Red Hills State Park
Encyclopedia
Red Hills State Park is an Illinois state park on 967 acres (3.91 km²) in Lawrence County, Illinois
, United States
. The park sits at an elevation of 515 feet (157 m). Red Hills State Park is open for year-round recreation including boating
, fishing
, hunting
, hiking
and various winter sports. The park includes a restaurant
which is open year-round and has banquet
facilities.
to the east. This part of Illinois was once part of the Vincennes Tract
, a tract
of land that was ceded to the United States of America in 1795 by Native Americans. The Natives lost a series of battles to General Anthony Wayne
. The treaty was signed in Greenville
. The Treaty of Greeneville was signed by a number of tribes known as the Western Confederacy
. The tribes in the confederacy included the Wyandot, Lenape
, Shawnee
, Odawa
, Ojibwe, Potawatomi
, Miami
, Wea
, Kickapoo and Kaskaskia
. The natives agreed to relinquish their claim to land that was north of the Ohio River
and east of an established line. That line passes through what is now Red Hills State Park. The area grew following a series of wars and treaties and came to be known as the Northwest Territory
and comprised what is now the states of Ohio
, Indiana, Michigan
, Illinois, Wisconsin
and part of Minnesota
.
Following the forced removal of the Native Americans, the area was open to settlement by Euro-American settlers from the original Thirteen Colonies
. The land that is now Red Hills State Park was divided by an old wagon road known as Old Cahokia Trace, more commonly known as Trace Road. The road was the main route from Vincennes
, Indiana to St. Louis
, Missouri
.
The establishment of Red Hill State Park coincided with the construction of dam
and reservoir
on Muddy Creek
. The dam was completed and coincided with the opening of the park in 1953. The creek is a main tributary
of the Embarras River
. Red Hills Lake is 40 acres (16.2 ha) with a maximum depth of 30 feet (9.1 m). The lake has 2.5 miles (4 km) of shoreline. The park has expanded over the years to include many facilities that are typical of a state park including picnic areas, boat ramps, trails and campgrounds.
The dam at Red Hills Lake State Park was damaged by the 2008 Illinois earthquake
. Engineers feared that the dam could collapsed and cause flooding downstream. The decision was made to drain the lake for repairs in December 2008. The dam was repaired in 2009 and the lake has been restocked
with fish
.
which in turn flows into the Ohio River
as part of the Mississippi River
drainage area. The park is on the Red Hills which are the highest bits of land between Cincinnati
and St. Louis. There is a 120 feet (36.6 m) tower atop the Red Hills that provides for scenic viewing of the area. The area comprises a variety of ecosystem
s including dry and wet prairie
s, wooded hills, ravine
s, meadow
s, and wetlands along the river and lake. The park is bisected by U.S. Route 50
. The areas north of the highway are deciduous
woods and the areas south of the highway are scattered woods with plots of a grains, clover
and grassy prairies.
s. The park has more than 100 campsites that have access to modern restroom facilities, electric hook-ups and a dumping station for chemical toilet
s. One cabin is available to rent. There are 8 miles (12.9 km) of trails in the park that are open to hiking, horseback riding and, in the winter months, cross-country skiing
. Additionally that park as volleyball
and basketball
courts.
The park is open to hunting and fishing. The lake is surrounded by a paved road that provides access to the lake for fishing from the bank. Boats are permitted on the lake, but they must be battery or human powered. Common game fish include bluegill
, crappie
, largemouth bass
and channel catfish
. Ice fishing
is permitted when the lake is frozen and the ice is thick enough to allow safe access. Common game animals that may be legally hunted at the park are White-tailed deer
, Quail
, Woodcock
s, Dove
s, Wild Turkey
s and rabbits. Deer must be taken with a bow
. Hunting deer with guns is prohibited. Gun hunting for the other wildlife is permissible.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park sits at an elevation of 515 feet (157 m). Red Hills State Park is open for year-round recreation including boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and various winter sports. The park includes a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
which is open year-round and has banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
facilities.
History
Red Hills State Park is in southeastern Illinois in Lawrence County. The county borders the state of IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
to the east. This part of Illinois was once part of the Vincennes Tract
Treaty of Vincennes
The Treaty of Vincennes is the name of two separate treaties. One was an 1803 agreement between the United States of America and the Miami and their allies, the Wea tribes and the Shawnee...
, a tract
Tract
Tract may refer to:* Land lot, a section of land* Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census* Tract , a short written work, usually of a political or religious nature...
of land that was ceded to the United States of America in 1795 by Native Americans. The Natives lost a series of battles to General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
. The treaty was signed in Greenville
Greenville, Ohio
Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,227 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Darke County.-History:Greenville is the historic location of Fort Greene Ville,Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,227 at...
. The Treaty of Greeneville was signed by a number of tribes known as the Western Confederacy
Western Confederacy
The Western Confederacy, also known as Western Indian Confederacy, was a loose confederacy of North American Natives in the Great Lakes region following the American Revolutionary War...
. The tribes in the confederacy included the Wyandot, Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
, Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, Odawa
Odawa people
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
, Ojibwe, Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
, Miami
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
, Wea
Wea
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking tribe originally located in western Indiana, closely related to the Miami. The name Wea is used today as the a shortened version of their many recorded names...
, Kickapoo and Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia
The Kaskaskia were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation or Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in the Great Lakes region...
. The natives agreed to relinquish their claim to land that was north of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and east of an established line. That line passes through what is now Red Hills State Park. The area grew following a series of wars and treaties and came to be known as the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
and comprised what is now the states of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Indiana, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Illinois, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and part of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Following the forced removal of the Native Americans, the area was open to settlement by Euro-American settlers from the original Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
. The land that is now Red Hills State Park was divided by an old wagon road known as Old Cahokia Trace, more commonly known as Trace Road. The road was the main route from Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
, Indiana to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
The establishment of Red Hill State Park coincided with the construction of dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on Muddy Creek
Muddy Creek
Muddy Creek may refer to:*Muddy Creek , a tributary of the Colorado River*Muddy Creek *Muddy Creek *Muddy Creek , a list of Muddy Creeks in the state*In Pennsylvania...
. The dam was completed and coincided with the opening of the park in 1953. The creek is a main tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Embarras River
Embarras River
The Embarras River is a tributary of the Wabash River in southeastern Illinois in the United States. The waters of the Embarras reach the Gulf of Mexico via the Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers. The river drains a watershed of approximately in an agricultural region...
. Red Hills Lake is 40 acres (16.2 ha) with a maximum depth of 30 feet (9.1 m). The lake has 2.5 miles (4 km) of shoreline. The park has expanded over the years to include many facilities that are typical of a state park including picnic areas, boat ramps, trails and campgrounds.
The dam at Red Hills Lake State Park was damaged by the 2008 Illinois earthquake
2008 Illinois earthquake
The 2008 Illinois earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the state of Illinois, measuring a magnitude of 5.4. It occurred at 4:37:00am CDT on April 18 within the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone at a depth of 11.6 km...
. Engineers feared that the dam could collapsed and cause flooding downstream. The decision was made to drain the lake for repairs in December 2008. The dam was repaired in 2009 and the lake has been restocked
Fish stocking
Fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a hatchery and releasing them into a river, lake, or the ocean to supplement existing populations, or to create a population where none exists...
with fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
Ecology
Red Hills State Park is on the Embarras River which is a tributary of the Wabash RiverWabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
which in turn flows into the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
as part of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
drainage area. The park is on the Red Hills which are the highest bits of land between Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and St. Louis. There is a 120 feet (36.6 m) tower atop the Red Hills that provides for scenic viewing of the area. The area comprises a variety of ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s including dry and wet prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
s, wooded hills, ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s, meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s, and wetlands along the river and lake. The park is bisected by U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
. The areas north of the highway are deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woods and the areas south of the highway are scattered woods with plots of a grains, clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
and grassy prairies.
Recreation
Red Hills State Park is open for year-round recreation. There are shaded picnic areas spread throughout the park and three picnic pavilionPavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s. The park has more than 100 campsites that have access to modern restroom facilities, electric hook-ups and a dumping station for chemical toilet
Chemical toilet
A chemical toilet is a toilet which uses chemicals to deodorize the waste instead of simply storing it in a hole, or piping it away to a sewage treatment plant. Common types include aircraft lavatory, some passenger train toilets and the portable toilets used on construction sites and at large...
s. One cabin is available to rent. There are 8 miles (12.9 km) of trails in the park that are open to hiking, horseback riding and, in the winter months, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. Additionally that park as volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts.
The park is open to hunting and fishing. The lake is surrounded by a paved road that provides access to the lake for fishing from the bank. Boats are permitted on the lake, but they must be battery or human powered. Common game fish include bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
. Ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
is permitted when the lake is frozen and the ice is thick enough to allow safe access. Common game animals that may be legally hunted at the park are White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, Quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
, Woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
s, Dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
s, Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
s and rabbits. Deer must be taken with a bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
. Hunting deer with guns is prohibited. Gun hunting for the other wildlife is permissible.
