GPS Coordinates:
N 40.60447; W 89.60500
Site Access:
Free
6am-10pm
Parking
Amenities: Hiking; Biking
Directions:
From the intersection of SR (State Route) 29 and SR 98/Edgewater Rd. in Pekin, go east on SR 98/Edgewater Rd. for 1.6 miles and turn north (left) at the Dirksen Park sign.
Description:
This 459-acre site is comprised of oak-hickory forest and open shrubland. An extensive hiking/mountain biking/cross country trail (Running Deer Trail) runs through the park, crossing several cobble-bottomed brooks and creeks. In 2003, Dirksen Park along with McNaughton Park, were entered into the Illinois Land and Water Reserve Program, designed to protect and improve woodland habitats using restoration management techniques.
Dirksen Park is an important site for deep-forest breeding neotropical
songbirds such as Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Chestnut-sided Warbler (found in shrubland). Besides birding, other activities commonly pursued at the park include hiking, cross country
running, mountain biking, archery, and radio-controlled airplanes.
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456 Fulton Street, Suite 300, Peoria, IL 61602 - 1 (800) 747-0302
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