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Saline County State Fish & Wildlife Area
Nearby Parks:
Cave-In-Rock State Park
Shawnee National Forest
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| State Park Overview: |
 | Saline County State Fish & Wildlife Area, five miles southeast of Equality in southeastern Illinois, was the site of springs and wells that furnished brine for one of the two salt works in the area. Today, although the springs and wells are not visible, the area primarily is a recreational site. The initial acquisition of 524 acres of land was made in 1959 by the state of Illinois and the total acreage now is 1,270 acres, including a beautiful 105-acre lake. |
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| Camping: |
| There is a large camping area for both tents and trailers. A trailer disposal is available, but electricity is not available. Campers must obtain a camping permit from site personnel when they arrive at the area. |
| Trails: |
| Four hiking trails are designated - Lake, Cave Hill, River, and Wildlife Nature Trail. The total length is nine miles. The site has several miles of horse trails and a separate campground for riders and their horses is available. |
| Fishing and Hunting: |
| Hunting
Saline County State Fish & Wildlife Area is a combination of bottomland bordering the Saline River and hilly land bordering the Shawnee National Forest. The rugged rocky hills are heavily timbered and are surrounded by brushy areas that provide cover for quail and rabbits. Waterfowl also use the bottomland areas when the streams overflow and water is available. Several wood ducks nest on the river, slough and the lake.
Fishing
The lake contains a variety of fish including largemouth bass, bluegill, redear, crappie and channel catfish. There are two launching ramps as well as two docks, and boat rentals are available. The motor limit is 10 hp. |
| History of the Area: |
| Salt is the theme of the early history in the area around Equality in Gallatin County. One of several counties which were originally part of Gallatin, Saline County takes its name from the salt works. The American Indians made salt here long before the first settlers appeared. In 1803 the Indians ceded their "Great Salt Springs" to the United States by treaty. Congress refused to sell the salt lands in the public domain but it did authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to lease them to individuals for a royalty. The leases required the holder to produce a certain quantity of salt each year or pay a penalty.
Although the northwest ordinance prohibited slavery in this area, special territorial laws and constitutional provision permitted exceptions at these salines. The lessees brought in slaves or indentured servants and used them extensively in manufacturing salt. The census of 1820 for Gallatin County listed 239 slaves or servants.
In 1818, as part of the process of making a new state, congress gave the salines to Illinois but forbade the sale of the land. The state continued to lease the springs and used the revenue to finance part of its operating expenses. Eventually Congress allowed the outright sale of the land. The commercial production of salt made the expense of extracting it from the brine prohibitive.
Glen O. Jones Lake, with a maximum depth of 35 feet and a shoreline of 2.7 miles, is the focal point of the area. The lake was named for a prominent Saline County citizen who served as a state senator in the Illinois General Assembly. Jones also was twice elected state's attorney of Saline County and was a member of various social and fraternal organizations. |
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| Area Accommodations |
| Cottages and Cabins | |  | Rim Rock's Dogwood Cabins - Elizabethtown, IL
Southern Illinois Cabins with all amenities, surrounded by The Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. All cabins have air conditioning, heat, kitchen including stove, frig, microwave, coffee maker, toaster; bathroom with shower, screened in porch, electric fireplace, satellite tv with HBO and DVD, all linens, cookware, plates, utensil, outside grill and picnic table.
Web Site: http://www.rimrocksdogwoodcabins.com |
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...vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental, etc read more.... |
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| Directions: |
| To reach Saline County State Fish & Wildlife Area, take Rt. 13 East from Harrisburg, turn right onto Rt 142, travel 1 mile, turn right, drive 5 miles to the Park entrance. From Eldorado, go south on Rt. 142 approximately 7 miles, turn right just past the Saline County State Fish & Wildlife sign and travel 5 miles to the park. From the Ohio River bridge at Shawneetown, travel west on Rt. 13 to Rt. 142, turn left, drive 1 mile and turn right again just past the park sign and drive 5 miles on the blacktop to the park. |
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