White Pines Forest State Park

Coordinates: 41°59′44″N 89°28′07″W / 41.99556°N 89.46861°W / 41.99556; -89.46861
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White Pines Forest State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
A portion of the southernmost stand of native white pines (Pinus strobus) in Illinois.
Map showing the location of White Pines Forest State Park
Map showing the location of White Pines Forest State Park
Location of White Pines Forest State Park in Illinois
LocationOgle, Illinois, United States
Coordinates41°59′44″N 89°28′07″W / 41.99556°N 89.46861°W / 41.99556; -89.46861
Area385 acres (156 ha)
Elevation722 ft (220 m)[2]
Established1927
Named fornative white pines
Visitors350,000+
Governing bodyIllinois Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteWhite Pines Forest State Park

White Pines Forest State Park, more commonly referred to as White Pines State Park, is an

Illinois Nature Preserve
in 2001.

The area was poised to become a state park in 1903, but a

Pine Creek, one of the park's two streams, fords
were constructed instead of bridges allowing visitors to drive through the creek.

History

Early history

White Pines Forest State Park is located in what was once a part of the

Richard Yates vetoed the measure, citing costs.[3][4] After 1903 and before 1927 (when the state park was established), the "Pines Woods Bill" was introduced several times without success. The designation of Starved Rock State Park in 1912 reportedly frustrated the supporters of White Pines Woods' designation as a state park.[5]

White sandstone rock formations along Pine Creek within the park

The influential Friends of Our Native Landscape included the area around the Rock River between

Rock River country," along an old Indian trail, was White Pines Woods covering 500 acres (200 ha) in a canyon of white sandstone rock carved by Pine Creek. At the time, within White Pines Woods, the tallest trees stood 90 feet (27 m) in height.[3] The area was noted by Elia W. Peattie, a poet and member of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony (located at present-day Lowden State Park), who expressed the need for preservation of the White Pines Woods in one of her poems.[3]

The Illinois Board of State Park Advisers was established under a 1925 state law. The law, which was amended in 1931, gave the director of the

WGN Radio. That year, Governor Len Small moved to purchase White Pines for $63,949.[5]

Lodge and cabins

Main article: White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins

In 1933, with the

State Park construction project.[5]

One of the Vernacular cabins at White Pines State Park

After the lodge was completed, it was decided to build a

foot bridges. Only the logs for the cabins came from another source.[5] They were purchased from a salvage company that had purchased utility poles from a defunct utility company at the price of 30 cents a piece.[5]

Nature Preserve designation

In September 2001 the

farming, hunting, and fishing are all prohibited within Illinois Nature Preserves, though in some cases there are exceptions for hunting and fishing.[8]

Description

Pine Creek

White Pines State Park is a 385-acre (156 ha) state park located in the heart of the

Rock River Valley in Ogle County.[9] The park represents the southernmost remaining stand of virgin white pine (Pinus strobus) forest in the state. The state park, like all Illinois state parks, is operated and maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). White Pines Forest State Park provides habitat for a variety of plant and animal life and has two freshwater streams within its boundaries.[9]

Among the park's most distinctive and well-known features are the vehicular river crossings. At three places, crossing Pine Creek, fords were constructed instead of bridges.[5] The fords offer visitors a chance to actually drive through the creek, though high water frequently closes the crossings.[5][9] Hikers are relegated to pedestrian bridges or stepping stones in the creek to cross the stream.[10] Floods are frequent enough on Pine Creek, a large watershed to the north of the park, that there is an emergency exit from the campground. When high water closes the fords, the campground is cut off and the emergency exit is the only way out.[5]

Wildlife

The banks of

red squirrels, raccoons, deer, and chipmunks. Birds include thrushes, warblers, wild turkey, and winter-migratory birds.[5][9] The creeks are populated with smallmouth bass, rock bass, channel catfish and, when they are stocked by the IDNR, rainbow trout.[11][12]

Activities

The park, Illinois' third oldest, has become one of the state's most visited parks, hosting over 350,000 visitors each year.[10] It was visited by 10,000 people on given weekends during the 1930s, and the 1958 record-setting attendance mark was documented at 874,000.[5]

One of the cabins at White Pines State Park

The park is a public area and has a variety of activities that are typically associated with protected areas meant to be visited by the public. During the warmer months, picnicking, camping, lodging, hiking, and fishing are available. During the winter, cross-country skiing trails open, and other activities such as camping remain available as well.[9][10] The lodge and cabins are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[7][13] The 25 cabins are operated by a privately owned entity, the White Pines Inn, and the lodge features a popular private restaurant.[10]

White Pines has 103 campsites all accessible by vehicle; the

campgrounds are sometimes closed because of high water or soft ground. Seven hiking trails wind a total of five miles (8 km) through the park; three of the seven trails are less than one mile (1.6 km) in length.[9][10] The two cross-country ski trails total 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in length and are open as winter weather permits. The park's lodge and cabins consist of 13 one-room cabins and 3 four-room cabins; all cabins have a shower and other modern amenities. The lodge, though renovated, maintains its historic integrity, and new features were blended with the old. The lounge, in the lodge, is filled with crafts and artwork.[9]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Protected Planet. "White Pines Forest Nature Preserve". United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  2. ^ "White Pines Forest State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. September 30, 1999. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Conserving the Land: The Rock River Country," Critical Trends Assessment Program, Rock River Country Project ([1]), Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Retrieved on May 27, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c Illinois State Park Lodges and Cabins Thematic Resources, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form (PDF), National Register Information System Database, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Pensoneau, Liz. Yule Love It, Outdoor Illinois, December 2001, Northern Illinois University, Illinois Periodicals Online. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
  6. ^ Department of Conservation, Record Group 244.000, Illinois Archives, Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
  7. ^ a b White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins, (PDF), Individual Property Form, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c "Up Front," Outdoor Illinois, September 2001, Vol. IX, No. 9. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h White Pines Forest State Park Archived 2006-12-05 at the Wayback Machine, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, official site. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
  10. ^ a b c d e Davenport, Don. "Getting away to it all at White Pines park," Chicago Tribune, June 10, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
  11. ^ "White Pines State Park," Weekly Fishing Reports, ifishillinois.org, Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  12. Press Release
    ), March 15, 2007, Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
  13. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

External links

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