Shawnee National Forest
Shawnee National Forest | |
---|---|
Location | Illinois, U.S. |
Nearest city | Harrisburg, Illinois |
Coordinates | 37°30′N 88°40′W / 37.500°N 88.667°W |
Area | 265,616 acres (1,074.91 km2) |
Established | August 1933 |
Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Website | Shawnee National Forest |
The Shawnee National Forest is a
Designated as the Illini and Shawnee Purchase Units, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared these purchase units to be the Shawnee National Forest in September 1939. Most of the land added to the Forest in its first decade of existence was exhausted farmland. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the Civilian Conservation Corps planted pine trees to prevent erosion and help rebuild the soil. However, the Forest is also home to many hardwood trees and other plant and animal species characteristic of the region.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was an active history of
In 2006, the
Geology
During the Illinoian Stage (between 352,000 and 132,000 years ago), the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered up to 85 percent of Illinois. The southern margin of this ice sheet was located within what is now the area of the Shawnee National Forest. There are many points of interest marking the southern edge of the glacier. Some are located within the Forest boundary, others are on public land in proximity.
Little Grand Canyon is located within the Shawnee National Forest. This is accessible off Illinois Route 127 south of Murphysboro, Illinois. A small creek with a tiny watershed has carved an impressive rock canyon, more than 200 feet deep, leading down to the Big Muddy River. The southern edge of the ice sheet was just to the north of Little Grand Canyon. Blocks of ice slid off the face of the glacier, carried by enormous volumes of meltwater, to carve this tiny canyon. In the deep shade of the canyon are relict species of Arctic plants left over from its ancient origin.
Within the area of the Shawnee National Forest, but not at this time US property, is
Rock climbing
In northwestern Pope County, Jackson Falls is a noted location for rock climbing and speed climbing.[5][6]
Wilderness areas
There are seven officially designated
- Bald Knob Wilderness
- Bay Creek Wilderness
- Burden Falls Wilderness
- Clear Springs Wilderness
- Garden of the Gods Wilderness
- Lusk Creek Wilderness
- Panther Den Wilderness
There are three natural vegetation research areas: Cave Hill, Stoneface, and Whoopie Cat Mountain Research Natural Areas in the Shawnee National Forest.
Recreation areas
Coinage
Shawnee National Forest appeared on the thirty-first quarter in the
Eclipse viewing
The Shawnee National Forest was among the best sites from which to view the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, with two minutes 44 seconds of totality[8] and was again in 2024, with four minutes and seven seconds of totality.[9]
References
- ^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District, and County, 30 September 2008
- ^ USFS Ranger Districts by State
- ^ "NEW DIMENSIONS OF THE WEAUBLEAU STRUCTURE: A POSSIBLE METEORITE IMPACT SITE IN SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI". gsa.confex.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ISBN 0-87842-346-X
- ^ "Jackson Falls Trail" (PDF). Shawnee National Forest. United States Department of Agriculture. August 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "Activities: Jackson Falls". Illinois Office of Tourism. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "United States Mint Announces 2016 America the Beautiful Quarters® Program Coin Designs". July 22, 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "The Path Through the United States". eclipse.org. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture. "Total Solar Eclipse". Shawnee National Forest. USDA. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
External links
- Shawnee National Forest - The official Forest Service site for the Shawnee National Forest