Do you love cavorting with snakes,frogs, salamanders and other reptiles and amphibians? Would you like to explore the natural habitats of these creatures and observe their behavior as they migrate between their winter lairs and summer playgrounds? Well then, or the "Snake Road" in southern Illinois should be your destination during the semiannual closure of the road to protect the animals.
Snake Road,which lies between the shear cliff faces that long ago helped contain the Mississippi River (one mile to the west) and the swamp leftover from when the river shifted and narrowed due to humans channeling the river attracts people from all over the world. The road is in the Trail of Tears Forest, and every year the U.
S. Forest Service closes the road from March 15 to May 15 for the snakes to travel from the cliffs to the swamp, or again from September 1 to October 30,when they return to the cliffs to find dens for overwintering. During the closure, the critters slowly gain their way across the one-lane gravel road, or often resting in the middle of the lane to bask in the sun or attract a mate.
As an added bonus,the cliffs above the swamp, fraction of the Pine Hills section of the Shawnee National Forest, and offer great views of the swamp below,the Mississippi and ample Muddy Rivers and over into the Southern Missouri hills. A short hike out to Inspiration Point is a favorite of visitors to the area. Please resist the urge to dive from the Point into the swamp 350 feet below.
Source: atlasobscura.com