Bluff Road
Monroe County, Illinois
618-458-4674

In the area south of St. Louis on the Illinois banks European settlers initially confined their settlements to the rich flood plains of the American Bottoms and transformed its grasslands and forests into farm fields. Later settlers moved to the upland forests, clearing new fields. Tallgrass prairies virtually disappeared and the forests also began to vanish, remaining only in isolated pockets too steep for farming and in large swathes up and down the steep ravines. White Rock Nature Preserve, a 306-acre tract of permanently protected by wild natural habitat is an attempt to bring back some of these natural habitats.

White Rock Nature Preserve is a 306-acre tract of permanently protected by wild natural habitat owned by two local conservation non-.profit organizations - Clifftop and Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation & Development. The acquisition of White Rock was made possible by generous grants from the Grand Victoria Foundation, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife State Wildlife Grant, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. White Rock hosts extremely rare natural habitats. The White Rock tract is located within the Hill Prairie Corridor, a 25-mile stretch of ribbons and patches of hill prairie perched on top of the Mississippi River bluffs. Statewide there are only 495 acres of loess hill prairie with 40% of this total located in Monroe County. White Rock Nature Preserve hosts 7 acres of this rare habitat. White Rock Nature Preserve is also a part of a large, unfragmented, upland forest, one of the largest continuous blocks of woodlands in the state.

The high quality natural habitats of White Rock Nature Preserve and adjacent natural areas host a wealth of wildlife. More than 800 species of plants, over 200 species of migratory or breeding birds, 43 species of mammals, and 62 species of reptiles and amphibians may be found here. Several state-listed threatened or endangered species make their home here, including Wooly Buckthorns, Missouri Coneflowers, Cerulean Warblers, Great Plains Rat Snakes, Eastern Timber Rattlesnakes, Flathead Snakes, Eastern Narrowmouth Toads, Common Striped Scorpions, and the increasingly rare Coachwhip Snakes.

White Rock Nature Preserve contains a 2-mile non-looping trail system through dense and healthy woodlands. Both the Ridgetop North and Ridgetop South trails terminate at hill prairies. Visitors are asked to stay on the trails as hazardous areas exist in this preserve. Visitors are also asked to not venture onto the hill prairies as they are undergoing restoration and foot traffic will damage these efforts.

Visiting White Rock Nature Preserve
Visiting Hours
Open daily, for foot traffic only, from dawn to dusk
There is no charge to visit White Rock Nature Preserve.

Directions: White Rock Nature Preserve is located two miles south of the small town of Valmeyer. From the Great River Road (IL-3) in Waterloo take IL-156 (Park Street) west to Valmeyer. In Valmeyer take Bluff Street south to S. Michael Street. Take S. Michael Street, which turns into Bluff Road, south approximately 1.4 miles to the White Rock Nature Preserve parking lot. For visitors wishing to travel through Maeystown take an immediate left after turning onto 156 (Park Street) in Waterloo. From Main Street in Maeystown take Maeystown road 2.1 miles to Bluff Road. Take a left and go north on Bluff Road approximately 4.7 miles to the White Rock Nature Preserve parking lot. White Rock Nature Preserve can also be accessed taking Bluff Road in Prairie du Rocher (near the grain elevator) and travelling north approximately 9.6 miles.