Remove Ads

Iroquois County State Wildlife Area

Pembroke IL, Beaverville, Illinois 60958 USA

  • Independent
Add to Trip
Remove Ads

“have a wild time”

The Iroquois State Wildlife Area exhibits some of the finest and most extensive prairie marsh and sand dune vegetation remaining in Illinois. The occurrence of this vegetation is regulated by soil characteristics and moisture. Dry sand ridges are dominated by black oak forest. Lower lying areas range from dry prairie to marsh, depending on soil moisture. Dominant grasses on dry prairie areas are little bluestem and switch grass. Grasses such as big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem and switch grass are dominant on mesic (intermediate between wet and dry) prairie. Areas of wet prairie are indicated by bluejoint grass, cord grass and sedges. Several boggy areas contain plants seldom encountered elsewhere in Illinois, including blueberry, huckleberry, hardhack, march marigold, colic root, sundew (a carnivorous plant) and primrose violet.Aside from supporting huntable populations of deer and upland game, Iroquois State Wildlife Area is inhabited by numerous, interesting non-game birds and mammals. Wet prairies and marshes provide preferred habitat for birds such as herons, bitterns, rails, snipe and marsh hawks. During migration, marshes are visited by numerous species of waterfowl and the rare sandhill crane. Mammals utilizing Iroquois’ marshlands include raccoon, muskrat, mink and beaver. Upland prairie and forest at Iroquois are inhabited by many species of songbirds. During migration the number of species that may be seen on the area is increased even further. The veery, a rare thrush, is reportedly nests in the area. Unusual mammalian species occupying the uplands include the plains pocket gopher and the southern flying squirrel.Hooper Branch Savanna occupies the edge of the former Glacial Lake Watseka, formed 14,000 years ago moraines dammed up by glacial meltwaters. The soils of Hooper Branch Savanna are sandy, having derived from beach and nearshore sand deposits exposed to wind action. The developing dune and swale topography is quite noticeable today.Savanna developed on the dry dune ridges while shrub prairies and mesic sand prairies developed in wetter swales. Savannas are composed of a mix of trees, prairie grasses and forbs. Savannas have a park-like appearance with widely spaced trees and little brush. Savannas are a fire-maintained natural community. Periodic fires swept through this area prior to settlement killing many small trees and shrubs. The thick bark of the large trees protected them from fire. Black oaks are the dominant savanna trees and prairie grasses including porcupine grass, june grass and little bluestem. Prairie forbs, such as puccoons, lupines, leadplant, spiderwort and butterfly weed, provide color to the savanna landscape. In the shrub prairie portions, mosses carpet the sand surface. Iroquois County State Wildlife Area is situated in a low glacial outwash plain associated with the Kankakee River Valley that consists of marshland, sand ridges and dunes. The initial acquisition of land occurred in 1944 for the purpose of protecting Illinois' declining prairie chicken population. Prairie chickens did not survive and public hunting became the major use. The state purchased an additional 560 acres in 1984. Known as the Hooper Branch Savanna, 480 acres of this parcel is considered the largest single tract of rare native savanna remaining in Illinois. The total acreage at Iroquois County is now 2,480.The area is located 2 miles north and 3 miles east of Beaverville, in the extreme northeast corner of Iroquois County, about 80 miles south of Chicago. The majority of the area, 2,000 acres, is managed as a public hunting area. The remainder is a dedicated nature preserve. Nonconsumptive recreation, in the form of hiking and nature study, is available when the facility is closed to hunting.

Read More >
Add Review
Thanks!
Your Rating
1
2
3
4
5

Be the first to add a review to the Iroquois County State Wildlife Area.

Iroquois County State Wildlife Area

Pembroke IL
Beaverville, Illinois
60958 USA
Remove Ads

Hours

Hours not available

Problem with this listing? Let us know.

Has RV parking changed? Let us know.

Remove Ads
  • Check
    Parking
  • Unknown
    Pets Allowed
  • Unknown
    Restrooms
  • Unknown
    Wifi
  • Unknown
    Wheelchair Accessible
  • Unknown
    Credit Cards Accepted
See More Details (9)

Amenities, Parking

Remove Ads

Nearby Hotels

Rensselaer, Indiana
Bourbonnais, Illinois
FastBook

Click to discover a
great deal!

Rensselaer, Indiana
FastBook

Click to discover a
great deal!

Kentland, Indiana
FastBook

Click to discover a
great deal!

Rensselaer, Indiana
FastBook

Click to discover a
great deal!

Remove Ads

Related Trip Guides

Remove Ads
17686