company’s the With 1956. in state the to acres 1,715

another over turned Edison Commonwealth park. state

a for land of acres 35 donated Dummer Sturges Ethel

resident Chicago 1938 In river. the of sides both along

built were roads concrete when 1928 in vacationers to

accessible more became area The cottages. summer

for spot popular a become had river the then by but

1920s, the by gone was park The Chicago. from crowds

drew frequently which Park, Amusement Bowery Custer

the was 1890s the in area the in industry major A

century. the of turn the at fever yellow of died whom of

most members, family several of graves with Cemetery,

Smith the is entrance main park’s the inside Just

money. of out ran financiers fore

- be built been have to was bridge railway a where mark

pillars limestone hand-cut Campground, Chippewa

the At through. came Railroad Wabash the after shortly

1880s, early the in failed company The Road. Bridge

Warner present-day the of site the along Landing,

Warner’s to Canal Michigan & Illinois the from waterway

navigable a and power water provide to 1847 in tered

and Kickapoo Miami. the of River the called was River

- char Company—was Kankakee the as known later

Kankakee the that numerous sufficiently were Miami Bridge Creek Rock of bank west the on marker A

The Kankakee & Iroquois Navigation Company— Navigation Iroquois & Kankakee The

the 1685 By 1680s. and 1670s the in contact pean Kankakee.” of father “the called is he

River. Kankakee the along farming began first settlers

- Euro first the of time the at Indians Miami and Illini by efforts, settlement his of Because area. Township nais

other and Baker William after years nine 1840, in begun

used region a within is park The Park. State River kee - Bourbon the to Quebec from emigrate to Canadians

was It Rockville. of village cabin log the commemorates

- Kanka within documented are sites prehistoric Several French fellow his of number a persuaded Vasseur Le

Past Park’s The 1838, in area the left Potawatomi the When 1820s. the

in rivers Iroquois and Kankakee the along Potawatomi

the with traded Bourbonnais, and Chabare Hubbard, access. convenient

including traders, fur other and Vasseur Le Noel providing both 57 and 55 Interstates with park, the

Creek. Rock at trail nature frame south the on 113 and north the on 102 Routes

the along boulder a by commemorated is grave whose Illinois acres. 4,000 approximately of consists park

Shaw-waw-nas-see, Chief for except decade, the of the Kankakee, of northwest miles six area an in miles,

end the by area the left Potawatomi Most States. United 11 for River Kankakee the of sides both Enveloping

the to rivers Illinois and Kankakee the along land their popularity. park’s the of focus the is Register, Streams

all ceded Potawatomi the 1832, in War Hawk Black the Clean federal the on listed River, Kankakee channeled

Following Council. Indian great last the of site the was naturally The unsurpassed. opportunities recreational

it 1830 In Creek. Rock of mouth the near park ent-day park’s the find enthusiasts outdoor other and bicyclists

- pres the inside Village” Rock “Little or Village” “Rock hikers, campers, hunters, canoeists, Anglers, setting.

was village extensive most The area. the dominated unspoiled an in heritage proud its you offers Park

— ” Fires Three “The — s nation Chippewa and Ottawa State River Kankakee - seekers recreation by 1890s

Potawatomi, the 1770s, the by and 1760s, the in River the as early as and farmers, and traders by later cans,

Kankakee the along hunted Indians Potawatomi 1760s. - Ameri Native by centuries-first for treasured land On

Park State River Kankakee the until 1679 from region the in were also Mascouten

additional grants in 1989, the park now totals roughly 4,000 acres. State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wildlife s From badgers and beavers to turtles and wild turkeys, Kankakee River State Park Kankakee River State Park is teeming with wildlife. Some of the birds you can see are red-winged blackbirds, herons and bluebirds. Fox, coyote and deer roam the park’s bluffs and timbered areas, while frogs and non-poisonous snakes keep close to the riverbanks. Kankakee River

Hunting & Fishing STATE PARK The park’s abundant wildlife makes it a popular spot for hunters. Only bow hunting is allowed for deer; bow and firearm hunting for turkey. Firearm hunting is permitted for duck, pheasant, dove, rabbit, squirrel, fox, coyote and raccoon. Before taking any game, contact the site superintendent for opening dates, shooting times and Kankakee River State Park areas open to hunting. The park also offers hunting for 5314 W. Rt. 102 Bourbonnais, IL 60914, 815-933-1383 handicapped visitors. For more information, call the site super intendent or visit our website. The Kankakee is a clean river, great for landing n While groups of 25 or more are welcome and encouraged to use the park’s facilities, they are required to register in advance with the site smallmouth bass, channel catfish, walleye and northern office to avoid crowding or scheduling conflicts. pike. Rock Creek is also a good fishing spot. The park n At least one responsible adult must accompany each group of 15 has two boat ramps for launching craft with motors of minors. 10 horsepower or less- there’s a launch at the Warner n Pets must be kept on leashes at all times. Bridge day use and a launch at Area 9 parking lot on n Actions by nature can result in closed roads and other facilities. We hope you enjoy your stay. Remember, take only memories, leave only footprints. n For more information on state parks, write to the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Land Management, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271 or visit our website at http://dnr.state.il.us. n For more information on tourism in Illinois, call the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Bureau of Tourism at 1-800-2CONNECT. n Hearing-impaired individuals may call the Department of Natural Resources’ TTY number, (217) 782-9175, or use the Ameritech Relay Number, 1-800-526-0844.

Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is available to all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source’s civil rights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, IDNR, One Natural Resource Way, Springfield, IL. 62702-1271; 217/785-0067; TTY 217/782-9175.

Kankakee River Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois DNR-LANDS-210029 • 10/20 • 3000 the south side of the river. However, please realize snowmobile trails can be found on the south. A 4-mile boating can be hazardous because the river is shallow route along Rock Creek lets hikers take in the beauty and rocky. of limestone canyons and a frothy waterfall. A bicycle trail begins at Davis Creek Area and travels 10.5 miles Canoeing to Area A parking lot, at one point crossing a suspension Kankakee River State Park provides first class canoe- bridge. Cross-country skiers have 15 miles of trails in ing opportunities with many limestone outcrops that the form of a linear trail along the river and a loop in the make it a scenic trip in any season. Canoeists have no west end of the park. problem navigtaing the river’s shallow water and rocks. A 12-mile equestrian trail is located in the wildlife Call the park office for further canoe information. management area along Route 113 and is open April 1 Camping through October 31. When there’s snow cover of four inches or more, the park is open from sunrise to sunset for snowmobiling on the trail only. Directional signs for the trails are posted and maps are available at the park office. Stay on designated trails. its fast current, drop offs and rocky bottom, no swim- Riding Stables ming is allowed in the park in any area, including Rent a horse at the park’s riding stables on Deselm Rock Creek. Road, 0.75 mile north of Route 102. Guided horse All motorized vehicles are prohibited on all of the rides, hand-led pony rides, beginners lessons, cookouts Kankakee River State Park Trails. and parties can all be arranged at the stables. Carriage and pony cart rides are fun for children and adults who Exotic Species due to physical or mental limitations are unable to ride Plants and animals not native to Illinois are exotic or for those who want to enjoy a leisurely ride through species. Most of them are harmless to our state; Pleasant sites at reasonable prices make Kankakee the park. We offer opportunities to earn badges/patches however, some can be very invasive to native plant River State Park a great place to pitch camp. Potawatomi for Horsemanship and/or Community Service. This fa- communities and can overwhelm or wipe out native Campground has no cabins as well as 110 Class A sites cility is equipped to serve people with disabilities. species. Prevention and control of exotic, invasive located in a wooded setting. 98 sites are offered at Reservations are recommended, call us at 815-263- species requires tremendous cooperation between Chippewa Campground, which has Class B electric and 3882 or email at Kankakeestateparkridingstables@ managers and all users of parks, natural areas and C facilities. The Horseback Campground off Illinois Route yahoo.com. privately owned land. To learn more about exotic 113 is open April 1 through October 31. Davis Creek and invasive species and how you can help prevent Campground is available by reservation for chaperoned Park Restrictions their spread, visit the IDNR Exotic Species Website youth and church groups. All areas require camping per- Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the park at at: http://dnr.state.il.us/education/exoticspecies/exotic mits, available at the campground or from park personnel all times. spintro.htm. in state vehicles. Because the Kankakee River is unpredictable with

Picnicking For a light lunch or a large get-together, check out the park’s picnic areas. Tables are placed in pleasant set- tings throughout the park, and you’ll also find play- grounds in several locations. All 7 shelters can be reserved at www.reserveamerica.com. If not reserved they are available on first-come, first-served basis. The Main, Riverwalk & Concession shelters have electricity. All groups of 25 or more must obtain an activity permit prior to visiting the park.

Trails The park’s trail system stretches for miles along both sides of the river. Hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails are on the river’s north side, while horse and

Chicago Road Archery Kankakee River Range State Park Bow 57 Area Hunting 102 52 A Deselm Manteno

Dedicated Road Deselm Nature Preserve Kankakee H Altorf 45 Riv 50 er Kankakee River State k 113 Armour Road Warner Bridge Road Bridge Warner ree Park Waterfall Rock C Chippewa Bradley Campground Bourbonnais Horse/Snowmobile 17 Kankakee 17 Trails Riding Main Picnic Walk Shelter 1 Bridge Stables Main Park 115 Entrance Rock Creek 52 Entrance 57 45 Park Entrance Hickory Hill Picnic Area Legend Altorf Riverview Picnic Area Park Office/Visitor Center Horse Camping Park Boundary Restrooms Horse/Snowmobile Hiking & Biking Trail K Trails an Horse/Snowmobile Trail ka Dedicated k Water e Cross-Country Ski Trail Nature Preserve e Potawatomi R i v Campground Tent Camping Sanitary Dump Station e r

Trailer Camping Hunting Area k Road e e r

Davis Creek Shell Pipeline

Boat Launch C Picnic Area

Group Camp s

i

v a

Picnic Shelter D