La Rue-Pine Hills Swamp Refuge Road

The La Rue-Pine Hills road cuts through 2,400 acres of some of the most primitive swampland left in Illinois, where cottonmouths sun themselves on fallen logs and great blue herons stalk through knee-deep water. This seasonal route follows old logging roads and levees through the Union County bottoms between the Mississippi River bluffs and LaRue Swamp, passing the famous Snake Road where thousands of snakes migrate twice yearly. The trail crosses multiple seasonal creeks and requires navigation through standing water that can reach axle-deep during spring floods.

Moderate difficulty demands high-clearance 4WD with good approach angles for the steep creek crossings and mud holes that define this route. Best tackled May through September when water levels drop, though expect standing water and deep mud regardless. No permits required, but check with Shawnee National Forest for seasonal closures during snake migration periods. Dispersed camping available on higher ground near Pine Hills. This is genuine Illinois wilderness — alligator gar, river otters, and some of the state’s last old-growth bottomland hardwoods reward those who make the journey.