Bureau County, Illinois tourism

Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area

Approaching 900 acres in size, Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area is comprised of a restored strip mine which has attracted a vibrant community of plants and animals to its forests, lakes, and grasslands. Over a dozen lakes ranging in size from 0.5-15.5 acres dot the landscape. Dragonfly enthusiasts should check the sedges, rushes, cattails, and other emergent aquatic vegetation along the lakes' shorelines where dragonflies perch during the warm months. This habitat is also excellent for finding water-associated birds such as bitterns, rails, Red-winged Blackbirds, and the like.

Hill prairie grasses and wildflowers along the old mining slag heaps furnish habitat for an assortment of birds such as Eastern Meadowlark and several sparrow species. The roadways in Mautino double as hiking trails for touring the mix of bottomland forest (cottonwood, silver maple, hack-berry, black cherry) interlaced with hill prairies.

Site Access - Free
GPS - n 41.32332; w 89.71890
Site Contact - 815-454-2328

Directions:
From the intersection of SR (State Route) 26 and I 80 in Princeton, go west on I 80 for 11.9 miles to Exit 45. Take the exit and go south on SR 40 for 4.4 miles. Turn west (right) to CR (County Road) 24/Main St. in Buda, following CR 24 westward for another 2.0 miles to the site.