Find Your Water Adventure!

ILLINOISouth Offers Plenty Of Opportunities To Splash Around

It goes without saying that water−based tourism has always been a big hit. People love the opportunity to soak up a little beach time, or to go kayaking, sailing, or water skiing. The great news is, ILLINOISouth has ALL of those activities and more!

Lakes

We have so many lakes in our 22-county area that we couldn’t possibly have enough space in this publication to write about all of them! That said, we’ll highlight a few worth visiting if you haven’t already. Arguably the most popular lake in our region is Carlyle Lake − the largest manmade lake in the state. The list of water activities here are pretty endless; you can play in the sand at one of the beaches, go fishing, and try out kayaking or paddleboarding. Another opportunity you should not pass up is sailing; the Carlyle Sailing Association is one of only a handful of sailing associations in the United States − the next closest Association is in Annapolis, Maryland. CSA’s purpose is to encourage people to enjoy the sport of sailing through classes, social events, regattas, races and other activities.

For an assortment of lakes to explore Pyramid State Recreation Area in Perry County is definitely one to put on your list. With over 19,000 acres of land, including 24 separate lakes − Pyramid is the largest IDNR-managed site in Illinois. Fishing and kayaking come highly recommended at Pyramid State Recreation Area, because each body of water scattered throughout the park provides a different experience.

In our Eastern Region, Olney is home to Borah Lake, Vernor Lake, and East Fork Lake. East Fork Lake provides great views of Olney’s beloved White Squirrels − which can often be found at Miller Grove Park, right on the lakeside. Borah Lake and East Fork are the two most used lakes − mostly for fishing, kayaking and water skiing.

Rivers

The two largest rivers in ILLINOISouth actually border our region − the Mississippi and the Wabash. Communities like Chester and Mt. Carmel have river access points so that folks can take their boats out to do everything from tubing to fishing. Smaller rivers that flow through our territory and attract hundreds of kayakers each year are the Embarras River in our Eastern Region, and the Kaskaskia River that travels south from Carlyle Lake through our Central and Western Regions. There are kayak access points for the Embarras River at Peterson Park in Newton, which runs southeast through Jasper, Crawford and Lawrence Counties before connecting with the Wabash River.

Pools

With the uncertainty of the pandemic, many communities opted to not open their pools last year − but several of them are ready to let the water flow in 2021! The Salem Family Aquatic Center is a top notch facility that features much more than just a pool. There is a water slide plunge pool as well as multiple play areas for the kiddos, including water cannons and a lily pad walk.

The Marshall Community Pool is another fantastic venue that was just renovated a couple of years ago. This 6,200+ square foot pool offers a splash pad, a 1-meter diving tower, zero depth entry, waterslides and a climbing wall! Not only is the Marshall Community Pool awesome, it is VERY affordable − in 2020 the cost for a daily swim was only $2!

In our Western Region there are a couple of indoor pool facilities that are certainly worth the price of admission. The Rec in Fairview Heights is a nearly brand new facility with all of the bells and whistles. Have fun zooming down their water slides, and grab a tube for a float down the lazy river − a very popular feature for visitors! Just down the road in O’Fallon lies the McKendree Metro Rec Plex, which offers two separate pools. One is the recreation pool; with zero depth entry and two shallow lap lanes as well as four deeper lap lanes. There is also a competition pool, which has ten lanes that range in depth from 8 to 14 feet. For those diving enthusiasts, the Metro Rec Plex also offers two 1-meter diving platforms and one 5-meter platform.

Splash Pads

One of the coolest splash pads in all of ILLINOISouth can be found at the Robinson Municipal Swimming Pool. This is one of the only splash pads you’ll see that features a HUGE pirate ship in the middle for children to play on. The same facility also has an amazing pool with diving boards and water slides.

For a splash pad with an awesome backdrop and a musical touch − head to Carillon Park in Centralia. Located right downtown, this splash pad is right next to the Centralia Carillon − one of the largest bell towers in the world. What’s better than listening to some music while having some fun in the sun at the same time?

The O’Fallon Family Sports Park is home to yet another amazing splash pad in our region. This venue is a two-acre play area comprised of non-traditional playground structures and a 6,000 square foot splash pad. There is plenty of room for the little ones to roam wild here, and it is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

From pirate ships and lily pads to water skis and kayaks − ILLINOISouth is a phenomenal place to Find Your Water Adventure this spring and summer!