Sandstone canyons are one of the outstanding features of the Shawnee Hills. Luxuriant vegetation grows in cool, humid ravines, which are shaded by dense forest canopy and high canyon walls. Sphagnum moss, ferns, and club mosses grow on the moist, sandstone cliff faces. Lusk Creek Canyon is a large gorge where a high-quality stream flows between vertical, sandstone cliffs that are 100 feet high in places. Several rare and unusaul plants are found here, including 13 species of wild orchids.

SIZE: 477,112 acres; 745 square miles

LOCATION:Southeastern Illinois; Gallatin, Massac, Hardin, Johnson, Pope, Saline, and Williamson counties.

The Shawnee Hills RRA is a scenic wooded area in an unglaciated part of the state. An escarpment of sandstone runs east to west in this area. Bluffs, rugged hills, deep ravines, and clear streams support distinctive flora and fauna. This area was originally forested, and considerable amounts of forested land remain.

French's shooting star is a wildflower restricted to a 10-mile band across southern Illinois called the Shawneetown Ridge. The plant grows under the dripline of sanstone ledges, where the sandy soil stays moist during the growing season.

With more than one-quarter million acres, the Shawnee National Forest is the largest public land holding in Illinois. Located in the southern part of the state, it is bordered on the east and south by the Ohio River and on teh west by the Mississippi River. The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture manages Shawnee for multiple uses, including camping, hiking, timber harvest, mining, and grazing. Within the boundaries of the Shawnee are many high-quality natural areas and rich assemblages of species unique to Illinois.

LANDCOVER : Woodlands cover 58% of this RRA (54% upland woods and 4% bottomland woods). It ranks first in total acreage and percentage of upland woods. Grassland and cropland account for 24% and 16% of the area, respectively. This is one of the few nonurban RRAs where cropland is not the predominant landcover. Moderate amounts of bottomland woods and low amounts of nonforested wetlands are found at this site.

NATURAL AREAS : The Shawnee Hills RRA has the greatest number of Natural Areas (83) among the RRAs. Principal natural features include bluffs, springs, caves, aquatic systems, barrens, hill prairies, woods, hollows, and geological features.

BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS : The highest total BSS mileage occurs in this RRA. Seventeen streams have been given BSS designation. Most are small, clear streams which run over sand, gravel, and rock substrates.

HERITAGE SITES : The Shawnee Hills RRA ranks third in number of Heritage occurrences with 255 sites. Ten community types, 49 plants species, and 25 animal species are located in the RRA. There are four large forest tracts and two rookeries.

STATE AND FEDERAL LAND : The Shawnee Hills RRA has the highest percentage of state and federal ownership of the RRAs. The total acreage of state and federal land is 138,877 acres, or 29% of the RRA, most of which is in the Shawnee National Forest. State land consists of two state parks and one conservation area.

NATURE PRESERVES : Lusk Creek Canyon, the only Nature Preserve in this site, is a large canyon with high sandstone cliffs and a high quality stream.

NATURAL DIVISIONS : The Shawnee Hills Natural Division is the predominant division in this RRA (82% of the RRA).

SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS