Summary
The park covers over 635 acres and features numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, and camping facilities.
One of the main reasons to visit Beall Woods State Park is to experience its unique ecosystem. The park is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including many rare species that are not found anywhere else in the state.
Some of the specific points of interest to see within the park include the Big Tree, which is one of the largest trees in Illinois, and the Beall Cemetery, which dates back to the early 1800s and features some of the area's earliest settlers.
Interesting facts about the area include that the park was once home to a thriving logging industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and that it was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1966.
The best time of year to visit Beall Woods State Park is in the spring or fall when the weather is mild and the foliage is at its most vibrant. However, the park is open year-round and offers activities and attractions for visitors during all seasons.
Weather Forecast
Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
Related References