Current Closures of DNR Sites and Areas

Apple River Canyon - Apple River Canyon Salem/Thompson Units, Hanover Bluff SNA, Rall Woods SNA, Tapley Woods, Winston Tunnel SNA. Areas closed to all but Site-Specific Firearm Deer Hunting Permit Holders on the following dates: October 9, 10, 11; November 19, 20, 21; December 2, 3, 4, 5, 30, 31; January 1, 2, 14, 15, 16 (2022). Area closed until 1 pm to all but site-specific Turkey Hunting Permit Holders: March 26-27, April 2-3, April 11- May 12 (2022). Wards Grove NP: Area closed to all but Site-Specific Firearm Deer Hunting Permit Holders on the following dates: October 9, 10, 11; November 19, 20, 21; December 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 30, 31; January 1, 2, 14, 15, 16 (2022). Witkowsky SFWA: Area closed to all but Site-Specific Firearm Deer Hunting Permit Holders on the following dates: October 9, 10, 11; November 19. 20, 21; December 2, 3, 4, 5, 30, 31: January 1, 2, 14, 15, 16 (2022). Area closed until 1 pm to all but Site-Specific Turkey Hunting Permit Holders: March 26-27, April 2-3, April 11- May 12 (2022).

Anderson Lake - Camping at the South Camp is available, but on a limited basis due to flooding.

Argyle Lake - The road around the lake has been closed for the season effective November 16 of each year and will reopen March 15 of each year, weather permitting.

Castle Rock State Park - The main road system is closed until futher notice due to flooding. The south area and boat launch will remain open for public use. Canoe camping along the Rock River is open for the summer / fall. The campground closes during high river or wet conditions. Contact the park at 815/732-7329 for current river / campground conditions.

Franklin Creek State Natural Area - Franklin Creek State Natural Area will be closed on the following dates for firearm deer hunting: November 18, 19, 20; December 1, 2, 3, 4, 29, 30, 31; January 1, 13, 14, 15. During the firearm deer hunting seasons all trails, day use areas, shelters and campgrounds are closed. The equestrian campground and trails are closed for the winter/spring season. Updates are regularly posted on the answering machine. Please call for the most up-to-date information.

French Bluff State Natural Area - 

Henderson County –

Henderson Creek Access Area -

Hennepin Canal Closures:

• The wells at Lock 21, Lock 22 and Lock 24 are not working; due to budget constraints it is unknown when these will be repaired. The only potable water available is at the Visitor's Center well.
  

Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area - Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Kaskaskia hiking trails are currently closed. Lakeshore Loop is closed for the season and will re-open May 1, 2022. The campground shower building and water hydrants are closed for the season and will re-open May 1, 2022.

Kishwaukee River SFWA - will be closed to all but permitted archery hunters and site-specific permit shotgun hunters starting Oct. 1.

Lake Le-Aqua-Na - The south side of the park is closed due to flood damage. The lake is closed to all activities such as fishing, boating and swimming until the lake reaches normal levels. We do not anticipate this to occur until late fall or early spring based on the current weather conditions. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the site. The park will be closed to all but Site-Specific Firearm Deer Hunting Permit Holders November 19, 20, 21 for youth shotgun hunt. The park will reopen Monday, November 22, 2021. Equestrian area is closed November 15h through April 15th.

The LaSalle Lake - LaSalle Lake will close for the season on Saturday, October 15, 2022, at sunset. LaSalle Lake will open daily for the 2023 season on March 15, 2023 ( 6 am - sunset).

Lowden Miller Forest - will be closed Nov. 19th - 21st (first firearm deer season), Dec. 2nd - 5th (2nd firearm deer season), Dec. 30th - Jan. 2nd, and Jan. 14th - 16th (Special CWD season).

Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area - Areas A and C will be closed September 19, 2022 - September 22, 2022, for military training. Parking Lot 80, Area B will remain open Monday through Thursday. Due to the Illinois National Guard's training needs, Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area will be closed to hunting Friday, Saturday, and Sundays throughout the months of September and October of each year.

Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area - No stand-by firearm deer hunting allowed in the 2020 season.

Matthiessen State Park - Matthiessen VRA will be closed to visitors on Wednesdays in February and March.

Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area -

Mississippi Palisades State Park - 

Morrison Rockwood State Park - Equestrian trails and hiking trails are both open. Equestrian trails will close Nov. 1st - April 30th. The entire park will be closed November 19-21 for the first firearm deer season. Permit holders will be contacted by the site. For more information, please contact the park office at 815-772-4708.

Pekin Lake – is closed to all vehicle access due to road deterioration, walk-in access is allowed.

Powerton Lake - Powerton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area near Pekin will be closed Tues., Aug. 18 – Tues., Sept. 15 while maintenance repairs are made on the Powerton Lake levee. Powerton Lake is the cooling lake for the NRG Powerton Generating Station and NRG is coordinating the project.

Rice Lake SFWA -

Rock Cut - The Eastern half of Rock Cut's main park road around Pierce Lake will be closed until further notice for road construction.  All trails leading to the construction area will also be closed.  The I-90 bridge will be closed.  To access Olson Lake, you must enter on Harlem Road.  To access the rest of the park including the campground, you must enter on Hwy 173.  (West Lane Rd.)  Press Release

Shabbona Lake State Park - Oct. 1 - Jan. 20 annually all hiking trails except Arrowhead and Touch the Earth are closed for hunting season. Nov. 1- April 30, the shower building is closed, as are Merganser Loop and Teal Bay Loop in the campground. Canvasback Cove Loop remains open as first-come, first-serve, self-registration.

Starved Rock - Owl Canyon Overlook, Beehive Overlook, Tonti Canyon Bridge, Tonti Canyon are closed. The campground is closed Nov. 18-20, and Dec. 1-4 for hunting season. Nov. 18-20, Dec. 1-4, and 9-11 Hennepin Canyon parking lot and Starved Rock Nature Preserve are closed for hunting season. November 18-20, December 1-4, 9-11, 29 - January 1, and January 13-15 Starved Rock, Mitchell's Grove, Sandy Ford, and Margery C. Carlson Nature Preserves are all closed for hunting. French Canyon and the brown bluff above French Canyon are closed.

White Pines Forest State Park - All Trails, day use areas, shelters and campgrounds are closed during the site's firearm deer season, November 14, 15, 16, 28, 29 & 30, 2022. The Lodge, gift shop, cabins and restaurant, as well as, the immediate lodge/cabin yard will be open. All campgrounds will also be closed on the 13th and 27th. Occasionally due to water levels, the fords must be closed. The day use area between the first two fords and the campgrounds can be accessed by vehicle using the entrance road near the southwest corner of the park.

Woodford State Fish and Wildlife Area - Camping is closed from Oct 1 - March 31 annually.

Chain O'Lakes State Park - Park is closed from October 31st (or first day of hunting season) until December 26th. Camping resumes January 1st annually. Contact the park for additional questions

Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area – The Class "C" Campground will be closed indefinitely.

Goose Lake Prairie – Goose Lake Prairie will be closed to the public during all firearm deer hunting seasons. The Visitor Center is closed indefinitely.

Heidecke Lake - If wind speeds are forecast to be 25mph or above at any time during the day, Heidecke Lake access to boat fishing will be closed. Bank fishing will still be available at the Heidecke Lake Bank Fishing Area off E. Collins Rd. Wind speeds are checked daily by using the NOAA wind forecast at the Morris Muni-James R Washburn Field Airport here.

I&M Canal

• The Chippewa Campground is closed for the 2021 season until further notice. Boat launches may intermittently be closed due to high water.

  Some of the restrooms may be closed due to maintenance issues. The main park closes at 8:00 PM. Reservations on ExploreMoreIL™ are highly recommended.

Mazonia - Braidwood SFWA - Bullhead Lake is open to paddle vessels but is closed to larger boats due to ramp issues.

McHenry Dam - Site will be closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Momence Wetlands - The area is closed to mushroom hunters and all users except MW permitted turkey hunters until 1pm daily from April 10th through May 11th for Spring Turkey Hunting Season.

Moraine Hills - Site is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Silver Springs - The trap range and archery range are open annually March 1st- August 31st, seven days a week 7 am to sunset. Both are closed annually September 1st - 5th for the first five days of dove season. For 2022-23, they will open back up seven days a week September 7th – November 1st. Starting the 2nd, they will only be open on Mondays and Tuesdays until the end of pheasant season, December 31, 2022. January 16th they will close completely until March 1st for coyote season.

The equestrian trail is closed annually September 1st – 30th for dove season. For 2022-23, the trail will be open October 1st – November 1st, then closed November 2nd – December 31st. It will reopen January 1st - 15th, and then be closed January 16th - April 14th. April 15th it reopens until Fall.

December 1 – April 1 the West/main entrance of the park closes for winter.

The Youth Area Campground is currently closed.

Region II Office (Bartlett) - Closed to the public.

Volo Bog - Site is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Clinton Lake State Recreation Area – The shower buildings and dump stations will close for the season November 1. The Mascoutin portion of Clinton Lake, including all access to campsites, boat ramp, shelter and amphitheater and trails, will be closed November 7 through November 12 for a firearm deer hunt for disabled hunters. The Equestrian trail will be closed during statewide firearm deer season. North Fork Trail will be closed during statewide muzzleloader season. All fishing cleaning stations at Clinton Lake are closed indefinitely.

Eagle Creek State Recreation Area – The campground and amenities are open. The boat ramp and fish cleaning station are open. All trails are available and shelters are open for groups of 50 or less. The golf course is open.

Fox Ridge State Park – North Canoe Access Road is OPEN.

Hidden Springs – Hickory Ridge Pond is open. Big Tree Trail is closed indefinitely due to a large fallen tree from storm damage. Oak Ridge Hiking trail is closed indefinitely due to a bridge washout. Sassafras pond is open for fishing. Water hydrants and class C camping are open for the season.

Kickapoo - The area south of the Middle Fork river boat ramp to 200 yards downstream of the Kickapoo Park Road bridge at Clear Pond is closed during bridge construction. The low water crossing on 1180 E is closed to foot and bike traffic when wet due to slick conditions. Sportsman's Lake Road, I-74 Loop, and the road to Inland Sea will be closed at upon the first snowfall until spring. Fox, Erie, and Redear campgrounds will close November 1st. Areas open to deer hunting will be closed to all activities except to hunters in possession of a site-specific permit during firearms and muzzleloader deer season. Areas open to spring turkey hunting will be closed to all activities until 1:00 PM except hunters in possession of a site-specific permit during turkey hunting hours. Periodic trail closures may occur for prescribed fire. Mountain bike trails are closed from the Monday before shotgun deer season until the Monday following muzzleloader deer season. Mushroom hunting is prohibited in nature preserves and land and water reserves. Areas posted notifying of a prescribed burn are closed on the day of the burn.

Lincoln Trail Homestead - Outdoor pavilion reservations can currently be made for 4/16/23 through 10/15/23. Prior to 4/16 and between 10/16 until the winter closure period, the pavilions may be used on a "first come, first served bases".  Reservations can be made at ExploreMoreIL™.  As of 12/20/22 the park gates are closed, park will re-open 4/1/23.  Thanks for another great season.

Lincoln Trail State Park - The restaurant/concession is open for the season.

Middle Fork SFWA – 2250 N Road will close upon the first snowfall of the winter until spring. The Middle Fork campgrounds will close November 1st. Areas open to deer hunting will be closed to all activities except to hunters in possession of a site-specific permit during firearms and muzzleloader deer season. Areas open to spring turkey hunting will be closed to all activities except hunters in possession of a site-specific permit during turkey hunting hours. Periodic trail closures may occur for prescribed fire. Trap shooting range is non-toxic shot (size 6 or smaller) and rifles or shotguns with slugs are NOT allowed. Mushroom hunting is prohibited in nature preserves and land and water reserves. Areas posted notifying of a prescribed burn are closed on the day of the burn. Horse trails are closed from the Monday before shotgun deer season until the Monday following muzzleloader deer season.

Moraine View State Recreation Area – Dam is still closed on both sides of Dawson Lake Road due to an ongoing road project.

Shelbyville State Fish & Wildlife Area - All areas are currently open.  Throughout the winter some parking lots and access roads will be temporarily closed due to weather conditions.

Spitler Woods - All outdoor pavilions, trails, and playgrounds are open for use. Pavilions are first come, first served throughout the off season (10/16/22 - 4/15/23) all outdoor pavilions will open for reservations beginning on April 16, 2023, and remain available for reservation until 10/15/23. Currently, outdoor pavilions have returned to previous capacity levels (100 based on parking availability), the site will continually update capacity parameters as notified by IDPH. All flush restrooms are currently closed for the season and will remain so until 4/16/23. The new vault toilet building near Long Creek will remain open throughout the winter. The indoor pavilion (Ida B. Spitler) is closed for the season, this building will re-open on April 1st, 2023 and may be reserved through October 31^st 2023. The site will update the status of the indoor/outdoor pavilion capacities based on Regional COVID-19 parameters as provided by IDPH. Reservations can be made at ExploreMoreIL™

Walnut Point State Park – The concession, camping and shower building are now open for the season.

Weldon Springs State Park – The campground is open year-round, however the shower building and water facilities are closed for the season. Union School Interpretive Center and Weldon Springs' Boat Rental/Concession will reopen in the spring.

Wolf Creek State Park – Due to campsite and road work, the Sand Creek Camping Section will be closed from Monday, Oct. 19th until at least Thursday, Oct. 22nd. The Lick Creek Section will have rolling closures for the remainder of the month, which may impact reservations. Campsites will be available, but site specificity can’t be guaranteed. The boat ramp and fish cleaning stations are open. Wolf Creek beach is closed for the season. All trails including the equestrian trail are open and shelters are open to groups of 50 or less.

Baldwin Lake - Park hours are 6AM - 7PM daily.

Beaver Dam State Park - The restaurant and bait shop are closed for the season. The fish cleaning station is closed until further notice.

Fall Creek Rest Area - This area is open to foot traffic only. Visitors are reminded to take all litter with them.

Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County) - the Bend Road area is closed to vehicle traffic; however, it is open for foot and bike traffic. Camping is closed for the season.

Illinois Caverns - is closed for the season.   It is anticipated to re-open April 2023.

Jim Edgar Panther Creek - Please call the office for additional trail information at 217-452-7741, which is updated daily after 9am. Office hours are 7:30am - 3:30pm, Monday through Friday or a time for return will be posted on the door.  Prairie Lake Boat Ramp will be closed to the public August 26th, 2023, from Sunrise to 1:00PM for a private event.

Pere Marquette State Park – Please adhere to the open/closed signs as the park DOES CLOSE the Equine Trails during adverse weather to protect the trails. Riders can call 618-786-2311 ext 4 for phone updates as well.  Camp Ouatoga is closed for the season.  The Equine day use trails east of Graham Hollow Road are closed for hunting seasons.  The Large Riverside Shelter, Small Riverside Shelter, Stone Shelter are available for reservations at www.Camp.ExploreMoreIL.  The Equestrian concessionaire is open for the season, please contact 618-786-2156.   

Sand Ridge State Forest - All seasonal venues are open.  Visitors are encouraged to check current conditions by calling the site office at 309-597-2212 after 9am daily. 

Sangchris Lake SP - The fish cleaning station is closed until further notice.  The holding tank is full and the system that dissolves the carcasses is not functioning.  Staff is working on a solution to dissolve the remains to a point where it can be pumped out.  

Siloam Springs SP - site has no concessionaire; therefore, there is no boat/kayak rentals.  

​Washington County CA - the dock near the Ponderosa public shelter and behind the Got-A-Bite concessions is in the process of before removed from use.  After inspection and trying to make repairs to the sections of the existing 96' long floating dock, it is decided to remove the entire dock due to the extent of the repairs needed to keep it safe for public use.

Weinberg King State Park - the equine trails and campgrounds are open for the season.

Beall Woods - White Oak upland portion and Lake Trail are open. Sweet Gum, Schneck Trail and Tuliptree Trail are closed due to storm damage and flooding. Ridgway is closed due to crossing collapse.

Cache River Wetland Center - the Wetland center will be closed March 6th through March 14th.

Cave In Rock State Park - the shower house is closed for the winter.

Fort Definance - Currently closed due to high water.

Lake Murphysboro - Shower House is closed 10pm - 7 am. Walk-A-Way Trail is temporarily closed for trail improvements.

Mermet Lake - Mermet Lake Fish & Wildlife Area will reopen to the general public and vehicle traffic as of February 1, 2023.  Although at this time we will be limiting vehicle access to the East road only, due to an issue on the lake levee.  Walk-in fishing is allowed on the entire lake area even though vehicles access is restricted to the East roadway .  Round Pond and Club Parking boat ramps are now open and available to launch boats. 

Red Hills State Park - The Trace Inn is currently closed.  

Sahara Woods - The OHV construction area at Sahara Woods will be closed to all activities until further notice due to ongoing construction. This includes roughly 1400 acres of the northwest part of the park.

Trail of Tears State Forest - Prescribed burning (M-F) is planned for areas of Trail of Tears State Forest this spring. Signs will be posted in impacted areas. North Forest Road and South Forest Road will be closed December 24, 2022 through May 4, 2023

Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park - Primitive Tent Camping is currently closed. All camping and trails are closed this week beginning October 31st. The bike trails, boat ramps and Shady Rest are open.