List of protected areas of Illinois facts for kids

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 123 state protected areas - state parks, wildlife areas, recreation areas, nature reserves, and state forests. There are also federal and local level protected areas in the state. These levels interact to provide a variety of recreation opportunities and conservation schemes, sometimes in a small area. For instance, 1,500-acre (6.1 km²) Shabbona Lake State Park lies in DeKalb County which has its own 1,000-acre (4.0 km²) forest preserve system, while the City of DeKalb has a 700-acre (2.8 km²) park system.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Illinois, Cahokia, is protected as State-owned historic site.

Overview

Illinois has a wide variety of state owned and administered protected areas: state parks, state forests, state recreation areas, state fish and wildlife areas, state natural areas, and one state trail. They are all administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In addition, several of the state historic sites, administered by its Illinois Historic Preservation Division, also include nature reserves.

There is also a national forest, Shawnee National Forest, a 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.

Federal protected areas

U.S. Wilderness Areas

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

National Forest Service

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie - 19,454 acres (78.73 km²)
Shawnee National Forest - 500,000 acres (2,000 km²)

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

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
Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge
Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge
Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge

National Park Service

There are no national parks in Illinois but the Parks Service operates the federally owned 12-acre (49,000 m²) Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois and the Pullman National Monument in Chicago. The Chicago Portage National Historic Site is a NPS-affiliated site which is located in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s Portage Woods and Ottawa Trail Woods units. In addition, the NPS partners in 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

Wetlands (Ramsar Convention)

Areas designated as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention:

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

Current state parks

State parks are owned by the state and generally administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Park Name	County or Counties	Area (acres)	Area (km²)	Year Established	Water Body(s)	Remarks
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park	Lake	4,160	16.8	1948	Lake Michigan
Anderson Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Fulton	2,247	9.09	1947	Anderson Lake
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
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	?	Illinois River
Bartlett Woods Nature Preserve	Lee	23	0.093	1987	Big Bureau Creek
Beall Woods State Park	Wabash	635	2.57	1966	Coffee Creek
Beaver Dam State Park	Macoupin	750	3.0	1947	Beaver Dam Lake
Big River State Forest	Henderson	2,900	12	1925	Mississippi River
Bohm Woods Nature Preserve	Madison	90	0.36	?
Buffalo Rock State Park & Effigy Tumuli	LaSalle	298	1.21	November 15, 1928	Illinois River
Cache River State Natural Area	Johnson	14,314	57.93	1970	Cache 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
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
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area	DeWitt	9,300	38	1978	Clinton Lake, Salt Creek, Old Creek
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
Delabar State Park	Henderson	89	0.36	1960	Mississippi River
Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area	Will	5,000	20	1948	Kankakee River, Milliken Lake
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
Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area	Fulton	1,961	7.94	2001	Double T Lake
Eagle Creek State Recreation Area	Shelby	11,100	45	May, 1963	Lake Shelbyville, Eagle Creek
Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area	Logan	974	3.94	1971	Salt Creek
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area	Clinton	3,000	12	?	Carlyle Lake, Lake Shelbyville
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
Frank Holten State Recreation Area	St. Clair	1,080	4.4	1964	Whispering Willow Lake, Grand Marais Lake
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
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
Golconda Marina State Recreation Area	Pope	274	1.11	?	Ohio River
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area	Grundy	2,537	10.27	1969	Goose Lake, Des Plaines River, Kankakee River, Illinois River
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
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area	Vermilion	1,104	4.47	?	?
Hazel & Bill Rutherford Wildlife Prairie State Park	Peoria	1,700	6.9	2000	Deep Lake, Caboose Lake, Beaver Lake, Horseshoe Lake
Heidecke Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Grundy	1,300	5.3	?	Heidecke Lake
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.)
Hidden Springs State Forest	Shelby	1,200	4.9	1960	Richland Creek, Possum Creek
Horseshoe Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Alexander	10,200	41	?	Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake State Park	Madison	2,960	12.0	?	Horseshoe Lake
Illini State Park	LaSalle	510	2.1	1934	Illinois River
Illinois Caverns State Natural Area	Monroe	120	0.49	1985	None	9.6 km of the park are passages underground.
Iroquois County State Wildlife Area	Iroquois	2,480	10.0	1944	None	Occupies the edge of the former Glacial Lake Watseka.
James "Pate" Philip State Park	DuPage, Kane	3,432	13.89	1991	Brewester Creek
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area	Cass	16,550	67.0	June, 1993	Gridley Lake, Prairie Lake, Drake Lake
Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park	Henry	1,365	5.52	?	Johnson-Sauk Trail Lake
Jubilee College State Park	Peoria	3,200	13	1933	None
Kankakee River State Park	Kankakee, Will	4,000	16	1938	Kankakee River
Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area	St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph	20,000	81	?	Kaskaskia River, Baldwin Lake
Kickapoo State Recreation Area	Vermilion	2,842	11.50	1939	Middle Fork
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
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
LaSalle Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	LaSalle	2,058	8.33	?	LaSalle Lake
Lewis and Clark State Historic Site	Madison			2002	None
Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial	Macon	162	0.66	1957	Sangamon River
Lincoln Trail State Park	Clark	1,023	4.14	1958	Lincoln Trail Lake
Lowden State Park	Ogle	207	0.84	1945	Rock River
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
Matthiessen State Park	LaSalle	1,700	6.9	1943	Deer Park Lake, Vermilion 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 Palisades State Park	Carroll	2,500	10	1973	Mississippi River, Apple River
Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area	Jersey, Calhoun	24,386	98.69	?	Stump Lake, Fuller Lake
Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve	La Salle	184	0.74	1997	Little Vermillion River
Moraine Hills State Park	McHenry	2,200	8.9	1939	Lake Defiance, Fox River
Moraine View State Recreation Area	McLean	1,687	6.83	1959	Dawson Lake, Salt Creek
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
Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Jasper	1,775	7.18	1979	Newton Lake, Sand Creek, Laws Creek
North Point Marina	Lake	297	1.20	?	Lake Michigan
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
Pere Marquette State Park	Jersey	8,050	32.6	1931	Mississippi River, Illinois River
Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area	Jackson, Randolph	198	0.80	1972	Piney Creek
Powerton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Tazewell	1,426	5.77	?	Powerton Lake
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
Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area	Pike	1,140	4.6	1970	Illinois River
Red Hills State Park	Lawrence	967	3.91	1953	Muddy Creek
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
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.
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
Sand Ridge State Forest	Mason	7,200	29	1939	None
Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area	Cass, Schuyler, Mason	10,360	41.9	1948
Sangchris Lake State Recreation Area	Christian, Sangamon	3,022	12.23	1964	Sangchris Lake
Shabbona Lake State Park	DeKalb	1,550	6.3	1978	Shabbona Lake
Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area	Moultrie	6,200	25	?	Kaskaskia River, West Okaw River
Sielbeck Forest Natural Area	Johnson	385	1.56	1998
Siloam Springs State Park	Adams, Brown	3,323	13.45	1940
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
South Shore State Park	Clinton	26,000	110	?	Carlyle Lake
Spitler Woods State Natural Area	Macon	202.5	0.819	1937	Squirrel Creek
Spring Lake Fish and Wildlife Area	Tazewell	2,032	8.22	1950	Spring Lake
Starved Rock State Park	LaSalle	2,630	10.6	1911	Illinois River
Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area	Marion	3,103	12.56	1959
Ten Mile Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area	Hamilton, Jefferson	6,000	24	1988	Ten Mile Creek
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.
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
Volo Bog State Natural Area	Lake	1,150	4.7	1970	Volo Bog
Walnut Point State Park	Douglas	671	2.72	1968
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
Weinberg-King State Park	Schuyler	772	3.12	1968	?
Weldon Springs State Recreation Area	DeWitt	550	2.2	1948	Salt Creek
White Pines Forest State Park	Ogle	385	1.56	1927	Pine Creek, Spring Creek	Southernmost stand of virgin, native white pine trees in the state of Illinois.
William G. Stratton State Park	Grundy
William W. Powers State Recreation Area	Cook	580	2.3	1947	Wolf Lake
Wolf Creek State Park	Shelby	23,500	95	1968	Lake Shelbyville, Wolf Creek
Woodford State Fish and Wildlife Area	Woodford	2,900	12		Illinois River, Upper Peoria Lake

Historic preservation

Around 50 usually smaller sites concerning historic structures are owned by the state and administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division, some of which may have a nature preservation component, including the Cahokia World Heritage Site and Lincoln's New Salem.

Local level parks

A variety of county and town protected areas exist in Illinois, including city park districts and county-wide Forest Preserve Districts. 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 69,000 acres (280 km²) of open land, or 11 percent of Cook County’s land area.

Boone County Conservation District
Byron Forest Preserve District - 900 acres (3.6 km²)
Champaign County Forest Preserve District - 3,800 acres (15 km²)
Forest Preserve District of Cook County - 69,000 acres (280 km²)
DeKalb County Forest Preserve - 1,020 acres (4.1 km²)
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County - 24,000 acres (97 km²)
Forest Preserve District of Kane County - 17,135 acres (69.34 km²)
Forest Preserves of the Kankakee River Valley - 250 acres (1.0 km²)
Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation
Kendall County Forest Preserve District - 2,150 acres (8.7 km²)
Lake County Forest Preserve - 26,200 acres (106 km²)
Macon County Conservation District - 3,200 acres (13 km²)
McHenry County Conservation District - 20,000 acres (81 km²)
Putnam Country Conservation District - 950-acre (3.8 km²)
Rock Island Forest Preserve District - 1,900 acres (7.7 km²)
Vermilion County Conservation District - 6,000 acres (24 km²)
Forest Preserve District of Will County - 21,916 acres (88.69 km²)
Winnebago County Forest Preserve District - 9,000 acres (36 km²)