Skip to main content

Search the middle of everything...

Shedd Aquarium

Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve

870 S. Pilot Knob Rd., Galena, IL 61036

Bird & Eagle Watching

Featuring Native American archaeology, this preserve is situated on the scenic Mississippi River Bluffs.

This reserve is managed by the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation. It offers hiking trails, bird watching, sightseeing, Native American archaeology, and much more on 85 acres of scenic Mississippi River bluffs. Not only does Casper Bluff boast some of the most commanding views of the Mississippi River and its backwater sloughs, but it is also an archaeologically significant site.

The 85-acre site contains the Aiken Mound Group, named for the nearby community of Aiken. Knowledge of these mounds stems from 1900, when William Baker Nickerson, an amateur archaeologist who worked for the railroads, documented 51 mounds at this location: 38 long, wall-like structures, 12 conical mounds, and one Thunderbird effigy. Nickerson also observed an earth ellipse or hut-ring and two circular depressions. While the Effigy Mound peoples are thought to have abandoned the region after A.D. 1000, as late as 1875 members of the Ho-Chunk Nation performed ceremonies in the vicinity of Aiken Mounds and constructed a burial mound for the son of their leader, Green Blanket. This burial site is thought to be located one mile east of the reserve within the bottomlands of Small Pox Creek. 

What's happening nearby...

Galena Country Fair

Grant Park •  Oct 11 – Oct 12 @ 10AM

One of Galena's most popular events featuring more than 100 vendors selling a variety of high-quality, original handmade arts, crafts and fine arts!

Read more about Galena Country Fair

Twenty Dirty Hands Self-Guided Pottery Tour

Multiple Locations •  Oct 17 – Oct 19 @ 10AM

Join in the 24th edition of the Tri-State region’s only self-guided pottery tour, October 17 - 29, 2025.

Read more about Twenty Dirty Hands Self-Guided Pottery Tour

Other Side of the Anvil

Lawn adjacent to the Stillman Mansion •  Oct 18 – Oct 19 @ 10AM

Two-day blacksmithing event that features forging and historic demonstrations, like broom tying. This is a unique opportunity to work hands-on with a coal forge and gain…

Read more about Other Side of the Anvil

You might also be interested...

Buehler Preserve

Galena

Nature preserve just steps away from downtown Galena.

Read more about Buehler Preserve

Chestnut Mountain Resort - Outdoor Activities

Galena

Chestnut Mountain is a full-service, 120-unit resort situated eight miles southeast of Galena on a wooded palisade overlooking the Mississippi River. This resort offers an array…

Read more about Chestnut Mountain Resort - Outdoor Activities

Tapley Woods State Natural Area

Galena

A quiet, wooded spot along between Elizabeth and Galena.

Read more about Tapley Woods State Natural Area

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get inspired by top travel stories, gain access to exclusive promotions and contests, and discover even more reasons to #EnjoyIllinois.