Mississippi Palisades State Park in far northwestern Illinois, just north of Savanna along the Mississippi River, preserves part of the Mississippi Palisades, a dramatic line of cliffs and bluffs at the mouth of the Apple River in the Driftless Area. Known for large riverfront cliffs and numerous caves, it protects a rugged landscape uncommon in much of Illinois. The meeting of the Apple and Mississippi rivers shapes both the scenery and the park’s geologic importance, recognized in its designation as a National Natural Landmark. The palisades have also appeared in popular culture through a reference in Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 song “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!”