A Protected Slither On Snake Road: Shawnee National Forest

The Shawnee National Forest office in Illinois announced that "Snake Road" (also known as LaRue Road 345) will be closed to traffic between mile post 3.0 and mile post 5.8 during the upcoming annual snake migration, August 30 - October 30. If these coldblooded slitherers don't give you the heebie-jeebies, you can take a trek on foot to catch the migration which draws observers from all over the US! Please note, if you head out, some of the species in this migration have been identified as threatened and endangered by the state of Illinois and the U.S. Forest Service, so please let nature take its slithery course.

I spoke with the Shawnee National Forest office today and found that the best time to have a chance to see see the action is over a sustained period of cooler weather, lower 80's and 70's, so late September and early October may be perfect (especially if the leaves are turning). So keep an eye on the mercury if you want to see the snakes and amphibians as they migrate to their winter hibernation habitats be sure to take a camera.

View Larger Map

You can call the Shawnee National Forest office for more information at (618) 833-8576 or read the press release on the Shawnee National Forest Website.