OutdoorIllinois September 2007 Big River State Forest - Illinois DNR ...

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As one of only four designated Illinois forests,not only does Big River State Forest offer visitors plenty ofpark activities, but also a rich history lesson.Towering PinesStory and PhotosBy Kathy AndrewsBig River State Forest lives up toits name.Located on the banks of themighty Mississippi, the HendersonCounty facility provides visitorswith miles of river-front forfishing, birding, boating andwatching barges. And turningaway from the river, stands oftowering pines mark one of four propertiesowned by the state with the designationof state forest.But beyond the obvious, Big Riverholds an interesting history.Sac and Fox Indians frequented thearea known as Oquawkiek, or YellowBanks, a term memorialized today in thename of Oquawka, the community 9miles south of the forest. Ma-ka-tai-meshe-kia-kiak,or Chief Black Hawk, alsoclaimed the land as his home ground.Local tradition holds that in May1832, Captain Abraham Lincoln lednearly 2,000 mounted men through thearea on their march to the Black HawkWar. Lincoln’s connection to the areacontinued in October 1858 when he andStephan A. Douglass visited Oquawka,four days apart, during their now-famousLincoln-Douglass Debates.Despite determined attempts, earlypioneers found the shifting, sandy soilsheld little promise for making a living. Sopoor were the soils that by the GreatDepression young men hired throughthe Civilian Conservation Corps werebrought to the area to plant pine trees tostabilize the soils. In 1928, the state ofIllinois purchased land to establish BigRiver State Forest as one of the firststate forests. Subsequent land purchasesin the 1940s and in 1969, plus leaseson U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land,bring the total acreage managed by theDepartment of Natural Resources toapproximately 3,100 acres.Today, historical remnants awaitpark visitors.At the park headquarters, one of twofire towers remaining in Illinois remindsus of a day when communication of eminentfire hazards required dedicatedstaff perched high above the forestcanopy. Constructed in 1941, the 60-foot steel tower is listed on the NationalHistoric Lookout Register. An adjacentwindmill, and four additional windmillsalong Windmill Road Scenic Auto Trail(a 15-mile gravel drive providing greatBig River State Forest boasts milesof river front for fishing, birding,boating and barge-watching.Pines, now towering 30 to 50 feetover Big River State Forest, wereplanted during the Depression tostabilize the sandy soils.September 2007 OutdoorIllinois / 9
viewing of white-tailed deer, wild turkeysand fall colors), were constructed by theCCC to provide water for youngseedlings, and now provide water for fireprotection purposes and watering holesfor wildlife.Big Pines Hiking Trail, a 1.4-milemoderate to easy hike, traversesthrough the oldest pines in the forest. At1.6 miles, Lincoln Hiking Trail also israted a moderate to easy trail and followsthe route Lincoln’s militia menreportedly traveled. This trail passes apioneer cemetery with sandstone markersdating to the 1700s.As rich as the forest is in history, BigRiver visitors will not be disappointed bythe site’s natural history.At the forefront of the sand communityis the Big River Natural Area, a 535acre tract identified by the Illinois NaturalAreas Inventory in 1976. Composedof dry sand savanna, dry-mesic sandprairie and dry sand habitats, the area issignificant because of the natural qualityConstructed in 1941 and standing at aheight of 60 feet, the fire tower overlooksthe forest canopy. At the time,four windmills also provided water forprotection against forest fires.and size of these communities, andbecause it is contiguous with other similarhabitat in the state forest.Michelle Simone, district heritage biologist,explained how management of thearea emphasizes the need to providehabitat for two state-endangered plants,the large-flowered beard tongue (Penstemongrandiflorus) and Patterson’sbindweed (Stylisma pickeringii), and astate-threatened snake, the westernhognose snake (Heterodon nasicus).“Management of this natural areaincludes prescribed burning, removal ofwoody plants from the prairie and exoticspecies control,” Simone said. “TheseAt a glanceAddress: Big River State Forest,R.R. 1, Box 118, Keithsburg, IL 61442.Telephone: (309) 374-2496.Website: www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/R1/BIGRIVER.HTM.Directions: From the south, east orwest, Big River State Forest can bereached from Highway 164, taking theOquawka-Keithsburg blacktop road for 9miles north of Oquawka.Satellite Facilities: The 89-acreDelebar State Park is 1.5 miles north ofOquawka near Illinois Route 164 andhas a boat launch, fishing docks, campingarea (75 total sites), picnic shelters,playground and trails. The 28-acre GladstoneLake is the hub of the 85-acreHenderson County ConservationArea, offering bank anglers and boaterswith electric trolling motors the chanceto haul in a stringer of bluegill, redearsunfish, largemouth bass, crappie orchannel catfish. Camping (35 Class Csites), picnicking, hiking, ice fishing andice skating are among the other activitiesavailable at Henderson County.Both sites are managed through BigRiver State Forest. Near Lock and Dam18, the Henderson Creek Access Areais a 500-acre waterfowl refuge with aboat launch and picnic area. Twenty-fivemiles north of the park office, CrossesCorner provides additional boat accessabove Lock and Dam 17.practices are critical for maintaining thehigh-quality habitat that these uniquespecies require to survive.”Prior to the CCC tree planting program,a mix of prairie and blackjack oakscrub forest once covered a considerableportion of the area. Natural fires,and those ignited by the railroad linesrunning through the area, helped maintainthe communities.(Photo by Barrie McVey/DNR.)Built using the tools and techniquesof the late 1800s, replica cabinswere from pine trees harvestedfrom the forest.10 / OutdoorIllinois September 2007
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