For detailed information and a veritable plethora of links to the parks, historic sites, and museums in the Corridor be sure to check out our On-Line Visitor Center.

Built between 1836 and 1848, the I&M Canal joined Lake Michigan with the Illinois River at Peru, forming the final link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico through the heartland of America. The Canal pierced the frontier wilderness of northern Illinois and played an important part in both westward expansion and the growth of Chicago.

Surrounding the canal there developed a 100-mile corridor of industries, farms and recreational opportunities that continues to demonstrate its rich heritage. In 1984, Congress designated this region in northeastern Illinois the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. The first in a series of "partnership parks", the Corridor encompasses state and local parks, historic sites (including the Chicago Portage NHS), museums, and a variety of recreational facilities. An affiliated unit of the National Park System, the Corridor also has a 19-member federal commission to coordinate and facilitate a plan of preservation and economic revitalization developed in 1981 and referenced in the 1984 legislation establishing the Corridor. This plan is available online in our On-Line Visitor Center (see above).

The Commission meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every other month. The next meeting will be on September 9 (special day only) at the Channahon Park District Office on U.S. 6, west of I-55. Future locations will be announced as soon as necessary arrangement have been made.

Unlike most traditional parks, the Corridor is a diverse collection of natural, cultural, recreational and industrial resources. Its varied landscape traces regional history from the earliest contact between European explorers and American Indians to the Industrial Revolution to the beginnings of the Atomic Age.

While it encompasses a large segment of the state's industrial heartland, much of the landscape is rural and wooded. Here are rare natural areas, beautiful state and local parks and forest preserves set aside for hiking and biking, cross-country skiing, fishing, canoeing, and camping.

VISITATION:

Nearly 5.5 million people visited the various historic, natural and recreation sites within the Corridor in 1998.

ADDRESS:

Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor

15701 South Independence Blvd.

Lockport, IL 60441-6584

TELEPHONE:

(815) 740-2047 or fax (815) 740-2026

OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:

The National Park Service does not operate any facilities within the Corridor. Hours and days of operation at the numerous parks, historic sites and other visitor attractions remain fairly constant year-round, and are set by each managing entity. Check with the National Heritage Corridor Commission Office for specific details. It is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday, and closed on federal holidays.

CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:

The climate in the Heritage Corridor is seasonal, with warm, wet summers and cool winters. The average January low is 13 degrees F, and the high is 30 degrees F. The average July low is 63 degrees F, and the high is 84 degrees F. Average annual snowfall is 32 inches.

DIRECTIONS:

Five interstates (39, 55, 80, 355, and 294) run through the Heritage Corridor. The Heritage Corridor Commission Office is located on State Route 53, about six miles south of I-55 on the Joliet Road exit. The Commission has designated eight Heritage Corridor Visitor Centers; each has informational literature and maps about the Corridor as a whole, and about visitor attractions in the immediate area. Click on Visitor Centers for information about them.

TRANSPORTATION:

Both of Chicago's major airports (O'Hare and Midway) are served by numerous airlines. Pace Suburban Bus Service (312) 836-7000) operates between Midway Airport and Joliet, and the Chicago metropolitan region. METRA (Metropolitan Rail) (312) 836-7000 operates two lines between Chicago and Joliet: the Heritage Corridor and the Rock Island. The Heritage Corridor Line operates between Chicago's Union Station, Summit, Willow Springs, Lemont, Lockport and Joliet; the Rock Island Line operates between Chicago's LaSalle Street Station, communities in the southwest suburbs and Joliet. Hearing impaired callers can dial TDD (312) 836-4949. AMTRAK (1-800) 872-7245 has stops in Chicago (Union Station), Summit and Joliet. Greyhound Bus Lines (1-800) 231-2222 serve Joliet and Chicago. Cab service is available in the major communities within the Heritage Corridor. Rental cars are available at O'Hare and Midway Airports and Joliet, Morris, Ottawa and Peru/LaSalle.

FEES, COSTS, RATES:

There are no admission fees to the Corridor nor to most of the parks/historic sites in the Corridor. Only the LaSalle County Historical Society Museum ($1.00 per person) and The Children's Farm ($3.50 per person) have admission fees. Other areas accept donations.

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
Visitor Center/Exhibits:

Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission Office/Exhibits: Inside is one room which contains a large map of the Corridor, a brochure rack, and a series of wall panels providing a brief history of the site and its occupants, the Fitzpatrick family. Many Corridor sites offer a variety of visitor services.

Trails, Roads:

Hiking and biking opportunities abound within the Heritage Corridor. The Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail is a unique 61-mile trail from Rockdale (on Joliet's southwest side) to Peru. Hiking trails are also available at Matthiessen, Starved Rock, Buffalo Rock, Illini and Goose Lake Prairie State Parks. The Forest Preserve Districts of Cook, DuPage, and Will counties also have hiking trails of varying lengths. Shorter trails are in Joliet's Pilcher Park and along the I&M Canal in Lockport, Lemont and Willow Springs. Cross-country skiing is permitted in many of these nature preserves, as long as snow conditions allow. Snowmobiling is permitted on the I&M Canal State Trail when there is a minimum four inch snow base. A 23-mile canoe trail exists on the Des Plaines River between Lyons and Lockport; a 15-mile trail exists on the I&M Canal between Channahon and Morris, and one can also canoe the 4.6 miles on the I&M Canal between Utica and Peru. A detailed driving tour of the I&M Canal NHC is available from the Commission Office free of charge. Fishing is a popular recreational activity in the rivers, lakes and ponds throughout the Corridor.

Programs/Activities:

Many of the parks and historic sites have interpreters who offer a variety of interpretive and special interest programs. For a listing of many of these programs, click here

RESERVATIONS/PERMITS:

Reservations for tours or school programs at the various parks and sites should be made with the individual site. Requirements vary; call ahead to avoid disappointment. Groups of 25 or more wanting to have a picnic or hold any type of function in a state park are required to obtain a special use permit. Contact the specific park for further information.

BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:

A stay from one to four hours will allow for a walk in one of the parks or a visit to an historic site. A day trip will allow for more exploring, and multiple days would be required to see most of what the Corridor has to offer in its natural resources and historical museums.

SPECIAL EVENTS, PROGRAMS:

A variety of programs and special activities occurs throughout the National Heritage Corridor all year. Information on upcoming events is available from the I&M Canal NHC Commission Office. Lewis University in Romeoville is the location of the Canal and Regional History Special Collection. This collection is one of the largest sources on canals in the country. It is particularly strong in items that relate to the I&M Canal. The collection also houses over 1,500 photographs dating from 1870 to the present. The photographs tell the story of the I&M Canal and the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor. The collection has its own web page; to access it click here.

VISITOR IMPACTS:

Much of the land in the Heritage Corridor is in private ownership. We ask that you respect the rights and property of others. If in doubt about ownership or rules and regulations, ask for information at one of the corridor's Visitor Centers, or at the Heritage Corridor Commission Office.

ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

Chicago is a visitation magnet in its own right. Contact the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (312) 567-8500, or the Chicago Office of Tourism (800) 487-2446 for detailed information about the "Windy City." Complete information about visiting Illinois may be obtained from the State of Illinois Bureau of Tourism (217) 782-7139 and TDD (217) 785-6055. Most of the Corridor communities are represented by the Heritage Corridor Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Bureau can provide numerous brochures and informational materials. Call 1-800-926-2262. Several communities in the northeast section of the Heritage Corridor are represented by the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (219) 926-7561 is about one hour east of the Heritage Corridor in Porter, Indiana. Lincoln Home National Historic Site (217) 492-4241 is about three hours south of the Heritage Corridor in Springfield. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (815) 423-6370 contains 19,000 acres at the confluence of the Des Plaines, Kankakee and Illinois rivers and is under development by the U.S. Forest Service.

PARTNERS:

Among the numerous partners which with the I&M Canal NHC Commission works is the Canal Corridor Association. Founded in 1982 by area business leaders, the Association played a prominent role in the establishment of this, the nation's first national heritage corridor. It supports and encourages the private sector's continued commitment to the Corridor.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Write to I&MCanal National Heritage Corridor, 15701 S. Independence Blvd., Lockport, IL 60441, or telephone (815) 740-2047 (voice) or (815) 740-2026 (fax).

E-mail your comments or questions to the Corridor Staff at ilmi_interpretation@nps.gov

Several I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor communities are now on line. Click here to visit the community of your choice.

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Last Updated:Thursday, 19-Aug-99 08:45:17
http://www.nps.gov/ilmi/ Author: George D. Berndt