About a 40-minute drive into neighboring Henry County, IL is Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area which features a little bit of everything for the outdoor enthusiast. Over the years, I’ve had the occasion to do some camping, hiking and boating at the spot along with a little bit of fishing quite a few years ago. I had not visited the park since the early 2000’s so I was interested to see how my recollection matched up with the current state of the site. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, our family enjoyed the day exploring and I definitely feel that it is on the “return visit” list at some point.

Rating: 4.0 Marshmallows (scale 1-5 Marshmallows with 5 being tops, rating is average of six family member votes)

Location: Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area, north of Kewanee, IL (Henry County)
Camping: 70 sites with electrical hook-ups (Class A) and 25 walk-in/tent only (Class C)
Attractions: Red Earth Café restaurant (check ‘em out on Facebook), camp store and Ryan’s Round Barn
Fishing: Johnson-Sauk Trail Lake (58 acres) featuring largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, bullhead, muskie and northern pike. Trolling motor only restriction with watercraft rental available (johnboat, kayak and paddle boat).
Hiking/Trails: Well signed, well maintained, easy to moderate rating and less than a mile on most trails, all aspects were a perfect fit for our crew

This will get your attention regarding fishing potential, 48″ muskie caught in 2003

Loons fit the bill

 

Ottawa Trail featured a very interesting tree 

Attached the GoPro to the boys on the trails, got some very interesting footage

Family Poll: What did you like most about Johnson-Sauk Trail?

Helena: “There were many trails so lots of options to choose from.”
Carly: “All the flowers and trees and the way they named the trails.”
Jayce: “Hiking with a GoPro.” (That’s a video camera, not his term for either of his folks.)
Zac: “The picnic because of the Mountain Dew.”
Mom: “I liked getting back to some plant ID.”
Dad: “Tree and plant ID with the girls as well as the lake which looked quite appealing unlike a visit many years ago when it was extremely weed choked. Several fishing pics in the camp store also caught my eye.”

(Note: plant ID mentioned by both parents, more on that aspect in future postings.)

Been many years since Julie and I had paid a visit and a different lifestyle back then in the days before kids. Several times in the past we had camped with a large group of friends who were all kid-free as well. Just a bit more of a challenge these days in terms of logistics and entertainment whether a day trip or overnight outing. I’d say that Johnson-Sauk Trail has what it takes for this bunch and some further exploration in the future. Talk to you later. Troy