5 Things to Do at Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, conservation, Driftless Region, fall colors, Galena Illinois, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, Native American History, prairies, settlers and Indians, spring wildflowers, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG

Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve is an amazing spot that features rolling hills, Native American mounds (including the only thunderbird effigy mound in Illinois), great birdwatching, and stunning views of the Mississippi River and its backwaters (known as the Harris Slough). It’s located in Galena, Illinois, and managed by the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF), a land conservancy that oversees many other beautiful preserves in Jo Daviess County. Some are equivalent in size to a city park, while others are larger, wilder areas. You can learn more about these properties by clicking here.

I had two very different experiences during recent visits to Casper Bluff (870 S. Pilot Knob Road, Galena, IL 61036).

On my first visit in high summer, my wife, my 11-year-old son, and I walked the rolling hills in sticky, “you can-cut-the-air-with a knife” humidity that was fueled by the corn sweat from the miles of cornfields that dot the area, as well as from recent rains and the Mississippi River and Harris Slough. The fields of native wildflowers (e.g., Culver’s root, rattlesnake master, compass plant, wild bergamot, purple coneflower, prairie blazing star) were an artist’s delight, and we enjoyed traversing the hilly terrain and gazing at the Mississippi River and its slough from the rolling hills. We had a great time, but we only lasted about an hour in the oppressive heat. 

But on a recent visit late last month, I hiked alone for hours in near solitude in 40-degree weather that felt colder with the steady wind. March and April are the Midwest months in which winter and spring battle it out daily (sometimes hourly) for control of the weather narrative—and winter was winning early in my hike. No matter: I was bundled up, and the demands of the rolling hills and my steady pace quickly warmed me. The land was still mostly sleeping, with only tiny green shoots barely poking through the yellowed remnants of last year’s blooms. While the land was still waking up, the birds were very active. I heard the sounds of geese and sandhill cranes from the islands in the slough. And I saw five wild turkeys (which quickly scampered away from me . . . “What did I say!?,” I thought to myself) in the hilly landscape, as well as a white-breasted nuthatch, northern flicker woodpecker, and other birds in the trees. I savored the views of the slough, islands, and river below—which were much easier to see through the bare tree branches than they are in the summer. I hiked past Native American burial mounds (more about them later) and savored the silence of the morning and the big skies that hiking in the Driftless Region provide to a Chicago guy used to seeing buildings, and buildings, and more buildings.  

Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve is a wonderful destination to check out if you’re visiting the Driftless Region (or Area, as some people call it). Unlike much of the Midwest, this area was not flattened and otherwise reshaped by the glaciers during the Wisconsin Glaciation. The Driftless Region comprises about 24,000 square miles. It features limestone bluffs, rolling hills, wooded valleys, waterfalls, creeks, wetlands, rivers, caves, Native American effigy mounds, and rare ecosystems and plant and animal species.

Here are five things that you can do at Casper Bluff:

Go Hiking

Nearly 2.5 miles of trails travel through restored dry-mesic oak savanna, mesic upland forest, open oak woodland, hill prairie and prairie areas crowned with wildflowers, and other habitats. The JDCF classifies most of this mileage as “moderate” in terms of hiking difficulty.

From the parking lot, you can take the 0.1-mile Overlook Trail to reach beautiful views of the Mississippi River and Harris Slough. The Savanna Trail (1.1 miles) takes you through rolling hills that provide views of the river and slough, and through prairies. The Thunderbird Trail (0.8 miles) travels along the bluffs to the Thunderbird Effigy. All the aforementioned trails pass various types of Native American burial mounds. The Valley Trail (0.4 miles) travels through both oak savanna and prairie restoration areas. Finally, a gravel spur from the Savanna Trail travels westerly down the side of the bluff connecting to the adjacent 8-mile Galena River Trail. Railroad tracks parallel the river, so you may hear (as I did) the sounds of a freight train moving through as you hike.

View the Native American Burial Mounds

There are 38 linear mounds, 12 conical mounds, and one 40-foot-wide thunderbird effigy (the last known intact effigy of its kind in Illinois) at Casper Bluffs, but only 20 are currently visible. The mounds were documented by amateur archaeologist William Baker Nickerson in 1900 (more on his work at the end of this article). They are part ofthe Aiken Mound Group (named for the nearby community of Aiken), which is part of the larger Effigy Mound culture that existed between A.D. 700 and A.D. 1000 in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. Linear mounds are shaped as long, low embankments. Conical mounds are circular, cone-shaped earthworks. Effigy mounds consist of raised masses of earth in the shape of animals, humans, or other symbols. They were built by the Late Woodland Indian culture. “Linear and conical mounds were used for burials, boundaries and ceremonies,” according to the JDCF. “The combination of the effigy mound, the numerous linear and conical mounds, and the lack of any signs of permanent settlement, suggest that this was a sacred site, visited for rituals and special ceremonies but not continuously occupied. The people that used this site probably inhabited the valleys nearby.” Effigy mounds were used to bury the dead, for clan ceremonies, and, perhaps, for celestial observations or to mark tribal or group boundaries. You can view a photo of the thunderbird effigy by clicking here. 

Note: the Thunderbird Trail was closed during my March visit due to the risk of visitors causing more erosion near the thunderbird effigy. Check with the JDCF before your visit to get an update on current trail conditions.

The Effigy Mounds Region

The mounds in Casper Bluffs and other places in and near Galena, Illinois, are just some of many in the Effigy Mounds Region, which encompasses northeastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northwestern Illinois, and southeastern Minnesota. Effigy and other mounds were once ubiquitous in this region, but many were destroyed by farmers and builders as forests and grasslands were converted to farms and towns were built or expanded. Some visitors may be disappointed by the effigy mounds, expecting something on the level of the spectacular Native American cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. But that’s like comparing apples and oranges (or Anasazi and Late Woodland cultures). The mounds rise only two to four feet above the earth, and they are best viewed from high above, which is not an option at Casper Bluff. But skeptics should first take some time to appreciate the Late Woodland culture. Then hike to the Thunderbird Mound and other effigy mounds in the area and discover the shapes of animal heads, legs, and wings. Then close their eyes and think back to a time before skyscrapers, superhighways, social media, and all the other trappings of the modern world. To a time when big wasn’t always better and one’s beliefs and traditions mattered more than the spectacular. To a time when a thriving Native American culture spent time on the towering hills above the Mississippi. When religious rites and seasonal ceremonies were held at these mounds where we walk today—the smell of campfires and the sounds of chants and drumbeats washing over the hills and the Mississippi River valley below. In the heartland of the Late Woodland Indian culture that lasted 550 years—nearly 300 years longer than our own nation’s history.

Enjoy the Wildflowers

Volunteers have completed significant ecological restoration to the area to return it to its native roots. During our July visit, we saw wild bergamot, Culver’s root, rattlesnake master, compass plant, purple coneflower, prairie blazing star, milkweed, and sweet black-eyed Susans; the air swarmed with bees and dragonflies; and birdsong provided a wonderful natural soundtrack as we walked.

Go Birdwatching

More than 150 bird species have been sighted at Casper Bluff, according to eBird. Species include herons, American white pelicans, bald eagles, hawks, sandhill cranes, red-bellied woodpeckers, eastern wood-pewees, red-headed woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, barn owls, eastern bluebirds, wood ducks, blue winged warblers, eastern towhees, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and indigo buntings. Visitors can view at least six bird species at Casper Bluff that have been identified as Species of Conservation Concern in the Illinois Wildlife Action plan.

Enjoy a Picnic

A small picnic area is located near the gravel spur from the Savanna Trail that travels down the bluff to the adjacent Galena River Trail. You can also find a few benches throughout the preserve.

Tips, Rules, Information, Etc.

  • Open to the public daily for recreational use from dawn to dusk.
  • A washroom and trail signage are located near the parking lot.
  • Wear good hiking boots; the trails can be slippery after heavy rain or during the winter.
  • Bring plenty of water and bug repellent.
  • Watch for poison ivy and ticks.
  • Dogs on leash are welcome.
  • Be respectful. Do not climb on the mounds and remember that some mounds contain the remains of the dead.
  • It’s illegal to remove archaeological or natural objects from the preserve.
  • Click here to access a self-guided tour guide. The guide contains useful information about the mound builders’ worldview and the natural areas of Caspar Bluff.
  • You can learn more about William Baker Nickerson by reading “The Origin of the ‘Chicago Method’ Excavation Techniques: Contributions of William Nickerson and Frederick Starr,” which was published in the Bulletin of the History of Archaeology.
  • About 20 or so years ago, local landowners Dave and Pat Casper decided that they wanted to permanently protect from development this area of land that overlooked the Mississippi River. They worked with the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, which acquired the land, named it Casper Bluff, and registered it as a Land and Water Preserve with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. I’m grateful to the Caspers for their love of the land and their desire to protect it for all time. Kudos, of course, also go out to the JDCF and the volunteers who maintain and protect this special place.  

Here are some other great Driftless Area destinations; most are near Galena: 

Copyright (photos): © Andrew Morkes (except turkey, coyote, and other birds in photo block 5, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and Native American scene, National Park Service)

Copyright (text, except quoted material): © Andrew Morkes

Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $19.99.

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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES

I’ve been writing and editing for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I also served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years

In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 70 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series) and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades and Cool Careers in Science series).

Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:

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