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Cache River State Natural Area covers 14,247 acres of wetlands, floodplain forests, upland woods and small patches of limestone barrens (prairie-like communities).
The area is nationally significant because it contains true Southern swamps at the northern tier of their range. At last count, this area contained 100 state-threatened or endangered plant and animal species.
The main objective at Cache River State Natural Area is to preserve, protect and enhance natural resources while providing the opportunity for quality outdoor recreation.
Critical habitat is managed to preserve and protect endangered, threatened, and rare plants and animals.
The area's many different plant species range from impressive stands of cypress and tupelo in the swamps, to Drummond's red maple, red elm, pumpkin ash, overcup oak, pin oak and swamp white oak common to floodplain forests.
The surrounding hilly areas have such species as tulip trees, sweetgums, spicebush and most of the oaks and hickories native to all of southern Illinois. Little bluestem, side oats grama, big bluestem, prairie dock and Indian grass can be seen on the barrens.
Birding and other wildlife observation are excellent. Great blue heron, green heron and the rare yellow-crowned night heron and egrets are regularly found here. Pileated woodpeckers and black and turkey vultures are encountered, as are many species of migrating waterfowl.
Various mammals such as red and gray foxes, fox and gray squirrels, mink, muskrat, beaver, swamp and cottontail rabbits, deer and coyotes live within the natural area. On rare occasions, endangered bobcats and river otters are seen.
Bowfin, grass pickerel and channel catfish are common. Some rare aquatic species known to inhabit the area include the green tree frog, banded pygmy sunfish, cypress minnow and bird-voiced tree frog.
Also notable are the three venomous snakes common to extreme southern Illinois: the copperhead, timber rattler and cottonmouth snakes.
There are 22 miles of designated foot trails in the Cache River State Natural Area. They range from a 250-foot easy floodplain forest trail to a more challenging 5.5-mile trail.
Some of the highlights along the footpaths include a 1,000 year-old bald cypress with a buttress circumference of 40 feet, a floating boardwalk into the middle of the Heron Pond and the state champion cherrybark oak tree.
The Lower Cache River Trail offers paddlers a great three- to six-mile canoe trail through a true cypress-tupelo swamp.
Outdoor Activities |
