Franklin Creek State Natural Area is renowned for its beautiful seasonal, native wildflowers, bedrock outcroppings, hardwood forests, natural springs, meandering creek, and a large variety of flora and fauna. The 900+ acre natural area and adjacent headwaters offer boundless, year-round opportunities for hiking, birding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, picnics, hunting and fishing. From April through October, explore history inside the Franklin Creek Grist Mill, a 1990s reproduction of the location’s original. The grist mill serves as a Welcome Center, and includes a wildlife exhibit, gift shop and more.
The mission of the Franklin Creek Conservation Association is to promote, conserve, and appreciate the natural area of Franklin Creek through stewardship, education, partnerships, and community engagement. We have three goals:
Conservation — To restore, protect, and maintain the natural habitats and ecosystems encompassing Franklin Creek.
Education — To foster learning and develop interest about the natural environment of Franklin Creek through educational programs, interpretive resources, and events.
Community Engagement — To engage others in expanding awareness, use, and involvement with the natural and human communities of Franklin Creek.
Franklin Creek State Natural Area consists of three primary sections: the Grist Mill, the Natural Area and the Headwaters. Click the images below to learn more about each.
The Franklin Creek Grist Mill serves as a welcome and education center for the Franklin Creek State Natural Area. Take a tour, witness water power in action, and learn about the importance of the mill in the early life of the community.
Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Franklin Creek State Natural Area boasts more than 900 acres of wetland, prairie and woodlands for visitors to explore via foot or horseback, or on snowmobiles or skis in the winter.
The Franklin Creek Headwaters is where the last of three smaller creeks join before Franklin Creek flows through the State Natural Area. Owned by the Franklin Creek Conservation Association, the area is open to the public for recreation.
