Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County, Illinois is Illinois’ largest, natural landscape state park. This field guide to the park, the first comprehensive and illustrated guide to any Illinois state park, introduces readers to the fascinating history and rich ecology of the park. On its west side, the eight-thousand–acre landscape is bounded by the Illinois River near its confluence with the Mississippi, and it is situated on one of the state’s few unglaciated regions, while the rugged topography exposes ancient geology and supports a diversity of forests and prairies.

The park, founded in 1932, was established by the Civilian Conservation Corps and includes many amenities such as a lodge of classic design, cabins, campgrounds, group camps, and equestrian and boating facilities. Its drives and trails invite exploration of a variety of habitats in all seasons. Included in the guide are lists of over four hundred species of vascular plants, including fifty-seven species of trees and shrubs to be found in the park. As well, as the book details, animal observers have counted nearly 230 species of birds and roughly sixty species of amphibians and reptiles and over forty-six species of mammals. Rounding out this useful reference are color maps, graphs, and color photographs of the park’s features, making it an essential item to be included in any park visitor’s daypack.