Just miles west of Chicago, off U.S. 30, urban landscape gives way to 1,550 acres of rolling prairie and a 318.8-acre man-made fishing lake. Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area provides a convenient, natural haven from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

A unique mix of grass-covered meadows, upland mesic woods, bottomland woods, and a native, undisturbed fen make this an ideal location for natural relaxation and outdoor activity. You can see sedges, cattails, marsh marigold, horsetails, skunk cabbage, turtlehead, iris, blue joint grass and bulrushes. Also enjoy areas of prairie restoration throughout the park featuring prairie grasses such as big blue stem and prairie flowers such as purple cone flower.

With facilities for picnicking, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting and winter sports, Shabbona Lake SRA is a convenient and comfortable retreat where visitors can refresh and reinvigorate in a rare, unspoiled environment.

In addition, Shabbona Lake contains a 15-acre seasonal nesting area for migratory waterfowl such as canvasback, redhead and pintail ducks and Canada geese.