Mill Springs RD (FR 502) in IL -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in Illinois
Mill Springs RD (FR 502) in IL
A 2.5-mile stretch of graded dirt National Forest road in Massac County, IL. The road serves Cretaceous Hills Nature Preserve. The road is open seasonally, May 9 to December 9.
Shawnee National Forest, Hidden Springs Ranger District allows dispersed camping here -- 14-day limit in any 28 days.
All 2.5 miles in are maintained only for high-clearance vehicles. Mostly graded dirt, with 0.7 miles of dirt. Climbs 200 ft over 2.5 miles -- sustained grades near 12%, with pitches to 14%. Dead-end road -- no mapped turnaround; expect to back out or unhitch.
Private here -- the nearest through road is 1.4 miles off. Open country -- nothing named rises within 30 miles of here. Mill Spring lies 1.1 mi off. Night skies measure Bortle 3 -- a dark rural sky. The nearest town, Metropolis, is 9.0 mi off.
September normals 59–82°F, 3.5″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.
Set by Shawnee National Forest, Hidden Springs Ranger District. Stage 1 and 2 orders change within days -- check the current order before you build a fire.
fs.usda.gov