|
A Touch of Colorado
What was once a village and resort is now Dixon Springs State Park.
BY LIZ PENSONEAU
PHOTOS BY ADELE HODDE
Standing erect in the heart of Dixon Springs State Park are three tiny, white frame churches—the only reminders of the small village of Dixon Springs and its residents who once filled the pews at Sunday morning worship services. A dwindling congregation still attends the Methodist Church, but the Baptist and Christian churches have long since closed their doors.
Three church buildings and the mellow tones of church chimes aren't exactly things people expect to see and hear in the middle of an Illinois state park. But then, neither are a public swimming pool, a 45-foot slide, giant boulders, a waterfall and a mountain-like stream— some of the unique features that attract visitors to this beautiful spot in the Shawnee Hills.
More than a century ago, the state park site was the location of the small community of Dixon Springs, with its post office, churches, a grist mill, a blacksmith shop and a general store. It evolved into a vacation resort and health spa
10 OutdoorIllinois
A worn sign serves as a reminder of the Dixon Springs Hotel Company. The frame buildings that housed vacationers and visitors seeking mineral cures for their ailments were dismantled years ago.
|
for people from Illinois and surrounding states. A hotel, pavilion, cottages, tents, a spring-fed pool and a bath house accommodated those seeking relaxation and a variety of mineral springs remedies for what ailed them. Each of the seven springs on the property reportedly served a different purpose.
For example. Spring No. 1, "Old Ironsides," was said to be good for stomach, nerve, kidney, liver and bowel troubles. Spring No. 2 was called "Cupid," or "Beauty Spring." It was a grand external remedy for any form of skin disease and especially good for the complexion. It also was said
to eliminate the poisonous matters from the system that produced fevers. At Spring No. 7, people gathered from miles around to do their laundry, bringing wash tubs, kettles and their lunch.
Although the hotel has been dismantled and the springs are no longer used for medicinal and beauty purposes, Dixon Springs State Park still has much to offer outdoor enthusiasts. Last year alone, more than 270,000 enjoyed the 786-acre park and its facilities.
April 2000
11
|
The swimming pool at Dixon Springs State Park is a popular gathering place for young and old alike. Open daily, a lifeguard is always on duty.
|
Serene and beautiful, Ghost Dance Canyon is reminiscent of Colorado and its mountain streams.
Great Family Outing Destination
Tucked away on Route 146 between Golconda and Vienna in southernmost Illinois, Dixon Springs' greatest attraction is its public swimming pool. A pool has been a tradition at the site since 1917. Today, a lifeguard is on duty, and a 45-foot water slide offers an added dimension for fun. The facility is owned by DNR and operated by a concessionaire, who also runs an adjoining eatery where sandwiches, other refreshments and swim supplies are available throughout the day and early evening. The pool and concession stand are open 7 days a week. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Special group rates are available.
Wildlife is abundant in the park, and deer, squirrels, foxes, rabbits and ground hogs are frequently sighted. Dogwood and catalpa trees blossom profusely in season. Other trees that can be found there include oak, cypress, gum, pine, sycamore, walnut, persimmon, hickory, birch and maple. In the spring, the Jack-in-the-pulpit, violet, lady's slipper, May apple and sweet William lend even more natural beauty.
Camping
Another rather unique feature of Dixon Springs is its group camp area, which can accommodate up to 60 people. It has three duplex-type cabins, each side of which sleeps eight. (One cabin is handicapped accessible.) A staff headquarters, cooks' cabins, restrooms and showers, and a kitchen with a dining hall round out the facilities. The camp is frequently used by groups of hunters.
The group camp also is extremely popular with church groups and scout troops and is available by reservation starting Jan. 1 of each year. The camp opens in March and stays open until December, weather permitting. While there is no limit on the length of stay, a minimum of 15 individuals is required to reserve the campsite. Overnight rates are $4 per person. The kitchen facility and dining hall are open year round. A sand volleyball court, a basketball court and horseshoe pit at the park are popular with campers.
|
Dixon Springs' scenic waterfall
can be viewed from a 65-foot pedestrian foot bridge. (Right):
Large rock formations are scattered throughout the park.
|
|
|
12 OutdoorIllinois
Ghost Dance Canyon features a rocky mountain-like stream.
|
For those who aren't group campers, a Class B trailer camp area with a sanitary dump station offers 38 electrical sites. A primitive campground providesroom for 10 tents.
Hunting
Two years ago, Dixon Springs became one of 60 public sites funded with wildlife habitat development dollars provided by a habitat excise tax on hunting equipment to open more public land to hunting. As a result, archery hunting for deer and turkey is now allowed on 265 acres of land at the park. The program, known as the Pittman-Robertson wildlife restoration program, operates on a matching fund basis, with the federal government contributing 75 percent and the Department of Natural Resources, 25 percent. At Dixon Springs, parking lot development, boundary signage, timber stand improvements, vegetation control and hunter management needs such as surveys and check boxes have been funded by the tax.
Trails
Nature lovers will appreciate the self-guided 1.7 mile nature trail, but it is the 1-mile Ghost Dance Canyon trail that gives hikers the feeling they are trekking alongside a trout fishing stream in Colorado. Early on, the trail passes under a magnificent triple arch bridge, said to be the only one of its type in the state. Hikers will need to follow the orange trail markers on trees that guide them past moss-covered rocks and wild ferns and across a fast-flowing stream that makes its course around big boulders and, large rocks. It is a unique and scenic trail, enjoyable even in wintertime.
|
April 2000 13
This stone stairway was built by hand in the late 1800s leading to the mansion atop the hill.
|
Golconda Marina
Known as "the Oasis on the Ohio," the Department of Natural Resources' Golconda Marina is located just 10 miles east of Dixon Springs State Park at Golconda. Managed by a concessionaire, the popular marina has been named "No.l on the Ohio" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a full-service marina with 206 slips. Last year, it attracted more than 287,000 visitors. The 80-acre site serves as the gateway to the Smithland Pool area of the Ohio, a 23,000-acre recreational area that is recognized as one of the finest fishing and boating areas in the nation.
The premises is immaculate and offers hunters and fishermen a place to shower and grab a bite to eat. It is home to 30 major fishing tournaments each year and is a major tourist attraction for this area of the state, which boasts of excellent bass and crappie fishing. Fishing licenses for both Kentucky and Illinois can be purchased at the marina, as well as a myriad of marine supplies, tackle and bait. The facility offers gas and transient docks, free boat launching and pontoon boat rentals.
Rauchfuss Hill
Directly above the marina on a history-rich bluff known as Rauchfuss Hill, is a newly opened primitive campground, a satellite of Dixon Springs State Park. From there, visitors can enjoy the picnic area and get a spectacular view of the Ohio River, the marina and Golconda itself. Currently, there are 15 Class C spots available for rent. A half-mile hiking trail winds its way from the base of the hill and up the stone steps that once led to the Rauchfuss home, the mansion that towered above Golconda from 1864 until lightning struck and burned the structure in 1929.
|
INFORMATION YOU CAN USE
Address: Dixon Springs State Park, R.R.2, Golconda, Ill. 62938. Telephone (618) 949-3394.
Website: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/dixon.htm
Directions: The park is located 10 miles west of Golconda on Illinois Route 146 near its junction with Illinois Route 145.
Address: Golconda Marina, State Rt. 146 N., Golconda, Ill.
62938. Telephone (618) 683-5875.
Hours: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday through Sunday. (Hours are extended one hour later on the
weekends during the summer.)
Directions: Rauchfuss Hill Campgrounds, 11/2 miles north of Golconda on
Route 146. Telephone: (618) 949-3304.
For more information about these and other attractions in the Golconda area, contact the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau at 1-800-248-4373; e-mail: sitb@midwest.net; or visit the web site http://www.southemmostillinois.com.
|
14
OutdoorIllinois
|
