William W. Powers State Recreation Area
Also known as Powers State Recreation Area
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- dnr.illinois.gov(773) 646-3270
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
William W. Powers State Recreation Area is a recreation area in Cook County, in Burnham.
Fees and passes
Free: 'The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) does not charge an Entrance Fee to any state owned or operated land.' Camping, cabins and shelters are fee-based.
Statewide fee rule from Illinois's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ExploreMoreIL (IDNR camping, cabins, group camps and shelters)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Things to do
Boating and paddling
Boating
Motors of any size are allowed on the lake; however, those larger than 10 H.P. must operate at no-wake, idle speed. Per Illinois boating regulations, each vessel must be equipped with a life jacket for each passenger on board.
Fishing
Fishing
Wolf Lake contains many freshwater species, including largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, bullhead catfish, carp, walleye, hybrid muskie, and yellow perch. About six miles of shoreline are available to bank fishermen.
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Drinking water: not available (stated by the park)
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Accessibility at William Powers:
•
Parking - Site has paved parking lots with designated accessible parking spaces. The concrete sidewalks are within a foot of the parking spaces and easily accessible.
•
Boating - The site has four accessible boat launches, each with wood plank decking.
•
Office/Visitors center - The concrete walkway to the building is level, and the office door is at ground level.
•
Trails - The Burnham Greenway trail is a 1/2-mile asphalt trail that runs through the site.
•
Service animals are welcome in the park, but there are no water fountains in the park.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 12949 Avenue O
Chicago, IL 60633 - Nearest town
- Burnham
- Coordinates
- 41.6600, -87.5390
- Phone
- (773) 646-3270
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Illinois State Parks (IDNR state parks and recreation areas) — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- IDNR All Parks list (AEM content-fragment list JSON) + each unit's landing page for official title, coordinates, address, phone
- Wikidata
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology