History
Buffalo Rock State Park occupies sandstone bluffs above the Illinois River in LaSalle County and brings together geology, Native history, French colonial history, and modern land art. The site was home to the Illinois village of La Vantum in 1673, was drawn into warfare with the Iroquois in 1680, and in 1682 to 1683 became part of the alliance centered on Fort St. Louis, when 4,000 Indian warriors gathered there and the Miami built a fort. Later used for religious meetings and as a sanatorium, the land became a permanent state park in 1928. Its most distinctive feature is Effigy Tumuli, Michael Heizer’s vast 1983–1985 earthwork of animal forms.
Hear stories like this as you drive
ExploreHere reads historical markers out loud as you pass them: over 325,000 stories across the US. No account needed.
4.7 · 800+ ratings · Free
FIND IT
Illinois · United States
