Nature Preserves in Jasper County

Jasper County is home to many beautiful nature preserves throughout the area. Enjoy bird watching, fishing, hiking and discovering the wildlife and rare plants.

Fisher Oak Savanna Nature Preserve

Jasper County
266 aces
Ownership: NIHES Land Trust
Closed in November for Deer Control Hunt

Activities:

• Bird watching
• Fishing
• Trails
• Wildflowers

Ciurus Park Nature Preserve (Thomas Ciurus)

Jasper County
40 Acres
Ownership: Town of DeMotte

History:

Left to the Town of DeMotte by Thomas Ciurus.

Activities:

• Rare plants on the preserve
  • Bristly sarsaparilla, Cream wild indigo
• 0.7-mile trail
  • Dogs are allowed but need to be kept on a leash

Coastal Plain Ponds Nature Preserve

Jasper County (within Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area)
628 acres
Ownership: Fish and Wildlife – IDNR

History:

The global significance of Inland Coastal Plain ponds and marshes at Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Area is huge.

Activities:

• Hunting
• Fishing
• Bird watching - Sandhill Cranes
• Rare plants on the preserve
  • Long-horned beakrush, Robbin’s spikerush, netted nutrush, warty panic grass, sessile-leaved bugleweed, and creeping Saint John’s-wort

The Ranch

10 acres
The Ranch is a diverse sand savanna with upland ridges, sedge marshlands and emergent buttonbush swamp. The Ranch’s mixture of habitats was donated with the intent of land being available to the public with their education and appreciation of the beauty of nature.

Activities:

• Bird watching
• Mushroom harvesting allowed
• No Trails
• Wildflowers

Stoutsburg Savanna Nature Preserve

Jasper County
235.56 acres
Ownership: Nature Preserves - IDNR

Activities:

• 1.5-mile long Dunes and Prairie trail

Gish Wildlife Area

36 acres

Low black oak savanna dune ridges interspersed with pin oak flatwoods comprise the natural core of this land. This property also has a hay meadow on the southside of the preserve to a prairie/wetland mosaic. 

Activities:

• Bird Watching
• Trails
• Wildflowers

Prairie Border Nature Preserve

Surrounds the Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area.
507 acres
Open year round from dawn to dusk

History

Used to be the southern portion of the Grand Kankakee Marsh.

Activities:

• 1.5-mile interpretive trail

Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area

8,142 acres of wetland, upland and woodland game habitat. 

History

Acquisition of the land for Jasper Pulaski began in 1929. In 1930’s, it was designated as a game farm and game preserve. Hunting began in 1958. In 1965, the area was designated as a fish and game area. Then in 1972, the name was changed to fish and wildlife area. 

Activities:

• Fishing
• Hunting
• Trapping
• Wildlife Watch
• Shooting Range

NIPSCO Savanna

Diverse mix of savanna, prairie, and wetland communities.

650 acres were donated in 1995 to The Nature Conservancy.

• 221 acres of the savanna is retained in hopes of restoring and enhancing the black oak barren and sand prairie communities.
• 429 acres were transferred to the DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Open year round from dusk to dawn

Activities:

• Hiking

Shepherd Swamp – NICHES Land Trust

10 acres of restored wetland habitat to abundant wildlife
Closed in November for Deer Control Hunt

Activities:

• Bird watching
• Mushroom harvesting allowed
• No trails
• Wildflowers