By Rich Davis
ULLIN, Ill. — Think of it as Louisiana without the alligators, a southern swamp in a northernmost range.
That's how residents of this area near the tip of Southern Illinois (about two hours southwest of Evansville) describe the Cache River State Natural Area with its wetlands, ancient cypress trees and a yellow songbird known as a prothonotary warbler.
The warbler arrives here each spring from the tropics, one of many small, quick and beautifully colored migratory birds that push the number of bird species to around 200.
Drive, hike or even bike these parts and you'll come upon an elevated boardwalk south of the interactive Wetlands Center (visitor information) on Illinois 37 — a place where the stubby "knees" of cypress trees pop up from underground root systems and river birch give way to American elm and swampy tupelo trees.
A 10-minute drive east brings you to Heron Pond. A rock trail leads over a bridge and past a soft man-made rapids and trees chewed by beavers, past May apples, trillium, trout lilies and other spring flowers, past chirping birds.
Once quiet descends, you'll see in the distance a floating boardwalk that zigzags into 15 acres of watery forest. Stately cypress with flared bottoms seem almost cathedral-like as sun filters through them onto the tea-colored water covered with green duckweed.
Some of the 75-foot-high trees may be a thousand years old, it's said.
Nearly 40,000 acres of the Cache region — where the geographic properties of four U.S. regions overlap — have been preserved by the Nature Conservancy, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The result is a mix of landscapes, from Ozark foothills to hardwood forests and bottomland swamps.
Endangered species
There are more than 100 threatened or endangered species here, an ancient Ohio River created the flood plain, in the 1970s the swamp was saved from massive drainage projects and the Cache River Basin is a "wetlands of international importance," one of only six U.S. areas where four regions converge.
Fans of this unusual place gather every April to celebrate its diversity with Nature Fest. This year's event is next Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Canoe toursmost popular
"The canoe tours are the most popular," said Carol Hoffman of the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau, "but people also like to go on wildflower hunts, see butterfly displays and watch hummingbirds being banded." The ruby-throated birds are temporarily captured in remote-control feeder traps.
She said the free canoe trips fill up quickly, so advance reservations are necessary. Call (618) 634-2231.
Bird 'blitzes'competition
Visitors also arrive to compete in bird "blitzes" to see and hear the most birds, watch programs on birds of prey and reptiles, buy plants, photograph some of the 11 state champion trees, hike 21 miles of trails, visit nearby wineries or view a 12-minute "The Enduring Cache" film.
Some people travel by bike along the 47-mile Tunnel Hill bicycle trail; it follows the old Norfolk Southern railroad bed through a 500-foot tunnel and over scenic trestles between Tunnel Hill (off U.S. 45 south of Harrisburg, Ill.) and Karnak, near the Wetlands Center.
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if you go
Some of Nature Fest’s events on Saturday include:
n Heron Pond Nature Hike, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Register at the Wetlands Center.
n Cache River canoe tours. Times vary. Call (618) 634-2231 to reserve a place.
n Hikes, including one to Wildcat Bluff overlook and Boss Island (cabin from the 1850s) at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., also an 11 a.m. Happy Herping Hike (frogs, snakes, turtles etc.). Register at the Wetlands Center.
n Ecological Fitness Trail, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
n Birds of Prey show, 1 and 3 p.m.
n Hummingbird Banding, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
For more information, visit www.cacherivernaturefest.org or call the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau, (800) 248-4373.
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GETTING THERE
From Evansville, take Indiana 62 to the Wabash River, continue on Illinois 141 west to U.S. 45, turn left and head south on U.S. 45. You’ll pass through Harrisburg and several other towns enroute to Interstate 24 at Vienna, Ill. Pick up Illinois 37 and go south to Cache River State Natural Area.
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