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Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > Illinois > National Parks |
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Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor
Address: 15701 South Independence Blvd Commission Office
Lockport, IL 60441
Phone: 815-740-2047 or 815-363-2049
Fax: 815-740-2026
Overview. The Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, which spans nearly 100 miles in northeast Illinois, from Peru to Chicago, commemorates and preserves the historic features of a region that played an instrumental role in the history of the midwestern United States. It was along this swath of territory, along the course of the Illinois River, that engineers built the Illinois and Michigan Canal between 1836 and 1848. The canal opened central Illinois to trade, commerce, and development, and also boosted the status of Chicago as the leader of Midwestern cities. In 1984 the corridor was designated the first of the National Park Service's National Heritage Corridors. It comprises nearly 322,000 acres and offers a wealth of recreations year-round.
What to see and do. The National Park Service maintains no facilities in the corridor, but there are a number of visitor centers, museums and state parks dotting both sides of the river and spanning the corridor's entire length. Points of interest that you should keep in mind during your visit include the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, located in Willow Springs; the Illinois and Michigan Canal Visitor Center in Lockport; the Will County Historical Museum, also located in Lockport; and the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center close to Utica. Call the Commission Office for the phone numbers of these Heritage Corridor points of interest.
If you're interested in gaining a walking perspective of this massive corridor you might want to hike along the Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail which extends for 61 miles from Rockdale to Peru. For canoeing enthusiasts the 15-mile designated canoe trail that stretches from Channahon to Morris might be of interest, and a shorter canoe trail of five miles is located between Utica and Peru. If you want to take a driving tour of the corridor, an auto-tour map of the corridor is available from the Commission office in Lockport.
Eleven state parks and various designated natural areas and access areas are located throughout the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. State parks include Starved Rock, Buffalo Rock, Goose Lake Prairie, and Matthiessen. These parks offer camping, hiking trails, boating and fishing opportunities and other recreational opportunities. The Illinois and Michigan Canal is the dominant historic feature of the corridor. It is the physical feature which connects the communities along its route. It also links numerous archaeological, natural, and recreational resources. Call the Commission Office for Heritage Corridor information, seasonal offerings and brochures.
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