Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park
Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park
Location:Parkway basically parallels I-80 in Bureau and Henry counties in westcentral Illinois. Visitor Center is near Sheffield, off I-80 exit 45.
Facilities:Class C and youth group camping at 6 of the locks and 2 bridges(drinking water at some), equestrian camping on the south side of Lock21, picnic areas, picnic shelters (main complex only), playground (maincomplex), outdoor toilet facilities, multi-use trails, boat ramp (maincomplex), visitor center.
Activities:Camping, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, bicycling, horsebackriding, hunting, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice skating.
Special Features:Historic waterway connects the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. The canal flows south from Rock Falls and then splits, flowing east to the Illinois River at Bureau and west to the Mississippi River at Milan. The recreational corridor that straddles the 80-foot canal averages a quarter-mile in width. Boats must be carried about 300 feet around each of the canal's 33 locks. Seventeen miles of the former towpath are paved with crushed stone and are wheelchair accessible. A museum and visitor center in Sheffield details the history of the canal.
Address:16006 875 E St
Sheffield, IL 61361
Phone:815-454-2328
Web: dnr.state.il.us/Lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R1/HENNPIN.HTM
Size: 104.5-mile linear park spanning 5 counties.
See other parks in Illinois.