Lusk Creek Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Lusk Creek Wilderness is a 5126 acres (20.7 km²) parcel of land listed as a Wilderness Area of the United States. It is located within the Shawnee National Forest
in Pope County, Illinois. The nearest town of any size is Eddyville, Illinois
.
, the Lusk Creek Wilderness contains dramatic cliffs and overlooks eroded from Carboniferous
gray sandstone.
As with other wilderness areas within Shawnee National Forest, the Lusk Creek Wilderness is made of hilly second-growth forested areas that were used, until the land condemnations of the 1930s, as pasture
land. After the condemnations, many of the cleared areas within the forested hills reverted to forest.
The largest trees in the Lust Creek Wilderness terraces are sugar maple
s and beech
es, while on the slopes the hickory
and white oak
can be seen.
The wilderness is also noted for a dramatic scenic overlook, Indian Kitchen.
Shawnee National Forest was created in 1939, and in 1990, the Illinois Wilderness Act set aside seven separate parcels of land within this National Forest as relatively small wilderness areas. The Lusk Creek Wilderness, one of these parcels, is a roadless parcel of land within the national forest. It is the second largest wilderness area in Illinois.
Lusk Creek Wilderness is served by the River to River Trail
.
Shawnee National Forest
The Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
in Pope County, Illinois. The nearest town of any size is Eddyville, Illinois
Eddyville, Illinois
Eddyville is a village in Pope County, Illinois, United States. The population was 153 at the 2000 census. The Lusk Creek Wilderness is nearby.-Geography:Eddyville is located at ....
.
Geology, ecology, and history
Like the nearby Garden of the Gods WildernessGarden of the Gods Wilderness
The Garden of the Gods Wilderness is a parcel of land listed as a Wilderness Area of the United States. It is located within the Shawnee National Forest in Hardin County, Pope County, Saline County, and Gallatin County in the U.S. state of Illinois...
, the Lusk Creek Wilderness contains dramatic cliffs and overlooks eroded from Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
gray sandstone.
As with other wilderness areas within Shawnee National Forest, the Lusk Creek Wilderness is made of hilly second-growth forested areas that were used, until the land condemnations of the 1930s, as pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
land. After the condemnations, many of the cleared areas within the forested hills reverted to forest.
The largest trees in the Lust Creek Wilderness terraces are sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
s and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
es, while on the slopes the hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
and white oak
White oak
Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family, native to eastern North America and found from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been...
can be seen.
The wilderness is also noted for a dramatic scenic overlook, Indian Kitchen.
Shawnee National Forest was created in 1939, and in 1990, the Illinois Wilderness Act set aside seven separate parcels of land within this National Forest as relatively small wilderness areas. The Lusk Creek Wilderness, one of these parcels, is a roadless parcel of land within the national forest. It is the second largest wilderness area in Illinois.
Lusk Creek Wilderness is served by the River to River Trail
River to River Trail
The River to River Trail is a 160 mile -long hiking trail that serves Shawnee National Forest in far southern Illinois. Its eastern end is on Battery Rock, overlooking the Ohio River, and its western end is at Grand Tower, Illinois, at the Mississippi River...
.