Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Riverside state park at the southern tip of Illinois, where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers meet.
US-60 & US-62 · Cairo, IL
Fort Defiance State Park sits on Cairo Point in Alexander County, at the far southern end of Illinois. Two large rivers, the Ohio and the Mississippi, border the point, and visitors come to see where they join. The park's elevation is the lowest in the state. Many people drive well out of their way to view the confluence, and watching barges and tugs move along the Ohio River is a common draw. A large concrete observation building overlooks the point, and visitors often eat a picnic while taking in the view. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says Horseshoe Lake-Alexander State Fish and Wildlife Area staff manage the site. Groups of 25 or more must register in advance, and pets must stay leashed.
The closest stops to Fort Defiance State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Walk the Ohio River bank at Illinois's first state park, where French and American forts once stood, and see Native American artifacts in the visitor center.
Transit: reachable by public transit
26 mi awayMore like this
Paddle or hike through southern Illinois swamps to see bald cypress trees more than 1,000 years old, including the state champion.
28 mi awayMore like this
Hike the steep, wooded ridges of the Ozark Hills in southern Illinois, with spring wildflowers, CCC stone shelters and backcountry camping.
37 mi awayMore like this
Walk a short interpretive trail to the top of a bluff in Shawnee National Forest to see the remains of a Mississippian village and petroglyphs.
42 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Walk between towering sandstone bluffs on the Giant City Nature Trail, try rock climbing or a trail ride, and eat at a 1930s CCC stone lodge.
43 mi awayMore like this
A railroad museum in a restored 1903 Illinois Central passenger station, with a locomotive and caboose on site.
51 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
