Agencies
Services
Land and Water Reserve Area
9
County
Pope
Location
The site is located 1.8 miles west from the junction of IL-34 and IL-146, 4.4 miles southwest of Elizabethtown, 2.0 miles west of Shetlerville, and 1.0 mile from the Pope-Hardin County line. In proximity is Spivey's Valley Glade Nature Preserve.
Description
Big Grand Pierre Land and Water Reserve contains dry upland forest, dry-mesic upland forest, mesic upland forest, and floodplain forest communities of moderate quality bordered by a high-quality creek and cultural lands. Grade C and D dry-mesic upland forest is the most common natural community and occurs on the mid to upper slopes that are moderately steep to steep. Dominant canopy trees in this community include red oak, black oak, red maple, and shagbark hickory while understory trees and shrubs include redbud, flowering dogwood, and sassafras. The site contains the Big Grand Pierre Site natural area (#0369) and is significant because it is within a large block of forest with significant frontage on Big Grand Prairie Creek that contains several state-endangered or threatened species. The creek itself is an Illinois Natural Areas Inventory site (INAI #1523).
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Natural Division
Lesser Shawnee Hills Section of the Shawnee Hills Natural Division (#13b)
Registered
January 2008
Size
330 acres
Access
The site is open to the public. To access the reserve from Golconda, head north along IL-146 East about 8.0 miles. Turn south (right) onto Perry Drive and stay to the right at the initial bend. Stay on Perry Road for about 0.75 miles until reaching the parking area, a cleared gravel pad on the east (left) side of the road. The dead-end gravel road travels through the natural area before terminating on private property.
Topographic Quad
Shetlerville
For Further Information
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
DNR.INPC@illinois.gov