Argyle Lake State Park is an Illinois state park located in

Colchester, Illinois Colchester is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,401 at the 2010 census. The city is named after the town of Colchester, England. Geography Colchester is located at (40.425174, -90.792339). According to th ...

. The park is home to the Argyle Lake and of

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trails and wooded

campsite A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using te ...

s. The land for the state park was purchased by the state in 1948 from local farmers. Argyle Lake, an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

, was later created by

damming A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

a nearby water source. The area now occupied by the lake was once the home of "Argyle

Hollow Hollow may refer to: Natural phenomena *Hollow, a low, wooded area, such as a copse * Hollow (landform), a small vee-shaped, riverine type of valley *Tree hollow, a void in a branch or trunk, which may provide habitat for animals Places * Sleepy ...

," part of the 19th century stagecoach route between Galena and Beardstown. The region was a source of coal, clay and limestone. While many of the brick works, clay and pottery operations have since closed, some limestone quarries in the area are still in operation today. There have been numerous Bigfoot sightings at the lake in recent years.

References

* * * State parks of Illinois Reservoirs in Illinois Colchester, Illinois Protected areas established in 1948 Protected areas of McDonough County, Illinois Bodies of water of McDonough County, Illinois 1948 establishments in Illinois {{McDonoughCountyIL-geo-stub