The Illinois & Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River watershed along a longstanding Indian portage route.
Located within the Mississippi Flyway, one of the nation's most important flyway routes, Mark Twain NWR provides waterfowl and other migratory birds with food, water and protection during the spring and fall migrations.
Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1936 by Executive Order 7524, which authorized the purchase of lands owned by the defunct Chautauqua Drainage and Levee District. The refuge extends from Illinois River mile 124.0 to 129.5.
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge's 44, 000 acres of land and water contain a wide diversity of flora and fauna. Major habitat types on the refuge include hardwood forest, agricultural land, grazing units, brushland, wetlands, and lakes.
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route is a 50-mile byway that travels through the southwestern area of Illinois, near Alton.
This scenic byway travels along the Ohio River through the southern area of Illinois, near Golconda, Metropolis and Cairo.
Welcome! Explore the Shawnee National Forest. Enjoy the splendors of the varied natural resources of the largest, most diversified treasure in Illinois. Major highways lead to this heartland. Find some of the most beautiful scenery in the Midwest.