Lowden Miller State Forest

Welcome to the Lowden Miller State Forest located in the Rock River Valley in Ogle County, Illinois near the town of Oregon.

Forest History: Lowden Miller State Forest is one of the most scenic and historic sites in Ogle County with 3.5 miles of forested riverbanks. This land however, is not untouched forest, Governor Frank Lowden (1917-1921) was an advocate of sustainable land use and worked to reforest this land in order to help control erosion. Over a period of several decades, over half a million trees were planted under his supervision. Governor Lowden and his wife used to call the land Sinnissippi Forest, a Native American term meaning "troubled waters" or "rocky river." His love of the land was the reason he did not seek re-election for he wanted very much to return to his farm although he continued to advocate on behalf of the forest long after his governorship had ended. In 1955, the land became the first State Tree Farm. In 1992, the State of Illinois made it's first purchase of nearly 1,200 acres, from Mr. and Mrs. Warren Miller (Miller was Governor Lowden's grandson). In 1993, Warren Miller's brother, Phillip Miller, sold the state an additional 1,039 acres in order to protect it from residential and commercial development. Today the forest is 2,291 acres in size and is located right across the river from Castle Rock State Park.

For the lover of the outdoors this forest boasts over 22 miles of multipurpose trails. Come on out and have a blast!