Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site

Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site spans 200 acres on a bluff, featuring earthen remnants of fortifications overlooking the Mississippi River and Kaskaskia Island.

The French constructed Fort Kaskaskia in 1759 to defend the town of Kaskaskia, which served as the first capital of Illinois from 1818 to 1820.

The Garrison Hill Cemetery contains 3,000 graves relocated from the original Kaskaskia settlement, marked by an 1892 monument honoring the early settlers.

The site provides camping facilities with thirty-two electrified sites, picnic areas with tables and grills, and three pavilions accessible throughout the park.

The Mississippi River changed course in 1881, destroying the original town of Kaskaskia and necessitating the relocation of its cemetery to the fort's location.

Location: Illinois

Website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Experience/Sites/Southwest/pages/fort-kaskaskia.aspx

GPS coordinates: 37.96880,-89.91060

Latest update: March 7, 2025 05:12