Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area facts for kids

The Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area is a large park in Illinois. It covers about 4,100 acres (1,659 hectares). This special area is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). You can find it in Saline County, near the city of Harrisburg.

What is Sahara Woods State Park?

This park used to be a place where a company called Sahara Coal mined for coal. They used a method called strip-mining. This means they dug up the land to get to the coal.

Today, the park has different types of land. About 2,300 acres are open spaces. There are also 1,500 acres of trees and bushes. Plus, you'll find 275 acres of lakes, ponds, and wet areas. The IDNR says the park has "spoil ridges" from the old mining. These are hills made from the dirt and rock that was dug up. Between these hills, there are forests, grasslands, and small ponds.

From Coal Mine to Park

The Sahara Coal Company stopped mining here in 1993. Then, in 1999, they gave the land to the state of Illinois. This was a big gift!

Work is still being done to fix up the land. This is called "remediation." It means making the land healthy again after mining.

What Can You Do There?

The park first opened for deer hunting in 2003. Today, it's still a popular spot for hunting. You can hunt for deer with a bow and arrow. Other animals like dove, quail, rabbits, and squirrels are also hunted. You need special permits and licenses to hunt here.

Off-Road Vehicle Trails

The park is also becoming a place for off-road vehicle (ORV) fun. ORVs are vehicles like dirt bikes or ATVs. They are used for riding on rough terrain.

In 2017, the IDNR got a big grant. It was for $1.2 million. This money helps build a 26-mile (42 km) ORV trail system. The old spoil ridges from mining are perfect for these trails. The United States Department of Transportation agreed. They saw it as a great way to use the land. This project is part of the nationwide Recreational Trails Program.