Sangchris Lake State Recreation Area

Located minutes east of Springfield and its Lincoln attractions, Sangchris Lake serves as a perfect home base for enjoying outdoor activities in central Illinois. Whether you're interested in fishing, boating, camping, hunting or family gatherings, Sangchris Lake provides an abundance of recreational opportunities amid native forests of oak, maple, butternut and persimmon.Totaling 3,022 acres and offering 120 miles of shoreline, Sangchris Lake is so named because it extends into both Sangamon and Christian counties. It was formed in 1964 when Commonwealth Edison built a 50-foot earthen dam across Clear Creek to create a cooling lake for a power plant it was constructing near Sicily.In 1969, ComEd deeded 1,414 acres of land around the lake to the state, along with easement rights for boating and fishing. In August of 1997, the Department of Natural Resources purchased 1,180 acres along the west shoreline from ComEd. Today, ongoing developments and improvements have transformed Sangchris Lake State Park into a popular outdoor retreat.For day visitors, there are eight picnic areas around the lake, as well as several picnic shelters. Areas contain tables, grills, water facilities and pit toilets.  Handicapped facilities are located throughout the park. Wildflowers and song birds abound along 3 miles of scenic nature trails, and there are several unique albino deer living in the area. For the equestrian, there is a 5-mile horse trail, and for those preferring greater horsepower, there is an 11-mile snowmobile trail for winter use.