Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area in southern Illinois covers 1,270 acres in Saline County as a protected state-managed park. Its historical importance centers on a slightly salty spring, an unusual local feature that gave the county its name and served a practical purpose during the pioneer era. Water from the spring could be boiled to make salt, and the park preserves the setting associated with that early saltworks activity. The area is significant both for its natural habitat and for its connection to the region’s early settlement history.