Vermilion County Conservation District

Vermilion County Conservation District sites and facilities

www.vccd.org, 442-1691 or 662-2142

Forest Glen Preserve

20301 E. 900 N Road, 7 miles east of Westville, 662-2142

Edgewood Center: Indoor air-conditioned and heated facility with kitchen, restrooms, large roofed porch with picnic tables, outside grill, horseshoe pit and volleyball standards; near playground and ball diamond.

Maple Grove Lodge: Large indoor airconditioned and heated facility in wooded area overlooking Edgewood Pond, fireplace, deck, electricity and rustic restrooms; horseshoe pit and volleyball standards.

Audubon Barn: Rustic indoor facility on Willow Creek Pond, fireplace; horseshoe pit and volleyball standards, rustic restrooms nearby.

Meadowlark Shelter: Open-air shelter with picnic tables, electricity, outdoor grills, rustic restrooms, horseshoe pit and volleyball standards, near ball diamond.

Pine Knoll Shelter: Same as Meadowlark, except slightly smaller.

Pioneer Homestead Area: Rustic cabin, open field where re-enactments take place. Open 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays for various displays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Features: Hiking, 25 miles of trails plus the 11-mile backpack trail and asphalt handicapped trail (< 1/3> mile); camping, electric and nonelectric sites; fishing, all Illinois fishing regulations apply; boating and canoeing; mushroom hunting and berry picking; 72-foot observation tower.

Kennekuk County Park

22296-A Henning Road, Danville, 442-1691

Bunker Hill Historic Area: Buildings open 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Memorial Day through Labor Day. 1800s chapel, one-room school, grocery store, barbershop, print shop, barn, train dining car, train depot, two-story farmhouse, gazebo and herb garden. With the exception of Vermilion Chapel, built on its site in 1886, all the buildings have been moved to the area as a unit or dismantled and rebuilt on site.

Vermilion Chapel: Oldest church in Vermilion County; available for church services and weddings only, no receptions, capacity 75.

Laury Barn: Rustic facility with refrigerator, double sink, serving counter, hot water, modern indoor restroom facility nearby, loft area for additional seating, no heat or outdoor grills, ideal for large groups or wedding receptions.

The Hideaway: Indoor facility with kitchen, restrooms, breezeway, outdoor deck, grills, fireplace, volleyball standards and horseshoe pits.

White Oak Barn: Rustic indoor facility with refrigerator, double sink, serving counter, hot water, stone fireplace; outdoor grills, near playground, rustic restrooms and drinking water faucet.

Rotary Point Shelter: Open-air shelter with picnic tables on Lake Mingo; electricity, outdoor grill; near playground, rustic restrooms and drinking water faucet.

Mallard Point Shelter: Same as Rotary Point.

Hickory Hollow Shelter: Same as Rotary Point, except no water frontage.

Twin Points Shelter: Same as Rotary Point, but near Adrian's Pond.

Features: 10 miles of trails plus 7 1/2-mile Lake Mingo Trail; fishing, all Illinois fishing regulations apply; boating and canoeing; hunting, all Illinois hunting regulations apply, plus conservation district hunting regulations, no trapping; wildlife viewing at Kennekuk Marshes; mushroom hunting and berry picking; cross-country running, jogging, inline skating and bicycling on hardtop drives, no mountain bikes allowed on trails.

Lake Vermilion Park

Denmark Road, Danville, 442-1691

Songer Pavilion: Overlooking Lake Vermilion, open-air shelter with picnic tables, electricity, outdoor grills, rustic restrooms and drinking water faucet, playground equipment.

Features: Boating; power boating, unlimited horsepower; jet skiing; water skiing/tubing; sailboating; pontoon boating; plus canoeing at north end of lake only; fishing, all Illinois fishing and boating regulations apply; concession building and dock system at ramp with fuel available; hunting, pre-selected sites and two walk-in areas, special regulations apply, fee required.

Heron County Park

West Newell Road, north of Danville, 442-1691

Features: 950-foot floating boardwalk is the second-longest boardwalk in Illinois, includes three observation areas with benches; canoe access to Lake Vermilion and the North Fork River; hiking, half-mile self-guided trail on the north side of West Newell Road follows the boundary of the open field and leads visitors near the wetland ox bow, formed by floodwaters, which is now a haven for wildlife; waterfowl hunting allowed in two walk-in areas off the hiking trail, special regulations apply, fee required; 30-foot observation tower, built in 2003 by the International Timber Framing Guild, has two decks, one at the 8-foot level and one at the 20-foot level, upper level is closed to the public and is only used for special events, and first level has ADA-approved access ramp; shelter recently completed.