Pounds Hollow Recreation Area, Recreation area in Gallatin County, Illinois
Pounds Hollow is a recreation area centered on a 25-acre lake surrounded by tall sandstone bluffs within the Shawnee National Forest. The site includes a campground with individual sites, picnic areas, and trails that wind through the woods and along the water.
The area was developed in the 1940s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal program that put workers to building and shaping the land. Local sandstone was quarried and used to construct the structures that still stand today.
The area draws outdoor enthusiasts who gather year-round to fish, swim, and explore the trails around the sandstone cliffs. Locals have long used this spot as a place to connect with nature and with each other.
The campground has 35 sites available, some with electrical hookups, and picnic tables are scattered throughout the grounds. Motorized boats are not permitted, but visitors can fish, hike, and swim in the lake during the open season.
The lake connects to several creeks that flow into the Saline River, creating a network of connected waterways through the southern part of the state. This makes the site part of a larger water system that many visitors don't immediately realize.
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