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Horseshoe Lake State Park
3321 Highway 111
Granite City, IL 60240
618-931-0270

Horseshoe Lake State Park is located on Highway 111 in southern Madison County, Illinois, and is situated on a low flood plain called the American Bottom which follows the Mississippi River down to the Kentucky border. Rivers never follow the same path over extended periods of time and oxbow lakes are formed by the isolated sections created when rivers change direction and cut new channels. Horseshoe Lake was formed in this manner centuries ago and is one of two large oxbow lakes that can be found in Southern Illinois. Only about 10 minutes away from downtown St. Louis, the park offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities on 2,960 acres.

Human habitation in the area dates back as far as 8,000 B.C. during the Archaic Period. Artifacts have also been found which are from the Woodland Period of 1000 B.C. to 1,000 A.D. during which Horseshoe lake provided an excellent source of fish, game, waterfowl, and wild vegetables. During the Mississipian Period, the first real civilization in North America developed at nearby Cahokia. Cahokia was the center of commerce, social and political power for the region and had a population of 30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Cahokia was famous for its elaborate burial and tribal rituals that culminated in the building of giant earthen mounds. The remains of an earthen platform mound built by this civilization can be found on Walker Island.

The Park is an excellent place for bird watching. It has been said that virtually all species of birds that have been spotted in the state have been seen at one time or another at the Park. In July and August the southern portion of the lake is drained and spread with millet by plane. The resulting mudflats attract many snowy egrets and blue herons in search of clams and snails. A four mile self guided nature trail on Walker Island has 5 watch areas for birding at the different habitats that can be found on the island.

In addition to the advantages found by being so close to downtown St. Louis, a wide variety of attractions are available to those visiting Horseshoe Lake State Park including the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Lewis and Clark Trail Site #1, and the Cahokia Mounds Interpretive Center.