18/02/2026
Illinois: Cache River State Natural Area
You might think you're deep in a Louisiana bayou in the Cache River State Natural Area's bald cypress and tupelo swamp, the northernmost of its kind in the U.S. Discover acres of wetlands by kayak or canoe, or on foot via the park's trails and boardwalks. Some of the cypresses you'll see here are more than 1,000 years old, with flared bases that exceed 40 feet in circumference.