s accessible only by boat.

Horseshoe Lake—Miller City, IL.
The nearly 10,000-acre area includes a 2,400-acre lake that resembles a shallow Louisiana bayou with wading herons and large stand of cypress, cottonwoods, and tupelo gums. Over 150,000 Canada geese winter here.
(618/776-5689).

Illinois Beach State Park—Lake County, IL.
Watch migrating birds, hike and camp near dunes, swim shoreline, and find over 650 species of plants.
(847/662-4811).

This is an online supplement to an article which originally appeared in the October/November 2004 issue of Decatur Magazine.
It may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part without the publisher's consent.
© Copyright 2004 Decatur Magazine - First String Productions. All rights reserved.

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