Horseshoe Lake State Park
- Nature & parks
- In Madison, Illinois
- 5.0 mi from Route 66
Horseshoe Lake State Park wraps around a natural lake shaped like a horseshoe in Granite City, IL, about 10 miles northeast of downtown St. Louis. The park covers about 2,960 acres, and the lake alone fills some 2,400 of them, and only one natural lake in Illinois is larger. Trail links reach as far as Chain of Rocks Bridge, where old Route 66 crossed the Mississippi.
What is Horseshoe Lake State Park?
Water is the main feature here. The curved lake takes up most of the park, and the rest is land around its shore in the southeastern part of Granite City, in Madison County.
The park ties into a large network of bike paths. It connects with the Schoolhouse Trail run by Madison County Transit, which in turn links to more than 85 miles of cycling routes across the county. One route uses Chain of Rocks Bridge to cross the Mississippi and carries on into downtown St. Louis.
Visiting Horseshoe Lake State Park: tips
Bring a bike if you have one; the trail links are the easiest way to connect this park to the famous Route 66 bridge across the river. Otherwise, plan on an hour or so for a lakeside stop. The park is about 5 miles off the old road.
Two archaeological sites are close: the Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site and the Mitchell Archaeological Site, each about 1.9 miles away, and Mound 34 about 2.6 miles off. Together they show how long people have lived around this lake.
Practical info
- Hours
- We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
Where to eat near Horseshoe Lake State Park
All diners on Route 66 →
On the map
Full mapHorseshoe Lake State Park with the 6 closest stops and places to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.
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Stops near Horseshoe Lake State Park
All of Illinois
1.9 mi from Horseshoe Lake State Park
1.9 mi from Horseshoe Lake State Park
2.6 mi from Horseshoe Lake State Park
2.7 mi from Horseshoe Lake State Park
2.9 mi from Horseshoe Lake State Park
6.1 mi from Horseshoe Lake State Park
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