Bay Creek Wilderness
Bay Creek Wilderness is named for Bay Creek, which runs year-round, creating excellent conditions for woodland species including oak, pine, cedar, and ash, and flowering trees such as dogwood, redbud, wild cherry, and plum. On the north side, it shares a border with Burden Falls Wilderness. Bluffs colored by bands of iron oxide and unusual limestone and sandstone formations attract human visitors. Permits are not required for trail use or camping. Leave all archaeological sites as found, and don't touch "leaves of three"; poison ivy grows here as a vine, a freestanding low plant, and a freestanding high shrub.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Illinois |
| Size | 2,760 acres |
| Designated | 1990, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.55° N, 88.62° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 1 miBurden Fall Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 6 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| North Bay Creek | 3.4 | |
| Dog Leg | 0.8 | |
| Bolton | 0.7 | |
| Bay Creek Access | 0.6 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedCretaceous Hills State Natural Area Rx
23 mi from the center point · 48 acres
- PrescribedInagheh 1&2 Rx
46 mi from the center point · 62 acres
- PrescribedInagheh 4 & 5 Rx
48 mi from the center point · 205 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 6.9 miDupont, John, House ↗New Burnside, IL
- 11.1 miSaline County Poor Farm ↗Harrisburg, IL
- 12.6 miHarrisburg City Hall ↗Harrisburg, IL
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Illinois
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bay Creek Wilderness?
2,760 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Bay Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Bay Creek Wilderness in?
Illinois.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Bay Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1990.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Bay Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.550° N, 88.623° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Bay Creek Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Cretaceous Hills State Natural Area Rx at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Bay Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Dupont, John, House and Saline County Poor Farm.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.