LaRue-Pine Hills/Otter Pond RNA is one of the most unique areas in the world. As with many places in the Shawnee National Forest, the beauty we see today is rooted in geologic history.  LaRue-Pine Hills it took millions of years to form its bedrock before nature’s erosive forces took over and created the 150-foot limestone bluffs that now rise out of the Mississippi floodplain.The area derives its name from the nearby tiny settlement of LaRue and the distinct short-leaf native pine stands on its blufftops.  These massive bluffs extending roughly 5 miles along Highway 3 are as impressive today as they were to explorers Lewis and Clark in 1803.

LaRue-Pine Hills’ unique physical characteristics dictate and support a rich biodiversity not found anywhere else in the country. In all, the area covers about 4.5 square miles (3547 acres) and contains 14 natural communities including forests, wetland, prairie, glade and barren ecosystems and geologic features. Please help protect this special place for future generations to enjoy, study and appreciate. 

General Information

To Winters Pond Access:

From Jonesboro: Take Highway 146 west 8 miles to Highway 3, then north 8 miles on Hwy 3 to Muddy Levee Road. Turn east (right) onto Muddy Levee Rd. and go 3 miles to LaRue Rd. where the road T’s. Here, turn right for Winters Pond parking area and the ‘Snake Road’ or turn left and proceed 0.6 miles to Pine Hills Road. At this point you are at the north end of the RNA.

From Murphysboro:  Take Highway 149 west 7 miles to Highway 3; then south 13.6 miles on Hwy 3 to Muddy Levee Road. Turn east (left) onto Muddy Levee Rd. and go 3 miles to LaRue Rd.  where the road T’s. Here, turn right for Winters Pond parking area and the ‘Snake Road’ or turn left and proceed 0.6 miles to Pine Hills Road. At this point you are at the north end of the RNA.

While traveling up the Mississippi River, Captain Meriwether Lewis writes in his journal:

Novr. 22nd 1803 …but here putts in some high clifts the summits of which are crowned with pitch-pine & seeder, these rocks are nearly perpendicular in many places sixty feet, and the height of the hills appear about to be about 120 feet above the banks which forms their base…

Downloadable Brochures and Maps

• LaRue-Pine Hills Brochure and Map
• Snake Migration LaRue-Pine Hills

Know Before You Go

Camping: Camping is allowed in Pine Hills Campground.

Safety:

Pine Hills road (see brochure map) leads to high bluff areas. Ticks, chiggers and poison ivy are prevalent, especially during summer months, take the proper precautions.  Venomous snakes exist in the area, avoid being bitten by slowly moving away if you encounter any snake.

Research Natural Area Designation

LaRue-Pine Hills/Otter Pond became the nation’s 250th Research Natural Area (RNA) in 1991. RNA’s are permanently protected to maintain biological diversity and to provide places for research and monitoring of undisturbed natural areas. The 2,811-acre tract includes LaRue Swamp, the Pine Hills (named for the stands of native shortleaf pines on the bluffs) and Otter Pond.

Collecting of any kind (plant, animal, rock, etc.) is prohibited.

Geology of LaRue-Pine Hills 

The geologic story of LaRue-Pine Hills begins millions of years ago when most of Illinois was a large inland sea known as the Illinois Basin. Over time the sandy shores of this sea became the sandstone rock formations one sees throughout southern Illinois. The deepest portion of the sea became the towering limestone bluffs at LaRue-Pine Hills. The rocks that make up the bluffs at LaRue-Pine Hills are Devonian age Bailey Limestone (about 408 million years old). Limestone is composed of lime (precipitated calcium carbonate) from the shells of dead sea animals (i.e., sea shells, coral, etc.). Over millions of years these layers of shell deposits were pressed into rock. Once the sea receded, this bedrock was exposed to nature’s erosive forces. Wind and water began to wear away the rock creating ridges and gullies, carving out the beautiful limestone rock formations of LaRue-Pine Hills.
 

Parking lot at Winters Pond accommodates about 12 vehicles.

Parking area at south gate of Snake Road accommodates about 5 vehicles.

Pine Hills Road has a few flat pulloff spots for viewing. Picnic tables and vault toilets meet ADA standards. The "Snake Road" is a gravel road and flat in elevation however some low spots may have standing water on them.