Recreation

The Havana area provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Havana is on the Illinois River and the River provides recreational boating and fishing. From the grain storage and collection facilities at Havana, barges transport tons of grain on the River to national and international markets.

Chatauqua National Wildlife Refuge provides 4,500 acres of wildlife habitat and is home to large concentrations of wild ducks. Bird watchers, hunters, and fishermen find resources abound in Mason County.

The Havana area also provides historical sites, golf, tennis, theatre, and auto racing.

Riverfront Park in Havana

• 3 blocks of frontage on the Illinois River
• playground
• 3 boat launches
• 4 picnic shelters
• restrooms
• volleyball
• hiking camping
• RV dumping station

Chatauqua National Wildlife Refuge

Originally grassy wetland, part of the floodplain of the Illinois River, was a stopover for migrating waterfowl on the Mississippi flyway. The area was dammed, drained, and cultivated by farmers. In 1963, the land became part of National Wildlife Refuge system and was reverted back to wetland.

• 4,500 acres of natural habitat and recreation area
• managed by US Dept of Interior
• boating, fishing, and hunting are permitted (in specified areas and season)
• hiking, bird-watching
• Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges

Sand Ridge State Forest and Jake Wolf Memorial Hatchery

• fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, horse camping
• largest state forest in Illinois - 7112 acres
• native oak-hickory forest and pine plantations
• fish hatchery produces fish which are stocked to enhance sport fishing across the state of Illinois

Other Recreation Areas near Havana

• Spring Lake State Park
• Anderson Lake
• Sanganois Island
• Mason State Tree Nursery
• Banner marsh
• Rice Lake
• Powerton Lake
• Nature Preserves

Other attractions in and around Havana

• Dickson Mounds Museum
  --- historic Indian burial mound and museum about early Native American life
• New Salem State Park
  --- Abraham Lincoln's home for several years
• Lakewood Golf and Supper Club
• Tennis Courts at H.G. Rice Park
• C.I. Chester Community Theatre
• StoreFront Theatre
• Mid-State Speedway