| The Native American pathfinders along the rock palisades of the Mississippi River did as present-day hikers do - in coursing the bluffs, they took the paths of least resistance. The trails at the Mississippi Palisades, especially the park’s southern routes, puts you in touch with the past. Walk them & you’ll trace the footsteps of all those who came before you, some of whom came this way nearly a thousand years ago.
Located near the confluence of the Mississippi & Apple rivers in northwestern Illinois, the 2,500-acre Mississippi Palisades State Park is rich in American Indian history.
Natural Features
Palisades is the word used to describe a line of lofty, steep cliffs usually seen along a river, & Mississippi Palisades, three miles north of Savanna in Carroll County, handsomely lives up to its name. Caves are evident as are dangerous sink holes-limestone caves that go straight down. Erosion has carved intriguing rock formations, including Indian Head, with its aquiline characteristics, & Twin Sisters, a pair of humanoid figures on the bluff tops. The U.S. Interior Department recognized the remarkable nature of this area when in 1973 it designated acreage here as a national landmark.
Wooded ravines, whose brilliant hues splash the cliffs with color each autumn, dissect the unglaciated terrain. Ferns, dot the deep ravines, while in the park’s northern region, leaves of the white birch ripple in the wind. Each spring & summer the valleys & slopes are dappled with the blooms of trillium, bluebell, lobelia, shooting star & yellow ladies’ slipper.
Animal life, within the park & the river areas immediately adjoining it, is varied. Waterfowl & shorebirds are numerous, as are wild turkeys. Striking pileated woodpeckers make their home in the park, & depending on ice conditions, eagles feed at the river in January & February. Because so many birds migrate along the river, their lyrical songs can be heard at the Mississippi Palisades each spring & fall.
But not all that’s fascinating about Mississippi Palisades’ wildlife is in the skies. White-tailed deer, gray squirrel, skunk, muskrat & weasel can be viewed in the park, as can mink, gray & red fox, woodchuck and, even occasionally, badger. |
Mississippi Palisades - State Park Campground Web Site
Driving Direction GPS Coordinates:
42.166557, -90.194174
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Campground: Mississippi Palisades - State Park in Savanna Illinois *