An online travel magazine recently published their list of the most beautiful places in each of the 50 states, and their choice of Illinois might surprise you.
While Illinois is blessed with a wide variety of incredible natural areas, including Starved Rock State Park, the Little Grand Canyon in the Shawnee National Forest, and many more, Travel & Leisure’s editorial staff chose Cache River Natural Area as their “most beautiful place” in the Land of Lincoln.
“You might think you’re deep in a Louisiana swamp at this midwater site of cypress trees. It is the northernmost swampy area in the country”, indicates the magazine.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the park is located in the southern tip of Illinois and was carved out by glacial flooding from the Ohio River.
Spanning nearly 15,000 acres, the park has been designated an “internationally important wetland” due to its importance to migratory and waterfowl.
Visitors engage in various activities in the park such as hiking, biking, and canoeing or kayaking.
For Chicago residents, the site represents a relatively long journey. The park entrance is approximately 353 miles from downtown Chicago, a nearly six-hour drive.
By contrast, Indiana’s “Most Beautiful Place” winner, Hemlock Cliffs, is 300 miles from downtown and can be reached in five and a half hours.
Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (339 miles) is also closer, and Ohio’s Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is nearly identical in distance from the Windy City.
In fact, the closest “most beautiful place” to Chicago isn’t in Illinois, Wisconsin, or Indiana. It’s actually in Iowa, Maquoketa Caves State Park is 192 miles from the city.
–
