TREASURES OF THE CACHE,
by Susan Post and Michael R. Jeffords
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Wildcat Bluff
Few names evoke a greater sense of wildness than Wildcat Bluff, located in the Cache River State Natural Area. A mile hike along the top of this 300-foot bluff will provide views of the upland forest, falling away on the steep slope. At trail's end, a small hill prairie provides a unique combination of prairie plants in this mainly forested landscape. The real draw, however, is the wonderful view into the valley of the Cache. The river, seen as an umber ribbon in winter and early spring, disappears into the sea of green in spring and summer. From here, nothing can be seen but an uninterrupted forest with no sign of human habitation. For the adventurous, near the parking area a faint trail leads below the bluff to a series of sandstone overhangs. Follow these for several hundred yards and enter the world, not of wildcats, but of lions. Cone-shaped pits in the dry sand are the homes and traps of the elusive antlion.
Section 8 Woods
Don't let the name fool you. Section 8 Woods, located in the Cache River State Natural Area, is a place not to be missed. A short hike along the boardwalk away from the busy highway leads into a truly primeval, flooded forest of tupelo and cypress. Along the way, experience unusual trees such as overcup oak, water hickory, water elm, and Drummond's red maple. At the end of the trail, look south to the state-champion water tupelo. Each spring the surrounding forest echoes with the twittering calls of prothonotary warblers flashing yellow through the greening vegetation. This area is an excellent site to see woodpeckers, from the black-and-white wings of a distant pileated to the downy and hairy woodpeckers that can nest near the boardwalk. Don't forget to look closely-the boardwalk railing can harbor a migration of spiderlings, wheel bugs sunning themselves before a final frost, or graduated icicles that are as musical as any tuning fork when gently strummed.
The Cache-Worthy of Respect
A visit to the Cache is a unique experience during any season of the year. Max Hutch-ison, a third-generation resident of the area, sums up much of the Rodney Dangerfield-like attitude the Cache has experienced over the years. "Although I grew up on the Cache, I never really appreciated its wildness and the diversity of its natural features until I left the area and saw some of the rest of the world." Although the Cache may have gotten little respect over the course of its history, it certainly appears to be coming into its own now as one of the great wild places left in Illinois.
Susan L. Post is a staff writer for The Illinois Stewart. Michael R. Jeffords is the education and public relations liaison for the Illinois Natural History Survey in Champaign. All photos by Michael R. Jeffords unless otherwise noted.
