Johnson Sauk Trail State Recreation. Area "Smokey Bear". - Smokey Bear Sign Sightings on Waymarking.com

From cross-country skiing in the winter to a lazy picnic in the summer, from a fishing trip in the spring to exploring fields of wildflowers amidst the fall colors of the giant oaks, Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park truly is a park for all seasons.

Located on a glacial moraine that forms the beautiful, rolling hills of Henry County in north-central Illinois, the park sits astride a trail that led Native Americans from Lake Michigan to the confluence of the Mississippi and Rock rivers.

Located off Illinois Route 78, Johnson-Sauk Trail is 6 miles south of Interstate 80 and 5 miles north of Kewanee. Originally known as the Henry County Conservation Area, a local newspaper invited the public to suggest names when the conservation area was going to be changed to a state park. Two names were popular with the public. One would name the park after State Senator Frank P. Johnson, a tireless worker on behalf of the park, while the second suggested Sauk Trail as a fitting name, for the Indian tribes most associated with the park when Europeans began settling the area.

The two most popular choices were combined to form the park's official name. Today, Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park features 1,365 acres of recreation opportunities.

Park Hours are May 1st - November 1st: Sunrise - 10 pm and November 1st - May 1st: Sunrise - Sunset. Lakeshore Loop Road is a Day Use Area that is open Sunrise - Sunset year round.

Condition of Smokey Bear: Forest Name: Johnson Sauk Trail. Hand Painted or Plastic on Plywood?: Hand Painted

Visit Instructions:
You MUST take a picture of you with Smokey Bear, or of the Smokey Bear with your GPSr in the picture. NO DRIVE BY posts will be accepted. We reserve the right to deny posts that do not properly portray Smokey Bear.

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