Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area

Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area is a 5,000-acre Illinois state park and wildlife management area in Will County on the floodplain where the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers meet to form the Illinois River. Acquired by the Illinois Department of Conservation in 1948 and significantly upgraded after 1976, it grew from a largely hunting-focused site into a major recreation destination drawing more than 350,000 visitors each year. Fishing, boating, picnicking, equestrian use, hunting, shooting sports, field trials, and dog training remain central there. It also protects important remnant prairie, including rare dry-mesic dolomite prairie, giving it significance beyond recreation alone.

Illinois · United States