Agencies
Services
Nature Preserve Area
4
County
Peoria
Location And Access
Detweiller Woods occurs within Detweiller Park in northeastern Peoria. From War Memorial Drive (Hwy. 150) and Galena Rd. (Hwy. 29) in Peoria, go north on Galena Rd. 3.2 miles, turn west on Detweiller Dr., go west 0.4 mile, turn left into parking area for picnic shelters and park here. The Pimiteioui trail and Ridgetop trail lead from the parking area and pass through the preserve, which lies just west of the parking lot.
Description
Detweiller Woods occurs on steep, dissected bluffs overlooking the Illinois River on the west edge of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division. Extensive high quality mesic and dry-mesic upland forest cover deep ravines, steep slopes and ridges. Mesic upland forest, found in ravines and on side slopes, is characterized by red oak, sugar maple, basswood, bitternut hickory, pawpaw and black walnut. Lush wildflowers blooming here in spring include dutchman's breeches, Virginia bluebells, hepatica, yellow bellwort, snow trillium and Soloman's seal. Schreber's aster inhabits some forest slopes. Dry-mesic upland forest, found on ridgetops and upper slopes, is dominated by white oak and red oak, with occasional shagbark hickory, shadbush, chinquapin oak and black oak. This large forest offers crucial habitat for forest-dwelling, area-sensitive songbirds such as wood thrush, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, scarlet tanager, brown creeper and veery. Two small glacial drift hill prairies lie on south-facing upper slopes and harbor native grasses and wildflowers such as little bluestem, big blue stem, lead plan, purple prairie clover, rough blazing star and yellow false foxglove.
Ownership
Peoria Park District
Dedicated
September 1993
Size
246 acres
Topographic Quad
Spring Bay
Topo Map
For Further Information
Forest Park Nature Center, Peoria Park District, 5809 Forest Park Drive, Peoria, IL 61614 (309/686-3360)
