William W. Powers State Recreation Area
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Located on Wolf Lake on Chicago’s far southeast side at the Illinois-Indiana state line is the William W. Powers State Recreation Area. This recreation area provides fishing with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, bullhead, carp, walleye, and hybrid muskey. Camping and swimming is not permitted at this area.
Find more information online here!
Kankakee River State Park
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6 miles northwest of Kankakee is approximately 4,000 acres of the Kankakee State Park. You can fish in the Kankakee River for smallmouth bass, catfish, walleye, and Northern pike. The park also has boat ramps and seasonal hunting programs, including archery deer, waterfowl, and upland game hunting. The popular campgrounds offer over 200 campsites and group and equestrian campgrounds are also available.
Find more information online here!
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area
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50 miles southwest of Chicago in Grundy County, more than half of Goose Lake Prairie is a dedicated nature preserve. It also provides a nesting habitat for endangered or threatened birds, like the Henslow’s sparrow. You can see what Illinois looked like 150 years ago! Activities include wildlife sightings, Cragg Cabin, 7 miles of hiking trails, picnicking, and seasonal hunting programs.
Find more information online here!
Buffalo Rock State Park
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Located on a bluff on a once island in the Illinois River, this promontory now shows a magnificent, sweeping view of the Illinois River. Offering camping, cross country skiing for the colder months, geocaching, hiking, hunting, and shelters for reservations.
Find more information online here!
| Summer Fun Tips: Animal Safety |
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| Black bears, gray wolves, and mountain lions (AKA cougars or pumas) were once common in the Midwest. But today, there are no known breeding populations of these large predators in Illinois, though occasionally individual animals will move through looking for new territory. In recent years, there have been multiple confirmed sightings of mountain lions, black bears, and wolves in Illinois, though these species are all still very rare visitors. Find information on what to do if you see a large carnivore and report a sighting from Wildlife Illinois. |
For additional tips, here are some fun graphics from the National Park Service!
