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Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area

Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area from directly overhead

Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area is a nature reserve in Illinois, at a modelled elevation of 187 m. Williams Hill stands 325 m to the east-northeast, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is Bell Smith Springs, a spring 0.1 miles away. River Road Scenic Byway passes 217 miles off. 214 named places lie within 25 miles, 35 of them named summits.

What to expect

Operated by
United States Forest Service

Official site

How to reach it

Coordinates37.51976, -88.65654

214 named places within 25 miles

Parks: 45
  • Millstone Bluff National Register Site: 4.0 mi
  • Pirate Park: 4.0 mi
  • Washington Street Park: 11.6 mi
  • Lakeview-East End Veterans Park: 11.6 mi
  • Gary Jones Memorial Park: 11.7 mi
Peaks: 35
  • Millstone Bluff: 3.9 mi
  • Island Hill: 9.4 mi
  • Benham Hill: 9.8 mi
  • Potato Hill: 9.8 mi
  • Williams Hill: 10.8 mi
Cliffs: 33
  • Sentry Bluff: 0.9 mi
  • Spleef Peak: 1.7 mi
  • Lovely Tower: 1.7 mi
  • Battle Axe Tower: 1.9 mi
  • Railroad Rock: 2.1 mi
Attractions: 20
  • Boating: 5.3 mi
  • Woodmanship: 5.4 mi
  • Carrier millswater department: 11.2 mi
  • Carrier Mills Municpal Building: 11.4 mi
  • Absher Nicholson Funeral Home: 11.4 mi
Nature reserves: 19
Waterfalls: 15
  • Boulder Falls: 0.5 mi
  • Jackson Falls: 1.7 mi
  • Jackson Falls: 1.7 mi
  • Upper Burden Falls: 3.1 mi
  • Burden Falls: 3.2 mi
Historic sites: 15
  • Legend of Ondessonk: 5.4 mi
  • 50 Years: 5.4 mi
  • Old Wall: 6.4 mi
  • CCC Tree Planting: 7.4 mi
  • Lakeview School: 10.3 mi
Museums: 9
Natural arches: 8
  • Natural Bridge: 0.2 mi
  • Natural Bridge: 6.1 mi
  • Cedar Wonders Arch: 6.9 mi
  • Pot Hole Arch: 9.0 mi
  • Elephant Arch: 15.7 mi
Picnic sites: 6
  • Pine Point: 7.3 mi
  • Goose Bay: 7.5 mi
  • Lookout Point Picnic Area: 17.3 mi
  • Bluff View Picnic Area: 17.9 mi
  • High Knob: 18.8 mi
Springs: 4
  • Bell Smith Springs: 0.1 mi
  • Dixon Springs: 9.2 mi
  • Decker Spring: 20.5 mi
  • Negro Spring: 23.6 mi
Ghost towns: 3
Artworks: 2
  • Cheif Tecumseh Statue: 18.7 mi
  • Big John: 23.2 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Williams HillENE 66°325 m10.8 mi
Horton HillENE 59°297 m14.0 mi
Wamble MountainENE 60°287 m12.7 mi
Cave HillNE 49°284 m17.2 mi
High KnobENE 73°279 m18.8 mi
Potato HillENE 73°270 m9.8 mi
Garden Of the GodsENE 69°262 m16.0 mi
Benham HillE 95°252 m9.8 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:5918:3219:07
June solstice05:3519:4120:20
September equinox06:4318:1918:53
December solstice07:0616:0016:41

Local time (America/Chicago).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F343948586674777670594738
Precip in3.83.64.75.05.24.14.43.73.83.84.34.2

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Dixon Springs Agric CTR, 6 mi away.

  • Christmas fern31 obs
  • Eastern Pricklypear30 obs
  • Missouri Alumroot29 obs
  • Canadian lousewort24 obs
  • American columbo24 obs
  • partridgeberry23 obs
  • crane-fly orchid22 obs
  • river cane21 obs

Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element node/5991701488

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