Red Hills State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red Hills State Park
Red Hills State Park
Red Hills State Park Location in Illinois
Location	Lawrence County, Illinois, United States
Area	967 acres (391 ha)
Elevation	515 ft (157 m)
Established	1953
Named for	the Red Hills
Governing body	Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Red Hills State Park is a fun state park in Lawrence County, Illinois. It covers about 967 acres of land. The park is named after the "Red Hills" because it sits on the highest land between Cincinnati, Ohio and St. Louis, Missouri.

You can visit Red Hills State Park all year round. It's a great place for many outdoor activities. You can go boating, fishing, hunting, and hiking. In winter, you can enjoy snow sports too! The park even has a restaurant that's open all year.

Park History

Red Hills State Park is in southeastern Illinois. This area is close to the state of Indiana. Long ago, this land was part of something called the Vincennes Tract. This was a large area of land that Native American tribes gave to the U.S.A. in 1795.

The tribes, including the Wyandot, Lenape, and Shawnee, signed a peace agreement. This agreement was called the Treaty of Greenville. They agreed to give up their claims to land north of the Ohio River. A special line was drawn to mark this land, and it goes right through what is now Red Hills State Park.

After these agreements, more settlers from the original Thirteen Colonies moved into the area. An old wagon road, called Old Cahokia Trace, ran through the land that is now the park. This road was a main path from Vincennes, Indiana, to St. Louis, Missouri.

How the Park Was Created

Red Hills State Park officially opened in 1953. This happened at the same time a dam was built on Muddy Creek. The dam created a reservoir known as Red Hills Lake.

Red Hills Lake is about 40 acres big. It can be as deep as 30 feet. The lake has about 2.5 miles of shoreline. Over the years, the park has added many things for visitors. These include picnic areas, boat ramps, trails, and campgrounds.

Lake Repairs After an Earthquake

In 2008, an earthquake caused damage to the dam at Red Hills Lake. Engineers were worried the dam might break and cause floods. So, in December 2008, they decided to drain the lake to fix the dam.

The dam was repaired in 2009. After the repairs, the lake was restocked with new fish. Now, the lake is healthy and ready for fishing again!

Nature and Wildlife

Red Hills State Park is part of a big water system. The Embarras River flows through the park. This river connects to the Wabash River, which then flows into the Ohio River. All these rivers are part of the huge Mississippi River system.

The park is on the "Red Hills," which are the highest points of land in the area. There's a 120-foot tower on top of the Red Hills. From there, you can get amazing views of the whole park!

The park has many different natural areas. You can find dry and wet prairies, wooded hills, deep ravines, open meadows, and wet areas along the river and lake. U.S. Route 50 cuts through the park. North of the highway, you'll see mostly deciduous woods. South of the highway, there are scattered woods, fields of grains, and grassy prairies.

Fun Things to Do

Red Hills State Park is open for fun activities all year long.

Picnics and Camping

There are many shaded picnic spots throughout the park. You can also find three picnic pavilions. The park has over 100 campsites. These sites have modern restrooms, electric hook-ups, and a place to empty chemical toilets. You can even rent one cabin for your stay.

Trails and Sports

The park has about 8 miles of trails. These trails are great for hiking and horseback riding. In the winter, you can even go cross-country skiing on them! The park also has courts for volleyball and basketball.

Fishing and Hunting

You can go fishing and hunting at Red Hills State Park. A paved road goes around the lake, making it easy to fish from the shore. You can use boats on the lake, but they must be powered by a battery or by you (like a rowboat or canoe).

Popular fish you can catch include bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, and channel catfish. If the lake freezes over and the ice is thick enough, you can even go ice fishing!

For hunting, common animals include white-tailed deer, quail, woodcocks, doves, wild turkeys, and rabbits. You can only hunt deer with a bow. But you can use guns for other animals.

Red Hills State Park map