The Cache River State Natural Area spans a pretty large portion of Southern Illinois. This area is very unique and diverse and it is actually the northernmost cypress-tupelo swamp in the United States. Pronounced “cash”, the river was given its’ name by the French which means hidden. The area has a lot to offer, but probably gets overlooked since it is technically a wetland or swamp. It is really beautiful in its’ own right so I highly recommend checking it out.

We had previously hiked at Heron Pond and saw the state champion Cherrybark Tree, but for this trip, I joined a group of ladies and we kayaked the Lower Cache River.

There is really only one outfitter, Cache Bayou Outfitters, and I highly recommend the guided tour. Our guide, Sam was so knowledgeable about the area and I think he made the float so much more interesting. Also, pets are allowed so Ellie was my co-pilot for the trip!

Given that we had received A LOT of rain over the last couple weeks, the river was actually in flood stage, but we were still able to kayak since there is not really a current. The only downside was that we were not able to see a lot of the “knees” of the cypress trees.

We followed the marked Canoe Trail, looking at wildlife and plants and learning about the deep history of this area. The surrounding communities really support the preservation of the Cache River.

On Eagle Pond, we pulled up to a beautiful, old cypress tree. The signs say that it is over 800 years old and has over 208 knees!

We paddled out to the state champion Bald Cypress Tree. This tree was previously struck by lightening and might only be standing for a few more years so be sure to check it out!

At this point, we headed back to the boat launch. The total trip was a loop of about 4.5 miles and took about 3 hours.

Kayaking the Cache River had been on my bucket list for quite some time now and I really enjoyed the experience. Be sure to check it out!