Category: Illinois State

Shabbona Lake State Park
This park has “A unique mix of grass-covered meadows, upland mesic woods, bottomland woods, and a native, undisturbed fen, make this an ideal location for natural relaxation and outdoor activity.”  There is a 15-acre seasonal nesting area for migratory waterfowl. “Shabbona Lake is a pilot site for disabled visitor accessibility and the facilities–parking, picnic shelters, water fountains, restrooms, and even a specially designed fishing pier–are totally accessible.”
Here is the park website.    Phone 815-824-2106
Touch the Earth is a 1/8 mile interpretive nature mile trail for blind and visually impaired visitors.  There is a cassette tape guide.  The tapes and players are available at the park office.  The trail is wheelchair accessible.

 Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is an old cypress swamp “managed as one of the state’s most outstanding waterfowl hunting locales.  While Mermet Lake was developed primarily for duck hunting, Canada, blue and snow geese frequent the area each winter.”  “The shallow lake also is a very productive fishing lake….”  There are also hiking trails and picnic tables.
Here is their website.   Phone 618-524-5577
? The area has two trails said to be easy. The nature preserve has a small half-mile interpretive trail with tree identification markers and a small boardwalk extending into the cypress swamp. Another nature area has a 1-mile interpretive trail with tree identification markers along the way.

Kankakee River State Park
Following both sides of the Kankakee River for 11 miles, in an area 6 miles northwest of Kankakee, near Bourbonnais, the park is about 4,000 acres.
Here is their website.    Phone 815-933-1383
River Trail on the north side of the river  7-mile asphalt trail which runs along the Kankakee River and over a 50-foot suspension bridge over Rock Creek Canyon.  The river trail connects walking and biking trails from the River Road Park in south Kankakee to the Kankakee River State Park.

Iroquois County State Wildlife Area
The wildlife area lies 2 miles north and 3 miles east of Beaverville in northeast Iroquois County.  Here is the area’s website.   For more information try the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at 312-814-2070 or +1 217-782-6302.
1/3 mile of the 3/4 mile Woodland Trail is  handicapped accessible.

Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area
Goose Lake Prairie is approximately 50 miles southwest of Chicago and one mile southwest of the confluence of the Kankakee and Des Plaines rivers. More than half of Goose Lake Prairie is a dedicated nature preserve. Vegetation is tall prairie grasses, such as cordgrass which grows to 8 to 12 feet high as well as many flowering plants.  Wildlife includes deer, coyote, red fox, cottontail rabbit, muskrat, beaver and badger. It is a great place for birds, reptiles and butterflies.
Here is their website.    Phone 815-942-2899
The “Tall Grass Self-Guided Nature Trail can be an easy 1 mile or 3.5 miles, depending on the route you take, with one loop of the trail offering a hard-packed, wheelchair-accessible surface.”

Giant City State Park
Giant City State Park near Carbondale is in the Shawnee National Forest, Southern Illinois.  The park “…was named for the unique impressions made by its massive sandstone structures and a landscape like none other, with lush garments of fern, moss, flowering mints, hundreds of species of wild flowers and more than 75 varieties of towering trees.”  The Giant City Visitor Center provides interpretive displays on the geology, plants, animals and history of the park, and regional tourism information.  Here is the park website.   Phone 618-457-4836.
The Post Oak Trail is 1/3 mile, partially asphalt-paved. Brochure

Franklin Creek State Natural Area
Franklin Creek State Natural Area is in Lee County, Northwest Illinois.  The “…Franklin Creek flows throughout the 882-acre park. Several large natural springs, hardwood forests, bedrock outcroppings and a large variety of flora and fauna comprise a pristine ecosystem.”
Here is their website.   Phone 815-456-2878
Mill Springs Trail 0.3 miles concrete trail to Mill Spring.

Fox Ridge State Park
“Fox Ridge State Park, a 2,064-acre park just south of Charleston in east-central Illinois, is known for its steep, thickly wooded ridges, broad, lush valleys and miles of rugged, scenic hiking trails.”   Here is their website.  Phone 217-345-6416
There are two accessible trails in the east central area: …”one wandering along the edge of a ravine and the other circling a small fishing pond with an accessible fishing pier.”

Chain O’ Lakes State Park
“Chain O’Lakes State Park in NE Illinois is a water-oriented recreation area with outstanding opportunities for boaters, anglers and skiers.”   The park borders three natural lakes – Grass, Marie and Nippersink – and the Fox River that connects the other seven lakes (Bluff, Fox, Pistakee, Channel, Petite, Catherine and Redhead) that make up the Chain. In addition, the park contains a 44-acre lake within its boundaries.”  The park features seven picnic areas and four trail systems.  Here is their website.   Phone  847-587-5512
Pike Marsh North Picnic area has a 1/2 mile accessible loop with a viewing platform.

Beall Woods State Park
Beall Woods State Park is on the banks of the Wabash River in southeastern Illinois.  It preserves “…one of the few remaining tracts of virgin timber east of the Mississippi River. At Beall Woods, visitors can see trees 120 feet tall and more than 3 feet in diameter. Besides hiking, Beall Woods also offers visitors a quiet, relaxing setting for camping, picnicking and fishing. Here is their website.   Phone 618-298-2442  Be sure to call ahead to learn trail conditions.
? Sweet Gum Trail – “”easy” 0.5 mile  trail follows Coffee Creek and features an interesting rock cliff.  The trail is closed periodically due to flooding.
? Schneck Trail – “easy” 1.75-mile trail is accessed from the park’s north side. It is closed periodically due to flooding.
? Tulip Tree Trail 1.1 mile chipped surface may accommodate wheelchairs.  From the visitor center you can pick up guides and a cassette tape for visually impaired hikers.  Here is a description of the trail from Mathprofhiker’s Trail Journal.