Ferne Clyffe State Park

Ferne Clyffe State Park is a 2,430-acre park in southern Illinois featuring limestone bluffs, dense woodlands, and a 100-foot intermittent waterfall along the Big Rocky Hollow trail. The property offers 18 different hiking trails, multiple campgrounds for various camping styles, and a fishing lake that was created in 1960.

George Rogers Clark's troops crossed this territory in 1778 during the American Revolution. The land was later used by Cherokee people during their forced relocation on the Trail of Tears.

The park protects more than 700 plant species, including flowering dogwood, redbud trees, and woodland wildflowers that shift with each season. Visitors notice this diversity along the woodland paths, where blooming plants shape the landscape differently depending on the time of year.

Most visitors find easy to moderate hikes suitable for day trips, with parking available at several entry points throughout the property. Spring and fall offer the best visiting conditions, when temperatures stay mild and wildflowers are in full bloom.

Hawks' Cave formation and Round Bluff Nature Preserve display distinct geological features carved by centuries of water erosion through limestone. These formations offer a rare view of how water has shaped the rock over thousands of years.

Location: Illinois

Inception: 1949

Website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/FerneClyffe.aspx

GPS coordinates: 37.52944,-88.98278

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:02