State Park
With the inauguration of steamboat traffic on the Ohio River in the 1810s, travelers such as artist Karl Bodmer bought tickets to steam up and down the river, and Cave-in-Rock has been a recognized landmark of river tourism ever since. In 1929, the state of Illinois acquired 64.5 acres of land, including the cave. Other small parcels of land were acquired later to form the current park. The state park, which stretches from the river's edge to the top of the adjacent 60-foot (18 m) tall bluff, is maintained by IDNR for Ohio River access, camping, and hiking, including hikes to the historic cave.
Read more about this topic: Cave-in-Rock State Park
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