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N o v e m b e r , 2 0 0 9F a l l E d i t i o n

hotographer’s ortfolio

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Contents

05 Top 10 Best Places to Camp in Illinois: Our team travels to all the top campgrounds in the state of Illinois to compare, contrast, and unearth for your enjoyment

The Ultimate Camping Checklist: Finally, a camping checklist all experts can agree upon. Everything you need to bring and why.

Photographers Portfolio: Adam Knizner is featured in this showcase of his photographic work.

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Top 10Illinois Campsites Cache River State Natural Area

(Southern Illinois)- This large state-owned and managed area is 10,430 acres and is composed of two distinct management units including the Little Black Slough and Lower Cache situated on Cache River in Johnson and Pulaski counties in Southern Illinois. Lower Cache is best known for its remnant examples of high quality wetland natural communities which were once prominent in the Cache River valley. Most striking examples include bald cypress and tupelo gum swamps with trees more than 1,000 years old; native oaks and hickory trees grow in the flat woods and wet forests next to the swamps. Little Black Slough is known for its cypress and tupelo swamps and rich mixed hard-wood floodplain forests as well as upland woods with small patches of limestone barrens. Visitors can expect to see many plants and animals native to Southern Illinois includ-ing a blending of northern and southern species. The National Park Service has registered two National Natural Land-marks within the Cache River Natural Area. This area is nationally significant because it contains true southern swamps at the northern portion of their range. The area contains 39 state-threatened or endangered plant and animal species and

eleven state champion trees. The site offers trail hiking and canoeing. It’s a nature lover’s paradise. Pere Marquette State Park (West Central Illinois) A nature lover’s paradise, Pere Marquette is famous for its bald eagles during the winter and exceptional beauty of its fall colors. The park of 7,895 acres overlooks a wide expanse of the Mis-sissippi River and was named for Father Jacques Marquette, a French missionary who, in 1673, was among the first group of Europeans under the leadership of Louis Jolliet to reach the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. A large

white cross stands just east of the park entrance commemo-rating their historic land-ing. The natural splendor of the region and its rich history of animal and hu-man habitation goes back eons. Fossils found

in the strata stripped bare by thousands of years of river current reveal its history. Prehistoric use of the park dates back at least 10,000 years. During this time, Native American life-ways changed from nomadic hunters and gatherers to sedentary agriculturists. The park has been the subject of numerous ar-chaeological studies including the present location of the park lodge. Although no historic Native American sites are docu-mented in the park, it was known that the area was occupied by the Illini Confed-

eracy when Marquette and Jolliet traveled the Mississippi River in 1673. The park offers a variety of year-round recreational opportunities such as horseback riding, camping, fishing, boating and hiking. Chain O’Lakes State Park (Northern Illinois) Located in the heart of Illinois’ largest concentration of natural lakes, the park is a water-oriented recreation area with outstanding opportunities for boaters, anglers and skiers. The park borders three natural lakes - Grass, Marie and Nip-persink - and the Fox River that connects the other seven lakes - Bluff, Fox, Pistakee, Channel, Petite, Catherine and Redhead which make up the chain. In addition, the park contains a 44 acre lake within its boundaries. The 2,793 acre state park and adjoining conservation area are located in the northeastern corner of the state in both McHenry and Lake counties. The Chain O’Lakes area was inhabited by central Algonquian Tribes when Euro-peans first arrived in the mid-1600s. The predominant tribes in the region at the time were the Miami, Mascouten and Po-tawatomi. These tribes led a semi-mobile lifestyle and grew corn, hunted, fished and gathered wild plant foods. Jolliet and Mar-quette passed through what is the park today in 1673 as they traveled the Fox River during their Illinois explorations. Experience the fun of outdoor adven-ture at Starved Rock State Park. Whether you enjoy hiking along the nature trails or viewing the many spectacular overlooks along the Illinois River, recreational op-portunities abound. From picnicking to fishing to boating, from horseback riding to camping to enjoying winter sports, there’s so much to do that you’ll come back again and again. The backdrop for your activities are 18 canyons formed by glacial meltwater and stream erosion. They slice dramatically through tree-covered, sandstone bluffs for four miles at Starved Rock State Park, which is located along the south side of the Illinois River, one mile south of Utica and midway between the cities of LaSalle-Peru and Ottawa. The park is best known for its fascinating rock formations, primarily St. Peter sandstone, laid down in a huge shallow inland sea more than 425 million years ago and later brought to the surface. While the areas along the river and its tributaries still are predominantly forested, much of the area is a flat, gently rolling plain. The upland prairies were created during an intensive warming period several thousand years af-

ter the melting of the glaciers. The Illinois River Valley in the Starved Rock area is a major contrast to the flatland. The valley was formed by a series of floods as glacial meltwater broke through moraines, send-ing torrents of water surging across

the land and deeply eroding the sandstone and other sedimentary rocks. During early spring, when the end of winter thaw is occurring and rains are frequent, sparkling waterfalls are found at the heads of all 18 canyons, and vertical walls of moss-covered stone create a setting of natural geologic beauty uncommon in Illinois. Some of the longer-lasting waterfalls are found in French, LaSalle and St. Louis canyons. Waterfalls, rivers and streams can undercut a cliff, creating overhangs in the sandstone, like Council Overhang at the east end of the park. Other sights can be seen from the bluffs themselves, which provide vantage points for enjoying spectacular vistas. The porous sandstone bluffs allow water to soak quickly through, only to collect in greater quantities on the slopes below. The resulting lush vegetation supports an abundant wildlife and bird population, including woodchucks, moles, vireos and catbirds. Wood ducks that nest in hollow trees occasionally can be seen paddling along the river’s edge. Evidence of beavers and muskrats can be seen as you walk along the River Trail. Black oak, red cedar and white oak, as well as white pine and white cedar, grow on the drier, san-dy bluff tops. Yellowbellied sapsuckers drill parallel rows of small holes on cedar trees and return to feed on sap and small insects. Serviceberry and northern honeysuckle--shrubs that prefer a well-drained area--attract scarlet tangers and cedar waxwings.

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