Kankakee River State Park is an
Illinois state park on primarily in
Kankakee and
Will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
Counties,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, United States. Originally, of land was donated by
Ethel Sturges Dummer
Ethel Sturges Dummer (1866–1954) was a Chicago-based progressive activist, writer, and philanthropist whose interests encompassed child labor laws, prison reform, education, psychology, and conservation.
Family Life
Born in Chicago in 1866 ...
for the creation of the state park in 1938. Another was donated by
Commonwealth Edison
Commonwealth Edison, commonly known by syllabic abbreviation as ComEd, is the largest electric utility in Illinois, and the in Chicago and much of Northern Illinois. Its service territory stretches roughly from Iroquois County on the south to ...
in 1956, which again donated more land in 1989. The islands of
Smith
Smith may refer to:
People
* Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals
* Smith (given name)
* Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland
** List of people wi ...
,
Hoffman
Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelle ...
,
Langham, and
Willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
are all located inside the park on the
Kankakee River
The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in N ...
.
History
Before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans occupied the Kankakee River valley in the area that is now the state park. This region was historically occupied by
Illini and
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
Indians in the 1670s and 1680s. By 1685 the Miami were sufficiently numerous that the Kankakee River was called the River of the
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
.
Kickapoo and
Mascouten
The Mascouten (also ''Mascoutin'', ''Mathkoutench'', ''Muscoden,'' or ''Musketoon'') were a tribe of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans located in the Midwest. They are believed to have dwelt on both sides of the Mississippi River, adjacent to ...
also frequented the river valley in the 18th century. By the 1770s, the
Council of Three Fires
The Council of Three Fires (in oj, label=Anishinaabe, Niswi-mishkodewinan, also known as the People of the Three Fires; the Three Fires Confederacy; or the United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians) is a long-standing Anishina ...
—the
Chippewa,
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
nations—dominated the area. The most extensive village was "
Rock Village" or "
Little Rock Village" inside the present-day park near the mouth of Rock Creek. In 1830 it was the site of the last great Indian Council. After 1832, the Potawatomi ceded all of their land along the Kankakee and Illinois rivers to the United States. Most Potawatomi left the area by the end of the decade, except for Chief Shaw-waw-nas-see, whose grave is commemorated by a boulder along the nature trail at Rock Creek.
Noel Le Vasseur
Noel Le Vasseur (December 25, 1798 – December 12, 1879) was a fur trader and merchant born in St. Michel d`Yamaska, Canada and died in Bourbonnais Grove, Illinois.
In 1816, he became a voyageur. "John Jacob Astor furnished Mr. Le Vasseur ...
and other fur traders, including Hubbard Chabare and
Francois Bourbonnais, traded with the Potawatomi along the Kankakee and Iroquois rivers in the 1820s. When the Potawatomi left the area in 1838, Le Vasseur persuaded a number of his fellow French Canadians to emigrate from Quebec to the Bourbonnais Township area. Because of his settlement efforts, he is called "the father of Kankakee."
The
Kankakee & Iroquois Navigation Company - later known as the Kankakee Company - was chartered in 1847 to provide water power and a navigable waterway from the Illinois & Michigan Canal to Warner's Landing, along the site of the present-day Warner Bridge Road. The company failed shortly after the Wabash Railroad arrived in the 1880s. At the Chippewa Campground, hand-cut limestone pillars mark where a railway bridge was to have been built for the Decatur and State Line Railroad before financiers ran out of money.
A major industry in the area in the 1890s was the Custer Bowery Amusement Park, which drew crowds from Chicago. The park was gone by the 1920s, and the river was a popular for summer cottages. In 1938 Chicago resident Ethel Sturges Dummer donated of land for a state park. Commonwealth Edison turned over another to the state in 1956. With the company's additional grants in 1989, the park now roughly totals .
Camping
There are camping facilities located inside the park. Potawatomi Campground, offers Class A amenities with 110 sites and two Rent-a-Cabins in a wooded setting. The Chippewa Campground, offers 105 sites with Class B electric and C facilities. Reservations are taken for Kankakee River Class A, B, and C campgrounds. All campsites share a picnic table and a camp grill. Camping is only allowed in the campgrounds. The Equestrian Campground off Illinois Route 113 is open only from April 1 through October 31.basis
Hiking
There are plenty of hiking trails throughout the park that go through different ecosystems and different park features. While some go along the
Kankakee River
The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in N ...
, with places to sit along the river, others go into the forests or along
Rock Creek, a tributary of the Kankakee River that cuts through the ground, creating a gorge with cliffs. The trails are very diverse. The site is very good for mushroom hunting.
The park's trails stretch along both sides of the river. Hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails are on the river's north side. Horse and snowmobile trails can be found on the south. A route along Rock Creek lets hikers take in the beauty of limestone canyons and a waterfall. A bicycle trail begins at Davis Creek Area and travels of trails in the form of a linear trail along the river and a loop in the west end of the park. When there's snow cover of or more, the park is open from sunrise to sunset for snowmobiling. Directional signs for trails are posted and maps are available at the park office.
Horseback Riding
There is horseback riding at the park. A equestrian trail is located in the wildlife management area along Route 113 and is open April 1 through October 31.
Fishing
Fishing at Kankakee River State Park provides opportunities for anglers to access the
Kankakee River
The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in N ...
or
Rock Creek, a
freestone-bottom tributary of the Kankakee River. Access to commonly targeted fish species, like
bass or
bluegill
The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...
is available year round. Fishing by bait,
spin fishing
Spin fishing is an angling technique where a spinnerbait, a type of hybrid fishing lure with at least one freely rotating blade, is used to entice the fish to bite. When the fishing line, line is fishing reel, reeled back, the spinnerbait blades w ...
, and
fly-fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly differ ...
at Kankakee River State Park are popular methods. Twice a year, the
Illinois DNR runs a
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...
stocking program, releasing fish in various lakes and ponds in the spring and fall. Prior to the official trout season opening day, a
catch-and-release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...
only period is offered to anglers looking to get an early access to the stocked trout.
Concessions
There is a concession stand at Rock Creek which operates on a seasonal basis. The store offers refreshments, ice, camping supplies, firewood, and bait. It is located in the log cabin concession stand, just inside the park's main entrance. Hunting and fishing licenses are available as well.
References
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*
Footnotes
{{Authority control
State parks of Illinois
Protected areas of Kankakee County, Illinois
Protected areas established in 1938
Exelon
1938 establishments in Illinois