The hub of park activities is the rustic lodge Sprawling picturesque Pere Marquette State Park and Conservation Area, located on the bluffs overlooking the gentle flowing Illinois river, offers many diversified forms of recreation and abounds in scenic beauty. The 5180 acre area is in Jersey county five miles west of Grafton on Illinois route 100 and approximately 19 miles west and north of Alton via the scenic Great River Road. The park was named in memory of Father Jacques Marquette, the Frenc

Long popular and much used is the massive Pere Marquette Lodge built of colorful native stone and rustic timbers, and the seven stone guest houses back of it, nestling into the hillside. The guest houses with 29 rooms and the lodge with 18 rooms are all heated, completely air-conditioned, and each have televisions. The spacious dining room has maintained a continued reputation for exceptionally good food and gracious hospitality which spills over to the large lounge with a huge 700 ton stone fir

The recreational facilities of the park are many and varied ranging from camping to hiking the many miles of foot trails, boating and fishing, picnicking or horseback riding the bridle paths, or viewing the many scenic wonders from the overlooks atop the bluffs. It’s family recreation at its best! Camping is popular and in addition to primitive sites, the park affords trailer sites with electricity, shower baths, and flush toilets. Camping permits must be secured from the park ranger who will as

Horseback riding over the 14 miles of bridle paths is another recreational feature of the park. A stable with good mounts is located within the park near the entrance. Located in the Conservation Area, the organized youth group camping area is equipped with kitchens, mess halls, and swimming pools. These three areas, Camp Piasa, Camp Quatoga, and Camp Potawatomi are extensively used during the summer months and can accommodate approximately 365 youths. Reservations for the use of these facilitie

Learning of the wrecking of his enterprise, La Salle hurried to the Illinois valley to search for his companions, arriving at Pere Marquette State Park by canoe on December 7, 1680. On the north bank of the Illinois River he viewed the fury of the Iroquois, for here were Illinois women and children tortured to death by fire, impaled on poles. Having found no trace of Frenchmen, he stripped the bark from the trunk of a tree, hung a board with a drawing of his party in a canoe, tied a letter to To

La Salle’s successor in the Illinois country was Henri Tonti, an Italian in the French army. He had lost a hand in some battle, for which he substituted an iron one, which so impressed the Indians that he became famed as the man with the Iron Hand. He served as guide to the Seminary Fathers who founded Cahokia, today the oldest permanent settlement in the Mississippi valley. This party stopped overnight at the mouth of the Illinois River on December 5, 1698. In 1717 the Regent of France was infl

The fur trade, flourishing with the Indians as middlemen, centered on the strategic Illinois waterway. The Indians controlled the region from the Fox War of the 1730’s through the French and Indian War of the 1760’s, the French having possession in name only. When the British took hold in 1763, illegal fur trading began from the newly founded St. Louis, Calhoun Point being the place of crossing. Otter, beaver, wolf, deer and martin are the peltry mentioned as abounding from the mouth of the Illi

Five veterans of the regular army were the first settlers in this region this same year. One of these, David Gilbert, settled on the bank of the lake now bearing his family name. George Finney, another veteran, platted the village of Camden in February, 1821, in the valley now bearing that name at the mouth of the Illinois river. Corner of interesting nature museum James Mason entered land in 1830 just to the east of Camden to establish a ferry to facilitate trade with St. Louis. Late in April,

The park bluffs command the first attention of the visitor. The four prominent hollows one views are ravines cut into an elevated plain. About 200 million years ago, what is now Illinois, was lifted from the sea for the last time and the age of the lizards followed. As the giant dinosaurs flourished, this region was the scene of earth movements that resulted in a dislocation of the rocks, producing the Lincoln Fold. Thus it happens that one is now in the eastern end of the Lincoln Hills which ex

The life of those times, preserved as fossils, reveal the development of the higher invertebrates, then the fishes, and finally land animals and plants. At the foot of McAdams Peak, Twin Springs flows from Ordovician-Silurian rocks, deposited in the sea 350 million years ago. All the ridges are mantled with loess (pronounced “less”), wind blown dust laid down a million years ago at the time of the Great Ice Age. The vertical banks of yellow clay seen along the road to the upper areas are compose

The varied habitats support a vast and unusual assemblage of animals. Fish, as only the Illinois valley knows them, fatten in the waterways. All four species of lizards known in Illinois scamper over the lichen-covered rocks. The whole series of fur-bearing animals now left in Illinois are here to be seen. It may be that in these endless acres that a Whitetail Deer or Wildcat still lingers, certainly an occasional Coyote and the re-introduced Beaver. Hundreds of species of birds, especially in t

EUROPEAN PLAN—WITHOUT MEALS Just above the Lodge—nestling in their woodland setting are the Guest Cottages—each containing 4 large rooms—modern in every respect—which are rented as separate rooms or en suite of 2 rooms. All are bedrooms, however, with either twin beds or double bed. Rooms are air conditioned. All meals are served in our lovely air conditioned dining room located in the main Lodge building. The transient public is invited. Meals are reasonably priced. See prices listed below. We

We have provided various games in the lobby and out of doors for your pleasure. Checkers, Chess, Indoor Shuffleboard (21 ft. long), Ping Pong, Television, World’s Largest Chess games (12 ft. square), and several other games. Visit our curio and gift shop. Many interesting items are offered for your approval. Pop corn is provided at the great fireplace during winter months. Out of door games—Shuffle boards, Horse Shoe courts. Two large and well equipped playgrounds for children. Five hole, par 3,

Reservations should be made in advance. State number in party, children, if any, and their ages; day and time of arrival, as well as day of departure. Type of accommodations desired, also alternate type in case what you wish is not available. It is also desirable to select an alternate date. This will save time and unnecessary correspondence. All reservations should have enclosed a deposit of $5.00 for each and every room. In the event it is necessary to cancel, your deposit will be returned pro

FROM ST. LOUIS: North on Route 67 to Alton, turn left off the Bridge and continue (thru Alton) and on to the beautiful, scenic, new 4 lane highway (River Road) thru Grafton, direct to lodge. FROM ALTON: New River Road as above or Route 100. FROM JERSEYVILLE: Routes 109 and 100. Address all written requests to: JERRY C. SMITH, Manager. PERE MARQUETTE LODGE , Grafton, Illinois. Phone Grafton, Illinois - Area Code 618 786-3351. Ask for Reservation Clerk. Rates are authorized by the Dept. of Conserv