GPS Coordinates:
N 40.95450; W 89.42854
Site Access:
Free; Fee for camping
Parking
Amenities: Restrooms; Hiking; Boating; Fishing; Camping; PIcnic; Visitors Center
Directions:
From the intersection of I 74 at Exit 94/Riverfront Drive in East Peoria, go east on I 74 for 0.9 miles to Exit 95B to N Main St./SR (State Route) 116N/US 150. Turn north (right) from the end of the exit ramp onto SR 116 and proceed 5.0 miles to SR 26. Turn northwest (left) onto SR 26 and proceed 18.0 miles to Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area on the left.
Description:
Initiated in 1925, the Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area presently includes about 6,000 acres spread over 3 different units along 10 miles of Illinois River shoreline.At 3,000 acres, the Marshall Unit is the largest, and houses primitive and full hook-up campsites, a boat launch, and fishing access, along with the site's headquarters building. A 3.25-mile nature trail system coursing primarily through bluff and ravine hardwood forests is located to the immediate east of the headquarters building.
The area's 1,642-acre Spring Branch Unit is located directly across the
Illinois River from the Marshall Unit, and features a 6-acre picnic area, hiking trail, and fishing access. Several miles to the north of the Spring Branch Unit lies the 1,280-acre Sparland Unit, which is comprised mostly of open water, and is used primarily for duck hunting (winter) and fishing (summer).
Each of the units features bluff/ravine and bottomland hardwood forests.
Common forest mammals include fox, Gray and Flying squirrels, and Whitetailed Deer. For those willing to rise early enough to visit the bottomland forests at dawn – especially where they interface with water – Raccoons, Muskrat, mink, and beaver can often be observed.
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456 Fulton Street, Suite 300, Peoria, IL 61602 - 1 (800) 747-0302
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