Spitler Woods State Natural Area
Encyclopedia
Spitler Woods State Natural Area is a 202.5-acre (0.8 km²) state park
located adjacent to Mount Zion, Illinois. The state park is located within the Decatur, Illinois
metropolitan area. The eastern two-thirds of the state park is a listed state natural area noted for its old-growth forest grove of white oak
and hickory
. The park is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(IDNR).
Spitler Woods contains two trails toaling 2.5 miles (4 km) in length. Hikers can investigate the loess
y soil forming the banks of Squirrel Creek, one of the tiny tributaries that eventually come together to form Lake Decatur
and the Sangamon River
. The woods are filled with squirrel
s, who eat the acorn
s and other mast shed by the old-growth hardwoods. Although deer
live in the natural area, hunting is forbidden.
The park is adjacent to, and has signed access from, Illinois Route 121
. It is named in honor of Ida B. Spitler, who donated Spitler Woods to the state of Illinois in 1937.
The park's headquarters is 705 Spitler Park Drive, Mount Zion IL 62549.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located adjacent to Mount Zion, Illinois. The state park is located within the Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
metropolitan area. The eastern two-thirds of the state park is a listed state natural area noted for its old-growth forest grove of 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...
and 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...
. The park is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield...
(IDNR).
Spitler Woods contains two trails toaling 2.5 miles (4 km) in length. Hikers can investigate the loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
y soil forming the banks of Squirrel Creek, one of the tiny tributaries that eventually come together to form Lake Decatur
Lake Decatur
Lake Decatur is a reservoir located in the city of Decatur, Illinois, east of downtown. The city and lake both share the name of U.S. Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur. The lake is above sea level. Lake Decatur has a watershed of 925 square miles spanning 7 counties...
and the Sangamon River
Sangamon River
The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in central Illinois in the United States. It drains a mostly rural agricultural area between Peoria and Springfield...
. The woods are filled with squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, who eat the acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s and other mast shed by the old-growth hardwoods. Although deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
live in the natural area, hunting is forbidden.
The park is adjacent to, and has signed access from, Illinois Route 121
Illinois Route 121
Illinois Route 121 is a major state road in central Illinois. Although it runs from northwest to southeast, it is marked as a north–south road. It runs from Illinois Route 130 in Greenup to Interstate 55 in Lincoln at the intersection of I-55 and Illinois Route 10...
. It is named in honor of Ida B. Spitler, who donated Spitler Woods to the state of Illinois in 1937.
The park's headquarters is 705 Spitler Park Drive, Mount Zion IL 62549.