Where in Illinois can you go running or hiking, canoeing, fishing for trout, camping, hunting or scuba diving - all against a backdrop of breathtaking natural beauty? Kickapoo State Park near Danville in Vermilion County, that's where. Once a scarred wasteland ravaged by turn-of-the-century strip-mine operations, Kickapoo State Park's 2,842 acres now provide an outdoor playground with something to appeal to every member of the family.Twenty two deep water ponds, ranging in size from 0.2 of an acre to 57 acres, provide a total of 221 acres of water for boaters,canoeists and anglers. Lushly forested uplands and bottomlands along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is habitat for enough birds, wildlife and wildflowers to please any nature lover, while nature trails and running trails provide pathways to inspiration and physical fitness. If you want a less demanding excursion in the outdoors, there are facilities for camping and picnicking.

• Hike in the bottomlands with a bird checklist from the park. You may spot kingfishers, red-winged blackbirds, least bitterns, grebes, songbirds, and even wild turkeys.
• Dive in the clear, deep waters of Inland Sea and Sportsman's Lake. Kickapoo is one of only a few state parks and recreation areas in IL allowing scuba diving.
• Test your physical fitness: the 7.6-mile Out & Back running and hiking trail passes through forests, bottomlands and abandoned croplands.