List of protected areas of Illinois

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]

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

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	90	0.36	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

• Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie - 25,000 acres (100 km²)
• Shawnee National Forest - 500,000 acres (2,000 km²)

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:

• Bald Knob Wilderness
• Bay Creek Wilderness
• Burden Falls Wilderness
• Clear Springs Wilderness
• Garden of the Gods Wilderness
• Lusk Creek Wilderness
• Panther Den Wilderness

Crab Orchard Wilderness is located within Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Areas

• Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge
• Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge - 43,500 acres (176 km²) including the 4,050-acre (16.4 km²) Crab Orchard Wilderness
• Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge
• Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge
• Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge
• Kankakee National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area
• Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
  • Great River National Wildlife Refuge, portions in Pike and Adams Counties, Illinois
  • Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge, portion in Mercer County, Illinois
• Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge
• Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge
• Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge
• Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, portions in Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, and Rock Island Counties, Illinois

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

• Carlyle Lake - 26,000 acres (110 km²) of water and 11,000 acres (45 km²) of public land
• Illinois Waterway
• Lake Shelbyville - 11,100-acre (45 km²) lake and 23,000 acres (93 km²) of land
• Rend Lake - 18,900 acres (76 km²) of water and 20,000 acres (81 km²) of land

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]

• Cache River-Cypress Creek Wetlands (including Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge)
• Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain (shared with Wisconsin)
• The Emiquon Complex (including Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge)
• Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge
• The Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands (shared with Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin)

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

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. "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. "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.

External links

• Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• Recreation.gov
• I-View interactive map