Fox Ridge State Park

Reserve Your Campsite

Camping at Fox Ridge offers plenty of amenities. Picnic tables, cooking grills, drinking water, toilet facilities, and a sanitary dumping station are available to campers. The shower building is closed by November 1 (may be earlier if bad weather) and reopens April 15 (may be earlier—weather depending). Reservations are available at ExploreMoreIL™.

Trails

Due to the rich, abundant plant and animal life in the park and its dramatic hills and bluffs, the 8 miles of the park’s meandering trail system is the natural focus for most visitors. Fox Ridge is a ravine of glacial moraine, and many of the 10 connected trails are steep. Eighteen picturesque wooden bridges and numerous rest benches make them easily negotiable. Descriptive markers at each trail entrance provide detailed information. Turkey, deer, foxes, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, turkey vultures, hawks, owls, quail, pheasants, and the lush foliage will make your journey both exciting and restful.

Eight separate but looping trails are located within the park, allowing visitors to extend or cut short a walk. Options range from a walk along the Embarras River to a nice walk through the deciduous forest once common in the area. A 4-mile horse trail is available, however, users must bring their own horse, and there are no overnight facilities for horses (Horse trail closed from October 31 - April 15).

Fishing and Boating

Ridge Lake is well-stocked with bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel catfish. However, fishing is permitted by reservation only at this research facility. Contact the Illinois Natural History Survey at 217-345-6490.

Fishing in the Embarras River is open to anglers willing to descend the steep slopes. Lake Charleston, about 4 miles from the park, also provides opportunities.

Canoe access: Two canoe launches, one north and one south, provide a 5-mile trip on the Embarras River.

Physical Accessibility at Fox Ridge:

• Fox Ridge has asphalt parking lots with accessible parking spaces with nearby concrete sidewalks.
• There is a wheelchair ramp available to access the office building.
• Shower House - The shower house offers one accessible shower stall per gender. To find the shower house, just follow the main road 1/4 mile past the office, turn left, and go 1/4 mile to the entrance of the campground, and the facility is on the south side of the road.
• Accessible restrooms are located throughout the park. Most of them can be found in our camping area. The main facility can be found on Wilderness Campground Road at the entrance to the campground. Just follow the main road 1/4 miles past the office, turn left, and go 1/4 miles to the entrance, and the facility is on the south side of the road.
• Accessible restrooms can also be found at the park office and at the Possum Holler picnic area.
• Camping - There are two accessible campsites in Wilderness Campground. Sites 41 and 43 are near the shower house, and the fees are $20 per night. For more information or to make a reservation, visit ExploreMoreIL™.
• Fishing - Wilderness pond has an accessible gravel trail encircling the pond and a fishing pier. Directions to Wilderness Pond are to turn left 1/4 mile inside the park just past the office, then 1/4 mile to the 4-way, turn left, and parking is on the right. Straight ahead alongside the main road would be picnic areas with shelters. After the road forks, it dead ends at two canoe access points to the Embarras River.
• Service animals are welcome, but there is no access to water in the park.