Sam Parr State Park

About Sam Parr State Park

The Department of Natural Resources acquired 72 hectares of land in the 1960s, and other acquisitions increased the total to 1180 hectares, including a 183 hectare lake. After the death of Sam Parr in 1966, the General Assembly changed the name of Jasper County to Sam Parr and it became a reality. Former resident and conservationist SamParr has campaigned for the national park, supported and encouraged by his family, friends and colleagues.

The official inauguration took place on 12 May 1972 and the park was officially opened to the public for the first time on 14 May 1973.

The early inhabitants of the area, like most parts of Illinois, were Native Americans and lived in what is now Sam Parris State Park, about two miles northeast of Newton. They angled, hunted in nearby forests, including today's Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge, and angled, hunted and angled in nearby lakes and rivers.

The Piankashaw eventually settled in the area and lived there until the French lived nearby and adapted many of their lifestyles. The 1770s brought the American colonists who pushed the Indians west from Illinois in search of new land.

In 1812, General Harrison of Vincennes, Indiana, negotiated a contract with the Piankashaws to give the United States government nearly one million acres of land, including what is now Jasper County, making it part of the American Indian Reservation. In the late 18th century, about 140 Piazza Indians inhabited the area, most of them in the town of Jasper, near the present-day city of Indianapolis.
It is recommended that all ADA construction projects in the park that could close campgrounds at regular intervals be reported to the Parks and Recreation Department.

Facilities at Sam Parr include hiking, cycling, horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, kayaking and horseback riding. Canoes are Popular moorings and boat rentals are available, but no boat engines over 10 hp are allowed on the lake. Access roads for fishing and parking are accessible from the parking lot in front of the campground at the southern end of SamParr State Park.

North and south follow the road from the parking lot to the campground at the southern end of SamParr State Park. Follow the roads to and from the north and south and follow these roads to reach Sam Parr Lake, the main lake.

Follow the road from the parking lot to the campground at the southern end of SamParr State Park.

Follow the roads to the west and east and follow these roads to Sam Parr Lake, the main lake in the park, and then north and south to its entrance.