Pyramid State Recreation Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pyramid State Recreation Area |
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 Pyramid State Recreation Area
Location in Illinois
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| Location | Perry County, Illinois, USA |
| Nearest city | Pinckneyville, Illinois |
| Area | 19,701 acres (7,973 ha) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Governing body | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
Pyramid State Recreation Area is the biggest state park in Illinois! It covers a huge area of about 19,701 acres (7,973 ha). You can find it in Perry County, and it's looked after by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Illinois DNR). The closest town is Pinckneyville, Illinois.
Contents
A Park with a Past: From Mines to Nature
Pyramid State Recreation Area is mostly made of land that was once used for strip mining coal. Long ago, much of Southern Illinois had lots of coal underground. Companies would dig up this coal to send to cities like St. Louis for heating and factories. For many years, people thought land used for strip mining was ruined and not useful anymore.
How the Park Was Created
In 1959, a company called Pyramid Coal Company stopped its mining work. Soon after, about 924 acres (374 ha) of this old mining land became state property. Southern Illinois University used it to study how to fix land after coal mining.
Then, in 1968, the Illinois DNR took over this land. They kept working to restore it, and it became a new natural area called Pyramid State Park. Over time, the park grew to about 3,200 acres (1,300 ha). In 2001, the Illinois DNR added even more land – a huge 16,245 acres (6,574 ha) from another coal company. This made Pyramid State Recreation Area the large park it is today!
Exploring the Park Today
Because of the old coal mining, the land at Pyramid State Recreation Area looks different from most of Illinois. It has many hills and valleys. There are 24 different lakes and ponds where you can enjoy the water. Boats with motors up to 10 horsepower are allowed.
The park also has 16.5 miles (27 km) of trails. These trails are great for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. If you want to stay overnight, there are three simple campgrounds available.
Fun Activities at the Park
The Illinois DNR helps manage parts of the park for hunting. You might find deer, birds like doves, pheasants, and wild turkey, and waterfowl (ducks and geese). There are special rules for deer bowhunters.
Fishing is also very popular here! You can catch largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Sometimes, you might even find smallmouth bass, muskie, northern pike, and walleye.
Many trees have been planted on the old mining land. You'll see trees like cottonwood, box elder, and sycamore. Park planners hope to plant more oak and hickory trees in the future.
Birds of Pyramid State Recreation Area
The Audubon Society has named Pyramid State Recreation Area an Important Bird Area of Illinois. This is because the park has large grasslands, which are important homes for many birds. It's also a place where special care is taken to protect birds from non-native plants and animals.
The park is home to wetland birds like the sandhill crane and trumpeter swan. You can also spot different kinds of owls, including the barn owl and the short-eared owl.
