54-538: Kankakee River State Park is an Illinois state park on 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) primarily in Kankakee and Will Counties, Illinois , United States. Originally, 35 acres (14 ha) of land was donated by Ethel Sturges Dummer for the creation of the state park in 1938. Another 1,715 acres (694 ha) was donated by Commonwealth Edison in 1956, which again donated more land in 1989. The islands of Smith , Hoffman , Langham , and Willow are all located inside
108-564: 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: Kankakee River The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River , approximately 133 miles (214 km) long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in
162-626: A highly meandering course through a vast complex of wetlands surrounding the river, that was known as the Grand Kankakee Marsh . Encompassing 5,300 square miles (14,000 km ), it was one of the largest marsh wetlands in the United States. Today, the Kankakee essentially forms the county line between LaPorte and Starke counties. However, when the two counties were originally proposed, Starke County's borders were such that
216-605: A number of his fellow French Canadians to emigrate from Quebec to the Bourbonnais Township area. Because of his settlement efforts, he is called "the father of Kankakee." The Kankakee & Iroquois Navigation Company - later known as the Kankakee Company - was chartered in 1847 to provide water power and a navigable waterway from the Illinois & Michigan Canal to Warner's Landing, along the site of
270-792: A statewide network of numerous recreation opportunities and conservation schemes, sometimes in a small area. For example, DeKalb County contains a 1,000-acre (4.0 km ) forest preserve system and a 1,500-acre (6.1 km ) state park ( Shabbona Lake State Park ); within DeKalb County, the DeKalb Park District in the City of DeKalb has a 700-acre (2.8 km ) park system. 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
324-650: A straight channelized course, generally southwestward through rural northwestern Indiana, collecting the Yellow River from the south in Starke County , and passing the communities of South Center and English Lake . It forms the border between LaPorte , Porter , and Lake counties on the north and Starke, Jasper , and Newton counties on the south. The river curves westward and ceases to be channelized as it enters Kankakee County in northeastern Illinois. Approximately three miles (4.8 km) southeast of
378-578: 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.” Illinois contains one national forest , the Shawnee National Forest , one national grassland, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie , and several other sites administered by
432-500: A year, the Illinois DNR runs a trout stocking program, releasing fish in various lakes and ponds in the spring and fall. Prior to the official trout season opening day, a catch-and-release only period is offered to anglers looking to get an early access to the stocked trout. There is a concession stand at Rock Creek which operates on a seasonal basis. The store offers refreshments, ice, camping supplies, firewood, and bait. It
486-591: Is also called the Marble Power Ditch. This is the heart of the Grand Kankakee Marsh, which was drained in the early 20th century. The earliest recorded crossing of the Kankakee was at Baum's Bridge, on South Baum's Bridge Road (Porter County) to CR 200 W ( Jasper County ). The other historic crossing between Porter County and Jasper County is Dunn's Bridge , further east; CR 500 E (Porter County) to CR 400 E (Jasper County). Jasper County
540-583: Is at Momence that the river crosses a seven-mile (11 km) limestone shelf, referred to as the Momence Dam. This natural feature's resistance to erosion created a blockage in the flow of the Kankakee River, backing up water and thereby creating the Grand Marsh that once covered 500,000 acres (200,000 ha). The dam's removal is part of the story of the draining the marsh. Beyond Momence,
594-562: Is located in Indiana. The headwaters of the Kankakee River is southwest of downtown South Bend, Indiana , within the city limits. An area of wetlands and springs to the northwest of the South Bend Ethanol Plant is the start of the Kankakee River. An old Indian portage, about two miles (3.2 km) long, stretched from this area towards the northeast to what are today Highland and Riverview cemeteries, along what were once
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#1732794371025648-489: Is located in the log cabin concession stand, just inside the park's main entrance. Hunting and fishing licenses are available as well. List of Illinois state parks 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. Illinois also contains sites designated as internationally important protected areas. These multiple levels of protection contribute to
702-474: Is open April 1 through October 31. Fishing at Kankakee River State Park provides opportunities for anglers to access the Kankakee River or Rock Creek , a freestone -bottom tributary of the Kankakee River. Access to commonly targeted fish species, like bass or bluegill is available year round. Fishing by bait, spin fishing , and fly-fishing at Kankakee River State Park are popular methods. Twice
756-432: Is open only from April 1 through October 31.basis There are plenty of hiking trails throughout the park that go through different ecosystems and different park features. While some go along the Kankakee River , with places to sit along the river, others go into the forests or along Rock Creek , a tributary of the Kankakee River that cuts through the ground, creating a gorge with cliffs. The trails are very diverse. The site
810-549: 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
864-508: Is south of the Kankakee River and dotted with sand hills and wetlands. Much of the area has been drained to create farmland, but numerous conservation areas have been established along the river's borders, such as the Aukiki Wetland Conservation Area and the surrounding NIPSCO Savanna . The Kankakee River forms the border between Lake County to the north and Newton County on the south. Along this section of
918-528: Is today northern Indiana) holding it in. The resultant flood created the bed of the Kankakee River and had even greater impact in what is today the state of Illinois. Up through the early 19th century, the river furnished an important water transportation route through the Illinois Country for both Native Americans and early European settlers, notably the French fur trappers . The headwaters of
972-435: Is very good for mushroom hunting. The park's trails stretch along both sides of the river. Hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails are on the river's north side. Horse and snowmobile trails can be found on the south. A 3-mile (4.8 km) route along Rock Creek lets hikers take in the beauty of limestone canyons and a waterfall. A bicycle trail begins at Davis Creek Area and travels 10.5 miles (16.9 km) of trails in
1026-564: The American Civil War and the subsequent economic downturn, little action occurred until the 1880s. In 1884, meetings were held by land owners in South Bend to discuss the drainage of the marsh. Two of the largest landholders agreed to build a network of drainage ditches in their lands to begin draining the eastern edge of the marsh. State funding was granted to the project during the term of Indiana Governor Claude Matthews and
1080-626: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources . In addition, dozens of state historic sites are administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division . 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 are owned by
1134-589: The Michigan Basin . To the south, the strata dips southwest toward the Illinois Basin . Within the Kankakee Basin (Lake, Jasper , and Pulaski counties), the rock strata are nearly flat, being at the top of the arch. The Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service contains current data for river depths. Contrary to what may be shown in online mapping sites or GPS software, the bridge over
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#17327943710251188-708: The National Park Service , including portions of National Trails. There are also National Wildlife Refuges . The following U.S. Wilderness areas are located within the Shawnee National Forest and are administered by the U.S. Forest Service : Crab Orchard Wilderness is located within Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge The National Park Service operates the federally owned Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield ,
1242-1028: 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 . One UNESCO World Heritage Site in Illinois, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ,
1296-661: The Ramsar Convention : 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 70,000 acres (280 km ) of open land, or 11.6 percent of Cook County's land area. Under Illinois law, counties may set up
1350-610: The Des Plaines River to form the Illinois. The area of Lake County (Indiana) which originally drained to Lake Michigan but now drains by means of artificial diversion to the Illinois River is not considered to be part of the Kankakee River Basin study region. Although the Kankakee River basin includes portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, the discussion below will focus on the Indiana portion of
1404-530: The Kankakee River on State Line Road near the public ramp at the Indiana–Illinois state line is closed and partially dismantled. Some fishing maps and websites about the river may include road directions to the public ramp at the state line, with outdated information. The public ramp is located on the north side of the river, and with the bridge out, it is not accessible from the south side, from Illinois Route 114 / Indiana State Road 10 . As of September 7, 2008,
1458-660: The United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in North America and furnished a significant portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River . Significantly altered from its original channel, it flows through a primarily rural farming region of reclaimed cropland, south of Lake Michigan . The Kankakee rises in northwestern Indiana, approximately five miles (8.0 km) southwest of South Bend, Indiana . It flows in
1512-488: The United States. Most Potawatomi left the area by the end of the decade, except for Chief Shaw-waw-nas-see, whose grave is commemorated by a boulder along the nature trail at Rock Creek. Noel Le Vasseur and other fur traders, including Hubbard Chabare and Francois Bourbonnais , traded with the Potawatomi along the Kankakee and Iroquois rivers in the 1820s. When the Potawatomi left the area in 1838, Le Vasseur persuaded
1566-491: The Valparaiso Moraine, deposits can reach 350 feet (110 m) thick. Outwash deposits occur primarily along the northern border of the basin. The southern half of the Kankakee Basin, south of the main river channel, is characterized by the fine-grained sediments that are wind driven, forming a series of broad eolian sand dunes and ridges. These are of moderate height. lacustrine silts and clays are mixed with
1620-541: The area has been progressively drained by ditches constructed during the past 60 years. The Kankakee River Basin is a product of the Wisconsin Glacial Episode . It is a remnant of the glacial lakes that comprised the Lake Michigan lobe of the ice sheet. Landscape elements include 1) the nearly level plains of a ground moraine, 2) eolian (wind driven deposits) plains, 3) outwash deposits, 4)
1674-494: The banks of the St. Joseph River , but now forms a bank of Pinhook Park Lagoon. The St. Joseph River drains into Lake Michigan. The famous Council Oak Tree stood along this portage about 300 yards (270 m) from the St. Joseph River. Farms fields cover what was once a marshland. The river has been "ditched" and is called Dixon West Place Ditch. Below Crumstown , Geyer Ditch joins it from
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1728-400: The basin. The Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain, a large and poorly drained plain, comprises approximately the southern quarter of both Lake and Porter counties. It is the most recent of the three landscape regions to face the pressures of impending urbanization. Large portions of the area were once marshland associated with the meandering Kankakee River, which, for eight or nine months of
1782-538: The central river basin and 5) end moraines forming the north, middle and southern borders. Local relief varies from 60 feet (18 m) along the Iroquois Moraine, up to 100 feet (30 m) on the Valparaiso Moraine . Deposits range from 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m) in the lower basin (western). The deepest deposits of 100 to 250 feet (30 to 76 m) are in the upper basin (eastern). Along
1836-735: The city of Kankakee , it receives the Iroquois River from the south and turns sharply to the northwest for its lower 35 miles (56 km). It joins the Des Plaines River from the south to form the Illinois River , approximately 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Chicago . The Kankakee River Basin drains 2,989 square miles (7,740 km ) in northwest Indiana , 2,169 square miles (5,620 km ) in northeast Illinois, and about seven square miles (18 km ) in southwest Lower Michigan . The Kankakee River heads near South Bend, then flows westward into Illinois, where it joins with
1890-426: The form of a linear trail along the river and a loop in the west end of the park. When there's snow cover of 4 inches (100 mm) or more, the park is open from sunrise to sunset for snowmobiling. Directional signs for trails are posted and maps are available at the park office. There is horseback riding at the park. A 12-mile (19 km) equestrian trail is located in the wildlife management area along Route 113 and
1944-399: The north, flowing out of Berrien County in southern Michigan . The Kankakee River passes through the southeast corner of Starke County . Here it takes on a more natural appearance with wetlands spreading out along both sides of the river. The river channels form the northern border between Starke County and LaPorte County to its north. These are some of the more extensive wetlands along
1998-539: The old iron bridge at the Indiana–Illinois state line often clears the water by only approximately 3 feet (0.9 m), making it possible to pass beneath only in small boats, canoes, etc. The Kankakee River was originally formed around 16,000 years ago by an event known as the Kankakee Torrent . A glacial lake resulting from meltwater from the Wisconsin glaciation breached the moraines (located in what
2052-558: The park on the Kankakee River . Before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans occupied the Kankakee River valley in the area that is now the state park. This region was historically occupied by Illini and Miami Indians in the 1670s and 1680s. By 1685 the Miami were sufficiently numerous that the Kankakee River was called the River of the Miami . Kickapoo and Mascouten also frequented
2106-424: The park. Potawatomi Campground , offers Class A amenities with 110 sites and two Rent-a-Cabins in a wooded setting. The Chippewa Campground , offers 105 sites with Class B electric and C facilities. Reservations are taken for Kankakee River Class A, B, and C campgrounds. All campsites share a picnic table and a camp grill. Camping is only allowed in the campgrounds. The Equestrian Campground off Illinois Route 113
2160-690: The present-day Warner Bridge Road. The company failed shortly after the Wabash Railroad arrived in the 1880s. At the Chippewa Campground, hand-cut limestone pillars mark where a railway bridge was to have been built for the Decatur and State Line Railroad before financiers ran out of money. A major industry in the area in the 1890s was the Custer Bowery Amusement Park , which drew crowds from Chicago. The park
2214-533: The project was expanded to include the entire marsh. At the time, it was heralded as a great advance for the state which was also in the process of draining the Great Black Swamp . By 1910, most of the marshlands were drained and work on rerouting the Kankakee River began. In 1917, the river was dredged to make it significantly deeper; by 1922, the process was mostly completed and the river was several miles shorter than its original course. The upper river
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2268-407: The river divided the county and effectively isolated the north-west portion. In order to reach the rest of the county, it was necessary for residents in this area to travel some distance east to Lemon's bridge, before making the journey south. These residents petitioned the state to be annexed by LaPorte County, and this was done on January 28, 1842. The area of land relinquished by Starke County became
2322-481: The river has rendered it especially prone to flooding . Starting in the 1980s, federal and state efforts have attempted to restore part of the original floodplain of the river through strategic widening of the levees. The river remains a popular destination for recreational canoeing and fishing for warm-water species. Kankakee River State Park is located along the river, northwest of Kankakee, Illinois. The 4,095-acre (16.57 km ) Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area
2376-622: The river near present-day South Bend allowed a portage to the St. Joseph River , which drains into Lake Michigan , as well as furnishing a subsequent portage to the Lake Erie watershed. The Kankakee, thus, was part of an inland canoe route connecting the Great Lakes to the Illinois River and subsequently to the Mississippi River. Until the end of the 19th century, the river was nearly 240 miles (390 km) long, flowing in
2430-555: The river takes on a more traditional image, flowing across the rolling hills of Kankakee County . The river enters Will County, Illinois , through the City of Wilmington before joining the Des Plaines River . Here, in the Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area , the two rivers form the Illinois River for the journey to the Mississippi River . Because of the river's wide valley and historic great marsh, there are few towns on
2484-543: The river valley in the 18th century. By the 1770s, the Council of Three Fires —the Chippewa , Ottawa and Potawatomi nations—dominated the area. The most extensive village was " Rock Village " or " Little Rock Village " inside the present-day park near the mouth of Rock Creek. In 1830 it was the site of the last great Indian Council. After 1832, the Potawatomi ceded all of their land along the Kankakee and Illinois rivers to
2538-423: The river, the channel has been straightened, passing between Shelby on the north and Thayer on the south. The LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Area dominates both sides of the river, as it makes its exit from Indiana and enters Illinois. Entering Illinois, the river returns to its natural channel, winding its way to Momence, Illinois . This is the last section of the Grand Kankakee Marsh that has never been ditched. It
2592-564: 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”. 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.” Areas of land which “either retains or has recovered to
2646-600: The townships of Cass , Dewey , Hanna , and Prairie in LaPorte County. Beginning in the mid-19th century, much of the basin of wetlands was drained to create cultivated cropland. Two large ditches were constructed in 1858, as part of the Swamp Act of 1852, the first attempt to drain the marsh. A lobby grew among the large landholders in Lake County who advocated the complete drainage of the marsh, but due to
2700-458: The upper river. The Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area is a state managed wildlife area, heavily managed to control water levels throughout the year. Here, the Yellow River (the second largest branch of the Kankakee) joins the main river. The Kankakee River also forms the southern boundary of Porter County , delimiting an area of farm land and wetland forest. Throughout this area, the Kankakee
2754-618: The various waterborne and wind driven deposits throughout the basin. The bedrock underlying the Kankakee Basin is primarily of Silurian age. There are also strata from the Devonian , and Mississippian periods. The Silurian rocks are primarily dolomite and limestone . A major subterranean feature is the Kankakee Arch; it is an extension of the Cincinnati Arch . North of the arch, the strata dip towards Lake Michigan and
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#17327943710252808-435: The year, was flanked on both sides by wetlands. The marsh area was three to four miles (4.8 to 6.4 km) wide and contained water one to four feet (0.30 to 1.22 m) deep. The low marshland was broken by infrequent islands of sand blown into dunes. The sand islands were the sites of Indian encampments and later of pioneer homes. The Kankakee marsh was an effective barrier to early southerly exploration of both counties, but
2862-421: Was also highly channelized with levees to allow easier transport of cut timber from the wetlands to saw mills downstream in Illinois. The channelization aided in the desiccation of the surrounding wetlands and reduced the river to less than half of its original length. Of the original marsh, only 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) remain, comprising approximately one percent of the original area. The channelization of
2916-410: Was gone by the 1920s, and the river was a popular for summer cottages. In 1938 Chicago resident Ethel Sturges Dummer donated 35 acres (14 ha) of land for a state park. Commonwealth Edison turned over another 1,715 acres (694 ha) to the state in 1956. With the company's additional grants in 1989, the park now roughly totals 4,000 acres (1,619 ha). There are camping facilities located inside
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