Skip to content

Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area

Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area from directly overhead

Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area is a nature reserve in Illinois, at a modelled elevation of 106 m. Benham Hill stands 252 m to the northeast, 25 miles off. The nearest named place is Round Knob, a peak 1.8 miles away. Ohio River Scenic Byway passes 2.2 miles off. 180 named places lie within 25 miles, 34 of them named summits.

What to expect

Operated by
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Official site

How to reach it

Coordinates37.22488, -88.76089

Overlooks nearby

180 named places within 25 miles

Parks: 41
  • Metropolis Soccer Fields: 4.6 mi
  • Metropolis Sportspark: 4.7 mi
  • Robinett Park: 4.8 mi
  • Franklin Park: 5.2 mi
  • Washington Park: 5.5 mi
Peaks: 34
  • Round Knob: 1.8 mi
  • Stafford Bluff: 8.7 mi
  • Blue Knob: 9.9 mi
  • Island Hill: 12.2 mi
  • Deputy Hill: 13.3 mi
Cliffs: 26
Nature reserves: 23
Attractions: 11
  • Lois Lane Statue: 5.1 mi
  • Fort Massac: 6.3 mi
  • RB's Train: 10.8 mi
  • ATOMIC CITY Family Fun Center: 11.0 mi
  • Bulge Hole Ecological Area: 20.0 mi
Waterfalls: 11
  • Ghost Dance Canyon Boulder Falls: 11.7 mi
  • Dixon Springs Waterfall: 12.2 mi
  • Avery Hollow South Falls: 15.2 mi
  • N37 24.465 W88 35.372: 15.7 mi
  • Spillway Falls: 19.9 mi
Historic sites: 10
Museums: 7
  • Superman Museum & Gift Shop: 5.2 mi
  • The National Quilt Museum: 13.0 mi
  • Market House Museum: 13.2 mi
  • River Heritage Museum: 13.2 mi
  • Hotel Metropolitan: 13.4 mi
Natural arches: 5
  • Pot Hole Arch: 12.7 mi
  • Slough Arch: 15.6 mi
  • Cedar Wonders Arch: 19.4 mi
  • Natural Bridge: 21.0 mi
  • Natural Bridge: 24.5 mi
Picnic sites: 4
Artworks: 3
Springs: 3
  • Dixon Springs: 12.3 mi
  • Clay Spring: 16.3 mi
  • Bell Smith Springs: 21.1 mi
Rest areas: 1
  • Whitehaven Welcome Center: 13.4 mi
Ghost towns: 1

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Benham HillNE 38°252 m24.9 mi
Millstone BluffNNE 13°221 m17.3 mi
Melcher HillsNE 53°214 m24.8 mi
Jameison HillE 90°184 m19.9 mi
Dyer HillE 90°183 m21.0 mi
Randle HillE 90°180 m18.6 mi
Gravel HillESE 101°180 m23.4 mi
Lewis HillE 94°176 m19.3 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0018:3319:07
June solstice05:3619:4120:19
September equinox06:4418:1918:54
December solstice07:0616:0116:42

Local time (America/Chicago).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F343847586775787770594738
Precip in3.73.84.65.14.84.73.92.93.54.14.04.1

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Brookport DAM 52, 9 mi away.

  • Eastern Cottontail3 obs
  • Largemouth Bass3 obs
  • North American Racer2 obs
  • Virginia Opossum2 obs
  • mayapple2 obs
  • flowering dogwood2 obs
  • white clover2 obs
  • seaside brookweed2 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 way/1421362922

More nature reserves in Illinois

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens