Welcome to Manito, Illinois
 
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JW Hauling
BEB Excavating
Backwoods Tree Service
Kalhammer's Manito Hardware
Little Dreamers Learning Center
Blood Moon Manor
Nickerson Insurance Agency LLC
Subway
Laurie's Video Gaming Center
The Lodge at Manito
Genesis Pest Control
Manito Oil and Propane
Spring Lake Upholstery
Farnam Nickerson
Shop Local
Hot Stuff
Chamber of Commerce
Meyers Country Gardens
Immaculate_Conception
K's Confectionery
Head Start
Hopedale Medical Complex
Mockingbird Vineyards
Ms. Bridget's Dinner to Go
County General
Country Financial Cole Munge
Lee's Family Restaurant
Farnam Insurance and Real Estate
Shop Manito First
Prather Printing

Sand Ridge State Forest

For those who think central Illinois is one big corn field, Sand Ridge State Forest will come as a very pleasant surprise. The forest is an island in a sea of agriculture. Just minutes southwest of Peoria, this 7,200-acre, the largest of Illinois' State Forests, boasts sweeping expanses of native oak-hickory, extensive plantations of pine, sprawling open fields, grasslands, and completely unique sand prairies. For a refreshing, invigorating taste of unspoiled nature and an opportunity to experience truly unique environment, Sand Ridge State Forest is ideal.

The area is the result of a prehistoric dry period when more desert-like conditions existed. Today it remains one of the few places in Illinois that supports an intriguing variety of plants and animals more associated with the Southwest than the Midwest. Those include badger, silvery bladderpod, pocket gopher and prickly pear cactus to name a few.

The raw, undeveloped expanses of hardwood and pine blanketing the panoramic vistas contain miles of outstanding hiking, backpacking, snowmobiling, and horseback riding opportunities. Hunting of deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, dove, and squirrel is permitted. There is a hand trap shooting facility and an archery range.

For the dedicated outdoors person this is truly an island of great opportunity to see how diverse Illinois is. For the day visitor, the forest offers picnic facilities and the chance for fascinating experience with nature in the Henry Allen Gleason Nature Preserve. You can enjoy the pristine sand prairie in a protected area closed to vehicles, domestic animals and hunting.

A bird watcher's paradise, Sand Ridge State Forest also is an important nesting area for a great variety of neo-tropical migratory birds, such as ovenbird, indigo bunting, veery and scarlet tanager


The forest covers 7500 acres -- 3996 acres of native oak-hickory forest, 2492 acres of pine, and the rest in open fields and sand prairies.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources

For more information contact site personnel at Sand Ridge State Forest, P.O. Box 111, Forest City, IL 61532 or by phone at 309-597-2212 or by fax at 309-597-2240

 
Please patronize these
fine businesses that
help support this site
Prather Printing
Shop Manito First
Farnam Insurance and Real Estate
Lee's Family Restaurant
Country Financial Cole Munge
County General
Ms. Bridget's Dinner to Go
Mockingbird Vineyards
Hopedale Medical Complex
Head Start
K's Confectionery
Immaculate_Conception
Meyers Country Gardens
Chamber of Commerce
Hot Stuff
Shop Local
Farnam Nickerson
Spring Lake Upholstery
Manito Oil and Propane
Genesis Pest Control
The Lodge at Manito
Laurie's Video Gaming Center
Subway
Nickerson Insurance Agency LLC
Blood Moon Manor
Little Dreamers Learning Center
Kalhammer's Manito Hardware
Backwoods Tree Service
BEB Excavating
JW Hauling