List of protected areas of Illinois

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Map of Protected Areas of Illinois Each dot is linked to the corresponding article: File:Red pog.svg Parks; File:Green pog.svg Forests; File:Purple pog.svg Recreation Areas; File:Blue pog.svg Fish and Wildlife Areas; File:Orange pog.svg Natural Areas; File:Red-gold double pog.svg National Historic Sites and Trails

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, and historic sites under various governmental levels of protection. 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 forest preserve system and a state park (Shabbona Lake State Park); within DeKalb County, the DeKalb Park District in the City of DeKalb has a park system.

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.

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. 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”.

Name	County	Area (acres)	Area (km2)	Established	Bodies of water	Image	Remarks
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park	Lake		1948	Lake Michigan	File:Illinois Beach State Park Lakefront.jpg
Apple River Canyon State Park	Jo Daviess		1932	Apple River	File:Apple River IL Apple River Canyon St Park1.JPG
Argyle Lake State Park	McDonough		1948	Argyle Lake	File:Argyle Lake State Park.jpg
Beall Woods State Park	Wabash		1966	Coffee Creek
Beaver Dam State Park	Macoupin		1947	Beaver Dam Lake	File:Beaver Dam State Park sign, Illinois.jpg
Buffalo Rock State Park & Effigy Tumuli	LaSalle		November 15, 1928	Illinois River
Castle Rock State Park	Ogle		1921	Rock River	File:Castle Rock State Park 1.jpg
Cave-in-Rock State Park	Hardin		1929	Ohio River	File:Cave-in-rock IL.jpg
Chain O'Lakes State Park	McHenry		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	File:Chain O'Lakes State Park.jpg
Channahon State Park	Will		1932	DuPage River, Des Plaines River, Kankakee River	File:Channahon State Park 4.jpg
Delabar State Park	Henderson		1960	Mississippi River
Dixon Springs State Park	Pope		1946	Wabash River	File:Ghost Dance Canyon, Dixon Springs State Park.jpg
Donnelley/Depue State Park	Putnam		1982	Lake DePue, Spring Lake, Coleman Lake, Illinois River
Ferne Clyffe State Park	Johnson		1949	Ferne Clyffe Lake	File:Ferne Clyffe State Park.jpg
Fort Massac State Park	Massac		1908	Ohio River	File:Fort Massac IL 2.JPG
Fox Ridge State Park	Coles		1930s	Ridge Lake, Embarras River	File:False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum).jpg
Gebhard Woods State Park	Grundy		1934	Nettle Creek	File:Gebhard Woods State Park.jpg
Giant City State Park	Jackson, Union		1927	Little Grassy Lake, Indian Creek	File:Giant City State Park.jpg
Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park	Bureau, Lee, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry		1970	Hennepin Canal	File:HennepinCanalLock01.jpg	linear park (W To Moline then N to Rock Falls vic.)
Horseshoe Lake State Park	Madison		?	Horseshoe Lake	File:Horseshoe Lake State Park, Pontoon Beach, IL.jpg
Illini State Park	LaSalle		1934	Illinois River	File:Illini State Park.jpg
James "Pate" Philip State Park	DuPage, Kane		1991	Brewester Creek
Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park	Henry		?	Johnson-Sauk Trail Lake	File:Vizsla Dog At Johnson Sauk Trail Lake.jpg
Jubilee College State Park	Peoria		1933	Jubilee Creek	File:Jubilee College.JPG
Kankakee River State Park	Kankakee, Will		1938	Kankakee River	Old_Bridge_Piers_P1010079_Kankakee_River_SP_(old_Bridge_Piers) Old_Bridge_Piers_P1010079_Kankakee_River_SP_(old_Bridge_Piers)
Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park	Stephenson		1948	Lake Le-Aqua-Na
Lake Murphysboro State Park	Jackson		1948	Lake Murphysboro	File:Lake murphysboro 1 (2238805196).jpg
Lincoln Trail State Park	Clark		1958	Lincoln Trail Lake	File:Lincoln Trail State Park.jpg
Lowden State Park	Ogle		1945	Rock River	File:Oregon Il Lowden State Park20.jpg
Matthiessen State Park	LaSalle		1943	Deer Park Lake, Vermilion River	File:Lower Dells Fall (49761135352).jpg
Mississippi Palisades State Park	Carroll		1973	Mississippi River, Apple River	File:Rock Climbing Mississippi Palisades (26).jpg
Moraine Hills State Park	McHenry		1939	Lake Defiance, Fox River	File:Moraine Hills State Park Illinois 2023 1042.jpg
Morrison-Rockwood State Park	Whiteside		1971	Rock Creek, Lake Carlton	File:Morrison Rockwood State Park.jpg
Nauvoo State Park	Hancock		?	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) 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		1931	Mississippi River, Illinois River	File:Pere Marquette State Park (2151796571).jpg
Red Hills State Park	Lawrence		1953	Muddy Creek	File:Path at Red Hills State Park in Fall.jpg
Rock Cut State Park	Winnebago		1957	Pierce Lake, Olson Lake	File:Gfp-illinois-rock-cut-state-park-river.jpg
Rock Island Trail State Park	Stark, Peoria			1989	None	File:Wyoming CB&Q depot.jpg	public rail trail.
Shabbona Lake State Park	DeKalb		1978	Shabbona Lake	File:Gfp-illinois-shabbona-lake-state-park-across-the-lake.jpg
Siloam Springs State Park	Adams, Brown		1940
South Shore State Park	Clinton		?	Carlyle Lake
Starved Rock State Park	LaSalle		1911	Illinois River	File:Kaskaskia Canyon Falls - Starved Rock State Park - panoramio.jpg
Walnut Point State Park	Douglas		1968
Weinberg-King State Park	Schuyler		1968	?
Wolf Creek State Park	Shelby		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.”

Name	County	Area (acres)	Area (km2)	Established	Bodies of water	Image	Remarks
Anderson Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Fulton		1947	Anderson Lake
Baldwin Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Randolph		?	Baldwin Lake
Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area	Fulton		1980s	Illinois River
Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area	Alexander		?
Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Fayette		1966	Carlyle Lake
Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Montgomery		1966	Coffeen Lake, Shoal Creek
Crawford County State Fish and Wildlife Area	Crawford		?	Huston Creek
Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area	Will		1948	Kankakee River, Milliken Lake
Devils Island Wildlife Management Area	Alexander, Union		?	Mississippi River, Picayune Chute
Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area	Fulton		2001	Double T Lake
Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area	Logan		1971	Salt Creek
Green River State Wildlife Area	Lee		1940	Green River
Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area	Hamilton		1962	Dolan Lake
Heidecke Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Grundy		?	Heidecke Lake
Horseshoe Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	Alexander		?	Horseshoe Lake
Iroquois County State Wildlife Area	Iroquois		1944	None		Occupies the edge of the former Glacial Lake Watseka.
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area	Cass		June 1993	Gridley Lake, Prairie Lake, Drake Lake
Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area	St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph		?	Kaskaskia River, Baldwin Lake
Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Jackson		1968	Kinkaid Lake, Johnson Creek, Reed Creek
Kishwaukee River State Fish and Wildlife Area	DeKalb		2002	Kishwaukee River
LaSalle Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area	LaSalle		?	LaSalle Lake
Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area	Tazewell		1970	Mackinaw River
Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area	Marshall		1925	Illinois River
Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area	Bureau		?	15 lakes
Mazonia/Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area	Grundy		1981	Braidwood Lake
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Massac		1949	Mermet Lake
Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area	Vermilion		1986	Middle Fork
Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area	Jersey, Calhoun		?	Stump Lake, Fuller Lake
Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Jasper		1979	Newton Lake, Sand Creek, Laws Creek
Peabody River State Fish and Wildlife Area	Randolph		?	20 lakes
Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Tazewell		?	Pekin Lake, Worley Lake
Powerton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Tazewell		September 18, 1984	Powerton Lake
Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area	Pike		1970	Illinois River
Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Franklin, Jefferson		?	Rend Lake
Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Fulton		1945	Rice Lake
Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area	Saline		1959	Glen O. Jones Lake
Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area	Wayne		1959	Sam Dale Lake
Sam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area	Jasper		1960
Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area	Cass, Schuyler, Mason		1948
Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area	Moultrie		?	Kaskaskia River, West Okaw River
Silver Springs State Fish & Wildlife Area	Kendall		1969	Fox River, Loon Lake, Beaver Lake, Silver Springs
Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area	Knox		1987	Snakeden Hollow Lake
Spring Lake Fish and Wildlife Area	Tazewell		1950	Spring Lake
Ten Mile Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area	Hamilton, Jefferson		1988	Ten Mile Creek
Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area	Randolph		?
Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area	Union		1940s
Woodford State Fish and Wildlife Area	Woodford			Illinois River, Upper Peoria Lake

State recreation areas

Name	County	Area (acres)	Area (km2)	Established	Bodies of water	Image	Remarks
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area	DeWitt		1978	Clinton Lake, Salt Creek, Old Creek
Eagle Creek State Recreation Area	Shelby		May 1963	Lake Shelbyville, Eagle Creek
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area	Clinton		?	Carlyle Lake, Lake Shelbyville
Frank Holten State Recreation Area	St. Clair		1964	Whispering Willow Lake, Grand Marais Lake
Golconda Marina State Recreation Area	Pope		?	Ohio River
Kickapoo State Recreation Area	Vermilion		1939	Middle Fork
Moraine View State Recreation Area	McLean		1959	Dawson Lake, Salt Creek
Prophetstown State Recreation Area	Whiteside		1947	Coon Creek, Rock River
Pyramid State Recreation Area	Perry		1968	Super Lake
Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area	Fayette		?	Ramsey Lake, Ramsey Creek
Randolph County State Recreation Area	Randolph		1958	Randolph County Lake
Sangchris Lake State Recreation Area	Christian, Sangamon		1964	Sangchris Lake
Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area	Marion		1959
Washington County State Recreation Area	Washington		1959
Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area	Franklin, Jefferson		1975	Rend Lake, Big Muddy River
Weldon Springs State Recreation Area	DeWitt		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.”

Name	County	Area (acres)	Area (km2)	Established	Bodies of water	Image	Remarks
Cache River State Natural Area	Johnson		1970	Cache River
Franklin Creek State Natural Area	Lee		1982	Franklin Creek
Fults Hill Prairie State Natural Area	Monroe		1970	Kidd Lake
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area	Grundy		1969	Goose Lake, Des Plaines River, Kankakee River, Illinois River
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area	Vermilion		?	Little Vermilion River (Wabash River tributary)		Managed as an outlying unit of Kickapoo State Recreation Area
Illinois Caverns State Natural Area	Monroe		1985	None		9.6 km of the park are passages underground.
Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve	LaSalle		1997	Little Vermilion River (Illinois River tributary)
Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area	Jackson, Randolph		1972	Piney Creek
Prairie Ridge State Natural Area	Jasper, Marion
Revis Hill Prairie	Mason		1973			Managed as an outlying unit of Sand Ridge State Forest
Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak Nature Preserve	Mason		1970			Managed as an outlying unit of Sand Ridge State Forest
Sielbeck Forest Natural Area	Johnson		1998
Spitler Woods State Natural Area	Macon		1937	Squirrel Creek
Volo Bog State Natural Area	Lake		1970	Volo Bog

Other state protected areas

Name	County	Area (acres)	Area (km2)	Established	Bodies of water	Image	Remarks
Big River State Forest	Henderson		1925	Mississippi River
Bohm Woods Nature Preserve	Madison		November 2006
Hidden Springs State Forest	Shelby		1960	Richland Creek, Possum Creek
Lewis and Clark State Historic Site	Madison			2002	None
North Point Marina	Lake		?	Lake Michigan
Sand Ridge State Forest	Mason		1939	None
Trail of Tears State Forest	Union		1929	Mississippi River, Clear Creek
Tunnel Hill State Trail	Johnson, Pulaski, Saline, Williamson				None		Trail.
Wildlife Prairie Park	Peoria		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 -
• Shawnee National Forest -

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 - including the 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 - of water and of public land
• Illinois Waterway
• Lake Shelbyville - lake and of land
• Rend Lake - of water and 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:

• 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 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 -
• Byron Forest Preserve District -
• Champaign County Forest Preserve District -
• Forest Preserve District of Cook County -
• DeKalb County Forest Preserve -
• Forest Preserve District of DuPage County -
• Forest Preserve District of Kane County -
• Forest Preserves of the Kankakee River Valley -
• Kendall County Forest Preserve District -
• Lake County Forest Preserve -
• Macon County Conservation District -
• McHenry County Conservation District -
• Putnam Country Conservation District -
• Rock Island Forest Preserve District -
• Vermilion County Conservation District -
• Forest Preserve District of Will County -
• Winnebago County Forest Preserve District -

External links

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