• Hikes,  Illinois,  Kids

    Beaver Dam State Park

    Beaver Dam is a small state park in west-central Illinois. Located in a more rural area, this state park is less well known but worth exploring. Situated in an oak/hickory woodland, Beaver Dam State Park offers a variety of recreational opportunities including fishing, picnicking, hiking, and both tent and trailer camping. The park did offer a restaurant and small watercraft rentals, but the concessions have been closed for 2024. Best Time to Visit Beaver Dam offers a nice retreat no…

  • Day Trip,  Hikes,  Illinois,  Kids

    Explore an Illinois Bayou at Cache River Natural Area

    You may feel transported to a Louisiana bayou when you first visit Cache River State Natural Area. This unique landscape in southern Illinois preserves a rare remainder of the cypress swamps and bottomland hardwood forests that once existed in the Ohio River floodplain. Settlers attempted in the past to drain the wetlands and convert the land to farmland. Today, the Cache River Wetlands is one of the few remaining wetlands in the area and provides habitat for a diverse variety…