Fox Ridge State Park

About Fox Ridge State Park

Fox Ridge State Park is a great place to visit all year round, but it is known for its densely wooded ridge covering 2,064 acres. Fox Ridge is located in the rolling hills of the wooded cliffs of Embarra and is one of Australia's most popular hiking and cycling trails.

Autumn brings its bright colours, while nature enhances the forest with yellow, red, violet and orange. In winter, the snow-covered ridge is full of birds and animals, and in spring, colourful wildflowers and blooming trees celebrate a revival of growth.

Arrowheads and artefacts excavated in the area indicate the settlement of prehistoric Indian cultures. The early history tribes include the Piankashaw from Illinois, who were expelled when the Kickapoo immigrated from Wisconsin at the end of the 16th century, and the American Indian tribes.

European settlers in the area originally concentrated along the Embarras River, which is an important water source for the city of Charleston and the rest of South Carolina. Before the railways, much of the region's economy depended on the river, where flat boats carried livestock and production material. In the late 1930s, the state of Illinois took over Fox Ridge State Park and its adjacent lands, and residents in and around Charleston helped to preserve and develop the park and a number of other state parks and recreation areas.

Civil protection officials built an overflow canal to create a 12-acre Ridge Lake, and the first to allow engineers from the Natural History Survey to monitor water levels was included. Completed in 1941, RidgeLake is currently managed by the Illinois Natural History Survey in Urbana. It is used to study lakes, ponds and streams to improve fisheries in Illinois waters.

Ridge Lake, Illinois, is represented by the Illinois Natural History Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is one of the largest lakes in Illinois.

To further promote the development of the park, the Fox Ridge Foundation was established, which is dedicated to improving and promoting the area. The Foundation, which is run by citizens interested in the future of the park, has sponsored several annual events, issued a quarterly newsletter, organized fundraising events, and sponsored and organized a series of public meetings and events for the public and the local community. It is supported by the public through membership fees and donations and is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization under the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For further information please contact the park office or write to the Fuchsgrat Foundation at [email protected] or [phone number].

For longer stays, there are cottages available in the park, as well as a number of other cottages. For campsites there are various possibilities, such as campsites, picnic tables and picnic areas.

The shower building is closed for a certain period during the summer months due to the construction of a new water treatment plant. It will be open again depending on the weather, but closed from 1 June to 31 October for the whole summer.

Six accommodations are available on a reservation basis, please contact the park office for more information about accommodations at Fox Ridge State Park. For day visitors there is a designated picnic area (fire is not allowed) and a campsite with picnic table, picnic tables and picnic chairs. For meetings and group events, a small group campsite with seating for up to six people is available.

Fox Ridge is a gorge in the glacial moraine and this eight-kilometre meandering trail is the natural centre of most visitors. The ten connecting paths are marked at the entrance with descriptive markings to help with this, and many of the paths are so crossed that they are easy to walk. A variety of hiking, cycling and mountain biking trails make the journey both exciting and relaxing.

There are eight different winding paths throughout the park, and each round allows you to lengthen or shorten the path. You can expect to walk through a formerly shared hardwood forest area to the Embarras River and back, as well as along the river itself.

The stairs to the Eagle's Nest have just been completed and require 144 steps to get to the deck overlooking the river, which offers wonderful views of autumn, winter and spring. Horse riding trails close from November 15th to April 15th, so bring your own horse or park the day in the parking lot.

Two hiking trails for the disabled are available, one of which is run by others and the other is open to all. The keep fit path has been renovated to give a new dimension to the trail system, with new lighting, new signage and new benches, as well as a picnic area.

Take the Rt. Exit I-70, turn right and drive 7 miles to the entrance to Fox Ridge State Park on the east side of the highway.