Pyramid State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Pyramid State Recreation Area, the largest state recreation area in Illinois, contains 19,701 acres (79.7 km²). It is located within Perry County, and is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(Illinois DNR). The nearest large town is Pinckneyville, Illinois
.
. Like much of Southern Illinois, the region lay atop Pennsylvanian
deposits of coal. Much of the coal was owned by St. Louis
interests, and was shipped to that city for heating and industrial production during the first part of the 1900s. Until the 1960s, it was the custom to write off strip-mined sections of Illinois as worthless.
In 1959, the Pyramid Coal Company ceased mining operations, and 924 acres of former coal-mining property soon entered state hands, being owned and used by Southern Illinois University
for research into the rehabilitation of strip-mined coal properties. In 1968, a predecessor of Illinois DNR acquired this parcel of land, and continued the rehabilitation process of the parcel as a new natural area, at first named Pyramid State Park. After further land acquisition the new state park contained approximately 3,200 acres of open space. In 2001, Illinois DNR acquired 16,245 acres (65.7 km²) of additional reclaimed land from a separate coal company, forming the largest portion of the new Pyramid State Recreation Area.
The deposits of coal mine tailings
on Pyramid State Recreation Area give the park an undulating appearance, very different from the natural geomorphology
of most of Illinois. There are 24 separate lakes and bodies of water. A 10-horsepower boating limit is enforced throughout the park. 16.5 miles (26 km) of trails offer challenges to hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers. There are three primitive campgrounds.
The Illinois DNR manages sections of the park for the hunting of deer
, upland birds such as doves
, pheasants, and wild turkey
, and waterfowl
. Park hunting rules grant certain enumerated preferences to deer bowhunters
. There is extensive fishing for largemouth bass
, bluegill
, and catfish
, and limited fishing for smallmouth bass
, muskie
, northern pike
, and walleye
. Much of the former strip-mined land has been replanted with trees, with tolerant, early succession trees such as cottonwood, box elder
, and sycamore
predominating. Illinois DNR planners hope to increase the numbers of oak
and hickory
trees in the recreation area.
s located within the state park and the parcel's vulnerability to infestation from exotic species. The avian advocates note the state park's service as a territory for wetland birds such as the sandhill crane
, trumpeter swan
, and owl
s such as the barn owl
and the short-eared owl
.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield...
(Illinois DNR). The nearest large town is Pinckneyville, Illinois
Pinckneyville, Illinois
Pinckneyville is a city in Perry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,464 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Perry County...
.
History and current use
Pyramid State Recreation Area is almost entirely made up of land that was strip mined for coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. Like much of Southern Illinois, the region lay atop Pennsylvanian
Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the younger of two subperiods of the Carboniferous Period. It lasted from roughly . As with most other geochronologic units, the rock beds that define the Pennsylvanian are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain...
deposits of coal. Much of the coal was owned by St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
interests, and was shipped to that city for heating and industrial production during the first part of the 1900s. Until the 1960s, it was the custom to write off strip-mined sections of Illinois as worthless.
In 1959, the Pyramid Coal Company ceased mining operations, and 924 acres of former coal-mining property soon entered state hands, being owned and used by Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
for research into the rehabilitation of strip-mined coal properties. In 1968, a predecessor of Illinois DNR acquired this parcel of land, and continued the rehabilitation process of the parcel as a new natural area, at first named Pyramid State Park. After further land acquisition the new state park contained approximately 3,200 acres of open space. In 2001, Illinois DNR acquired 16,245 acres (65.7 km²) of additional reclaimed land from a separate coal company, forming the largest portion of the new Pyramid State Recreation Area.
The deposits of coal mine tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
on Pyramid State Recreation Area give the park an undulating appearance, very different from the natural geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
of most of Illinois. There are 24 separate lakes and bodies of water. A 10-horsepower boating limit is enforced throughout the park. 16.5 miles (26 km) of trails offer challenges to hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers. There are three primitive campgrounds.
The Illinois DNR manages sections of the park for the hunting of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, upland birds such as doves
Mourning Dove
The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds...
, pheasants, and wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
, and waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
. Park hunting rules grant certain enumerated preferences to deer bowhunters
Bowhunting
Bowhunting is the practice of killing game animals by archery. It has been a normal use of archery in every culture that had bows.- Technique :...
. There is extensive fishing for largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, and catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, and limited fishing for smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, muskie
Muskie
Muskie may refer to:*Ed Muskie, American politician*Muskellunge, freshwater fish native to North America...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, and walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
. Much of the former strip-mined land has been replanted with trees, with tolerant, early succession trees such as cottonwood, box elder
Box Elder
Box Elder may refer to:*The Box elder, Acer negundo, a species of maple*The Box elder bug, an insect which feeds on maple trees*Box Elders, a punk band from Omaha, Nebraska*Places named "Box Elder" include:*Box Elder, Montana, United States of America...
, and sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
predominating. Illinois DNR planners hope to increase the numbers of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
trees in the recreation area.
Birds
The Pyramid State Recreation Area has been listed by the Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area of Illinois, because of the extensive grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s located within the state park and the parcel's vulnerability to infestation from exotic species. The avian advocates note the state park's service as a territory for wetland birds such as the sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, trumpeter swan
Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
, and owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s such as the barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
and the short-eared owl
Short-eared Owl
The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...
.