Cache River

About

Through Johnson and Pulaski counties, the Cache River winds 60 miles of cypress swamp that holds some of the oldest trees in North America. The lower Cache section offers the prime paddling — Class I water at 380 CFS average through bottomland forest where thousand-year-old bald cypress rise from dark water. Heron Pond preserves a grove of these ancient giants, though it requires a walk-in approach rather than river access. At optimal flows between 100–500 CFS, the Cache moves slowly enough to study the swamp ecology that earned it designation as both a National Natural Landmark and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The Cache River State Natural Area protects much of the corridor, while Shawnee Forest Outfitters provides shuttle service for paddlers. USGS gauge 03612000 tracks conditions for this remnant of the vast wetland complex that once covered southern Illinois.