National Park Service
A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States 		NPS Logo

ILLINOIS

MORE THAN HALF of the people live within the Chicago metropolitan region and another large segment of the population lies within the other metropolitan areas. It is estimated that 70 percent of the population increase by 1960 will take place in the Chicago region.

The greatest need is for additional lands to serve the urban and metropolitan sections, especially in the vicinity of Chicago and East St. Louis. The county forest preserves in Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane Counties, and the system authorized in 1939 for DeKalb County should be expanded; additional forest preserves should be established in adjoining counties; and more State park facilities are recommended.

There seems to be a need also for metropolitan or county-park and forest-preserve systems in Monroe, St. Clair, and Madison Counties. Forest and park areas, river and lake-shore frontage, parkways, freeways, and waterways are perhaps most needed. Adequate frontage on Lake Michigan is recommended, particularly since neither the State nor any of the counties possess lands bordering on the lake.

Requirements for the rural population will be met to some extent by existing and recommended State, county, and metropolitan facilities, but in many instances they should be supplemented by local community developments.

The State possesses several sites of national significance which are attracting increasing numbers of visitors, including Lincoln's Tomb and Homestead, the reconstructed village of New Salem, and the Cahokia Mounds. The tourist use of natural areas, however, is not of great importance, nor does it appear likely that there will be any material increase.

map
(click on image for an enlargement in a new window)



FEDERAL

Recreational demonstration area:
15. Pere Marquette2,522

National wildlife areas:
13. Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge16,256.5
23. Chautauqua Lake Migratory Waterfowl Refuge3,980.6
     Total
20,237.1


National forests:
55. Illini Purchase Unit71,690
78. Shawnee Purchase Unit89,961
     Total
1161,651


Soil Conservation Service land development projects:
54. Crab Orchard Project3


Proposed national parkway:
58. Mississippi River



STATE

State parks:
9. Black Hawk200400
16. Pere Marquette1,6703,000
28. Mississippi Palisades482518
29. Apple River Canyon155800
31. Jubilee College96104
33. New Salem222.5277.5
45. White Pines Forest315185
56. Giant City91684
61. Smith-Spitler Woods178
66. Starved Rock1,148700
68. Buffalo Rock43457
76. Illini406194
86. Chain O'Lakes3,2002,000
96. Fox Ridge520480
99. Cave-in-Rock60
101. Kickapoo1,300
     Total
10,911.5
9,199.5

Proposed State parks:
1. Adams County
1,000
32. Tazewell and Mason Counties
3,000
44. Rock River (Ogle County)
1,000
51. Christian County
1,000
53. Marion-Jefferson Counties
1,000
64. McLean County
1,200
73. DeKaIb-Kane Counties
1,000
83. Fox River (Kendall County)
3,000
91. Kankakee River (Will County)
3,000
92. Prairie (Will and Kankakee Counties)
1,000
97. Little Wabash River (White County)
5,000
98. Shawneetown (Gallatin County)
500
105. Lake Michigan Beach (Lake County)
3,500
     Total

25,200

State monuments:
4. Fort Edwards.55
10. Campbell's Island7
12. U. S. Grant Home520
17. Cahokia Court House1
18. Fort Chartres21179
20. Cahokia Mounds144400
34. Garrison Hill Cemetery

35. Fort Kaskaskia (acreage includes Garrison Hill Cemetery
and Pierre Menard Home)		5740
36. Pierre Menard Home

38. Lincoln Homestead.4
39. Lincoln Tomb710
41. Fort Creve Coeur17.5
43. Lincoln Monument (includes Dixon Block House).55
49. Metamora Court House.2
52. Vandalia State House3
60. Fort Massac152.5
62. Mount Pulaski Court House2
69. Wild Bill Hickok Monument2
75. Norwegian Settlers Monument.1
79. Lincoln Log Cabin86214
80. Moore Home1.25
100. Lincoln Trail Monument31
103. Douglas Tomb.2
     Total
540.95
873

Proposed State monuments:
5. Nauvoo (Hancock County)
1,200
11. Galena Market House
2
22. Fulton County
40
59. Pulaski County
500
     Total
1,742

State forest:
57. Union County3,842

State wildlife areas:
6. Oquawka200
40. Sangamon127
47. Sparland873
48. Woodford1,781
58. Horseshoe Lake3,160
     Total
6,141

Recommended State parkways:
14. Illinois River

21. Sangamon River

24. Illinois and Mississippi Canal (in cludes Rock Falls feeder)

25. Rock River

27. Terrapin Ridge

30. White Pines

50. Lincoln Memorial

67. Illinois and Michigan Canal

74. Fox River

94. Kankakee River


Recommended other parkways:
3. Mississippi River



LOCAL

County forest preserve system:
46. Winnebago1,100400
71. DeKalb
400
77. Piatt81100
84. Kane3151,500
89. DuPage1,1501,000
90. Will600800
104. Cook35,00020,000
     Total
38,246
24,200

Recommended county forest preserve systems:
2. Adams
600
7. Mercer
165
8. Rock Island
980
37. Sangamon
1,100
63. Macon
820
65. McLean
730
70. LaSalle
970
72. Boone
150
81. Grundy
190
82. Kendall
105
85. McHenry
350
87. Lake
1,000
93. Kankakee
500
95. Champaign
640
102. Vermillion
890
     Total

9,190

Recommended metropolitan park or forest preserve systems:
19. East St. Louis

42. Peoria

88. Chicago


Municipal parks:
26. Alton (1 area)56
106. Springfield (9 areas)2,389
107. Canton (2 areas)123
108. Peoria (4 areas)1,191
109. Monmouth (1 area)217
110. Galesburg (2 areas)600
111. Moline (1 area)206
112. Dixon (1 area)201
113. Freeport (3 areas)250
114. Rockford (13 areas)773
115. Elgin (1 area)52
116. Elmhurst (3 areas)48
117. Naperville (1 area)12
118. West Chicago (1 area)84
119. Streator (1 area)30
120. Bloomington (2 areas)100
121. Decatur (2 areas)385
122. Paris (1 area)75
     Total
6,792

1 Area under Federal administration June 1938.

2 Recreation area developed as part of larger project.


<<< Previous <<< Contents>>> Next >>>

park-recreation-problem/illinois.htm
Last Updated: 18-May-2016