Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area

Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area is a 3,300-acre Illinois park on Rend Lake near Benton, developed after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the lake in 1970 and leased the tract to the state beginning in 1975. Named for Wayne Fitzgerrell, a nearby state representative who supported creation of Rend Lake, the area became known for boating, fishing, and picnicking, with about 1,000 acres also managed for hunting. Renamed in the 1990s to reflect its sportsmen’s focus, it serves as one of the main public access points to Rend Lake and is notable in Illinois for being bisected by Interstate 57.

Illinois · United States