A warm, hearty breakfast served family-style in the St. Noel Dining Area.
Spend the morning learning basic skills and gaining the knowledge to paddle on our boating lake, Lake Echon, by canoe or kayak. Travel to the Barkhausen Wetlands Center to learn about the incredible bio-diversity and natural and cultural history of the area.
We will enjoy a picnic lunch either at the Wetlands Center or at a picnic area near where we will be paddling in the afternoon.
The Gulf Coastal Plain natural division makes its northern-most reach into the southern tip of Illinois offering a rare opportunity to see swamps more characteristic of Mississippi and Louisiana. The Lower Cache River Canoe Trail offers paddlers a quality paddling experience, 3 to 6 miles in length, through a magnificent swamp filled with cypress, tupelo, and buttonbush. The highlight of the trail is Illinois’ largest, and therefore state champion, bald cypress tree. Like many trees within the Cache River State Natural Area, it is more than 1,000 years old. Learn more about the area from a knowledgeable guide as you canoe or kayak through one of the Midwest's most unique landscapes.
Enjoy a delicious Camp Ondessonk tradition! Our foil dinners will be prepared on a bed of hot coals. Burgers or chicken, fresh fixin's, and the works, all enjoyed in the fresh, crisp evening air.
Sit around the campfire, roast marshmallows, or join us in exploring the enchanted nocturnal world with a night hike or astronomy lesson. Listen for the distant calls of coyotes echoing up the canyon systems you had been hiking through during the daylight hours. Listen to the Great-Horned Owls calling to their mates, or the Barred Owls squabbling over territory. See the stars like never before. Or just relax in the common area of St. Noel and enjoy a good card game with new friends as you recharge for tomorrow's adventure.
