Celebrating 75 Years of CCPFD: Sangamon River Forest Preserve

How many people does it take to hug a 200-year-old tree?

This question (and so many more) can be answered at the Champaign County Forest Preserve’s Sangamon River Forest Preserve.

Located north of Mahomet on County Rd 600 E adjacent to a pasture with roaming cows, the 106-acre park has White Oak, Bur Oak, and Lincoln Ash trees with circumferences of more than 13 feet. 

The park, a floodplain forest, provides a natural water filter, helping ensure a healthy river and a clean water supply through the Sangamon River. There are times of the year when parts of the hiking trails in the preserve are closed due to flooding, but when the entire park is accessible, there is magic to be found.

With 2-miles of trails connected in a loop, visitors can stroll along the Sangamon River, watching the clear, glistening water contrasted by the striking greenery along the river bank. Most days, the river current is lazy, providing a peaceful canvas to skip stones or look for fish and frogs. 

In one of the most rural parts of the county, the quiet gives fishermen the tranquility they need and kayakers a reason to kick back and enjoy the ride. 

For hikers, the Sangamon River Forest Preserve offers an abundance of opportunities to witness the cycle of wildlife. The call of frogs looking for a mate in the spring can be dramatic, while spider webs become photogenic as dew hangs from them in the fall. 

Perhaps the most stunning feature of the Sangamon River Forest Preserve is the prairie. During the summer months, visitors can walk through grasses as tall as an adult dotted with coneflowers, purple clover, milkweed, and blazing star. 

Known as the Prairie State, Illinois used to be covered with 21.6 million acres of prairie.  Today,  there is only about 6,000 acres of prairie remaining. The rich, deep agricultural soils of Illinois were created by prairie. For centuries they have offered a diverse environment for wildlife and pollinators. Prairies also have a vast root system that can pull carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. 

Prairies also provide a calm, tranquil place to stroll. It is common to see birdwatchers scanning the tops of prairie grasses for cardinals, finches, or owls, among other bird species. It’s also not uncommon to see a pheasant or deer get startled and appear to bounce through the prairie. 

There is almost nothing better for the soul than time spent at the Sangamon River Forest Preserve. The park is open from dusk until dawn year round.