Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County)

Illinois State Park

⚠️ CLOSED

The Stock Pond will be closed September 17 - 19, 2026, for a fishing derby. There will be no access to Chouteau Island until approximately October 1, 2026, due to bridge repair.

Show all 2 notices

Shelter #3 and the hiking trail are closed until October 1, 2026. The campground and the road leading to the campground are closed until May 2027, for an installation project on the causeway.

Current closures
There wil be no access to Chouteau Island via vehicle traffic until further notice, due to bridge repairs. Horseshoe Lake will close to all boat traffic beginning at sunset on October 25th, and will re-open for duck hunters only at 4am on October 31st. No fishing from a boat will be allowed from sunset, October 25th through sunset, January 3, 2027.

🚧 Trail closures — check details

Entrance feeFree

CampingYes

RV hookupsPrimitive only

Directions Official Illinois DNR page Log a visit

Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County) entrance fee

Free entry

About Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County)

A natural oxbow left behind when the Mississippi cut a new channel, now averaging just three feet deep across 2,960 acres of floodplain. People have used this ground since 8000 B.C.; today it is the Metro East's nearest big park.