Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve
870 S. Pilot Knob Rd., Galena, IL 61036
Bird & Eagle Watching
Featuring Native American archaeology, this preserve is situated on the scenic Mississippi River Bluffs.
This reserve is managed by the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation. It offers hiking trails, bird watching, sightseeing, Native American archaeology, and much more on 85 acres of scenic Mississippi River bluffs. Not only does Casper Bluff boast some of the most commanding views of the Mississippi River and its backwater sloughs, but it is also an archaeologically significant site.
The 85-acre site contains the Aiken Mound Group, named for the nearby community of Aiken. Knowledge of these mounds stems from 1900, when William Baker Nickerson, an amateur archaeologist who worked for the railroads, documented 51 mounds at this location: 38 long, wall-like structures, 12 conical mounds, and one Thunderbird effigy. Nickerson also observed an earth ellipse or hut-ring and two circular depressions. While the Effigy Mound peoples are thought to have abandoned the region after A.D. 1000, as late as 1875 members of the Ho-Chunk Nation performed ceremonies in the vicinity of Aiken Mounds and constructed a burial mound for the son of their leader, Green Blanket. This burial site is thought to be located one mile east of the reserve within the bottomlands of Small Pox Creek.
What's happening nearby...
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Galena Independence Day Celebration
Green Street Plaza • Jul 04 @ 2PM
Celebrate America's birthday in style in Downtown Galena!
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Freedom Reins PRCA Rodeo
The Shenandoah Riding Center • Jul 05 – Jul 06 @ 4PM
Since 1975, the Shenandoah Riding Center has provided a pro rodeo in conjunction with Independence Day celebrations. The Freedom Reins Pro Rodeo hosts two nights of…
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Live @ The Plaza
Green Street Plaza • Jul 11 @ 5PM
Visit the Plaza to enjoy live music, food trucks, and community!
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Chestnut Mountain Resort - Outdoor Activities
Galena
Chestnut Mountain is a full-service, 120-unit resort situated eight miles southeast of Galena on a wooded palisade overlooking the Mississippi River. This resort offers an array…
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Buehler Preserve
Galena
Nature preserve just steps away from downtown Galena.
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Tapley Woods State Natural Area
Galena
A quiet, wooded spot along between Elizabeth and Galena.
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