Geography
In some towns, you have to drive for hours to take a peaceful walk in the woods or experience the serenity of an afternoon lolling on a riverbank, but in Oregon, Illinois, you are only minutes away from picturesque landscapes, verdant forests, rocky cliffs, and the meandering Rock River.

Terrain
The Rock River begins in southern Wisconsin and flows south through Rockford, meandering west through Oregon, passing by Grand Detour and ending in the Quad Cities area where it empties into the Mississippi River. The Rock River boasts some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the state.

Along its banks lies some of Oregon's popular natural attractions and recreation areas including Lowden State Park, filled with deep, dark forests, and Lowden-Miller State Forest, 2,225 acres offering hiking, backpacking, birding, hunting and cross-country skiing, and Castle Rock State Park, with trails to the "top of the rocks." Castle Rock, named for its large outcropping of sandstone, is one of the few places in Illinois where the sandstone is exposed at the surface. A diversity of natural environments is found here including ravines, upland and floodplain forests, prairie, streams, and sandstone outcrops.

Flora and Fauna
Many native plants exist throughout the state parks and preserves in the Oregon area. Naturalist's visiting Castle Rock will find in the deep ravines native plants such as white pine, bunchberry, hairy woodrush, round-leaved shinleaf, and wild sasparilla. Other opportunities to enjoy the local flora and fauna will be found in the Byron Forest Preserve and Nachusa Grasslands.

The Byron Forest Preserve, which houses the Jarrett Prairie Center, was formed in 1981 to preserve a small prairie remnant and to reestablish the plant and wildlife that once flourished at the site. The preserve has grown to include more than 700 acres at four sites: a nature center with a natural history museum, an observatory, and an 18-hole golf course. The main site includes 450 acres of prairie, savanna, and woods, and is scenically situated on the rolling hills overlooking the Rock River. There are more than six miles of hiking trails winding through the prairie, oak savannas, and maple woods, offering a gorgeous view during any season. The quarter-mile Round About Trail, just outside the Jarrett Prairie Center, is paved for the physically challenged. Signs identify the native wildflowers and grasses, which line this trail. Cross-country skiers can make use of the trails during the winter.

In nearby Franklin Grove, you can visit Nachusa Grasslands, a rolling landscape offering a mosaic of prairie grasses, bur oak and sand savanna, sedge meadows, and streamside marshes. Visitors can enjoy hiking, bird watching, and other activities that do not harm the natural landscape. Though the grasslands bloom from April through October, the ruddy color of little bluestem grass in winter makes Nachusa's rolling landscape beautiful year round.

Wildlife
The state forests and preserves are home to numerous types of wildlife and some endangered species. Just a few of the many birds include: Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlark, Northern Harrier (endangered), Red-tailed Hawks, Eastern Wild Turkeys, Henslow's Sparrow and an occasional Eagle may be sighted. The woods are home to Whitetail deer, ground squirrels, coyotes, and numerous other forms of wildlife. In the fall, guests to the Byron Forest Preserve will be delighted to view migratory butterflies such as the Monarch and Painted Lady.

Weather-Average Climate Information
Winter Temperature 20.20 F
Summer Temperature 72.80 F
Annual Rainfall 36.72 In
Annual Snowfall 35.30 In

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