FR 485 — Cretaceous Hills Nature Preserve in IL -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in Illinois

AnyRoost

FR 485 — Cretaceous Hills Nature Preserve in IL

Shawnee NF, Hidden Springs Ranger District
526 ft
Maps
Overnight camping allowedRUTTED
VerizonMARGINAL
AT&TNONE
T-MobileUNMEASURED
StarlinkPOOR

A 6.3-mile stretch of dirt National Forest road in Pope County, IL. 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.

4.3 of the 6.3 miles in are maintained only for high-clearance vehicles. 5 of the 6.3 miles in are dirt. Level ground alongside most of its length.

Private here -- the nearest through road is 0.9 miles off. Open country -- nothing named rises within 30 miles of here. Night skies measure Bortle 2 -- true dark-sky territory. The nearest town, Metropolis, is 11 mi off.

September normals 58–81°F, 3.5″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.

Nearby Spots
Hodge Cemetery (FR 1839) in ILDispersed Camping0.3miPiper Lee (FR 1414) in ILDispersed Camping1.2miBarren Creek (FR 1415) in ILDispersed Camping1.3miPinto (FR 1419) in ILDispersed Camping1.4miFox Trot (FR 1420) in ILDispersed Camping1.5mi
Fire restrictions

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
Sources checked August 2026Something wrong here?