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    Jim Yellig Park

    3.5 (2 reviews)

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    Recommended Reviews - Jim Yellig Park

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial - Wonderful park!

    Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

    4.6(29 reviews)
    5.2 mi

    Completely free to visit! There is a large parking lot at the Memorial Hall and also some parking…read morecloser to the living history farm. The Memorial Hall is a good place to start with a short educational video, some small exhibits, and the gift shop. The Memorial Visitor Center closes from 12-1 pm for lunch, so plan accordingly if you need to use the nice clean bathrooms or fill your water bottle. The park includes a pioneer cemetery, a living history farm, a memorial to the Lincoln family cabin, and some short trails. When we visited (late May) on a weekday morning, there were no historical interpreters at the living history farm, and the buildings were all locked. I'm not sure when the living history farm is functional, but it looks like it would be fun. I highly recommend the Trail of Twelve Stones, which leads you through the peaceful woods along a path which houses 12 stones from significant locations in Lincoln's life.

    Abraham Lincoln is great and almost universally identified as the greatest president ever. I've…read morebeen to his birth site in Kentucky, His tomb, Presidential Library and home in Illinois and his memorial and place of death in Washington DC. This was basically my last spot in my pilgrimage to all things Lincoln. This was probably the least interesting of all the sites that I listed above, The visitor's center has a small gift shop, the usual National Park rangers to give you maps and knowledge and a theatre to watch a little film about the Honest One himself. From there you walk up to the Pioneer Cemetery where there is a memorial for Abe's mother Nancy who is buried somewhere near that spot. She died of milk sickness all because a cow ate a snakeroot plant! Thank God for modern medicine! Anyway from there you walk up to replica of the cabin they would have lived in and an active farm that looks as it would have when Lincoln was there. The last spot is a spring that the Lincoln's would have carried water from. All in all it was a mile walk each way. You can drive closer to some of these spots as well if you lack feet. All in all I'm glad the place exists but it's not a must do spot for the casual history buff.

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    Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
    Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
    Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial - So pretty here

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    So pretty here

    Ferdinand State Forest

    Ferdinand State Forest

    4.7(3 reviews)
    11.2 mi

    Small yet relaxing state forest!…read more Found the forest while looking for a nice spot to have a picnic. It's small but never seems crowded. I've been on both weekdays and weekends, and most weekdays you'll only share the place with a handful of people. It's $7 to enter the park (if someone's at the gates), $13 / night to camp, and $5.35/hour to rent a small boat or canoe. The forest hosts a lake for swimming (sand beach) or boating, two playgrounds, a plethora of grills, and many covered pavilions with picnic tables. Things to know before you go: there is no running water that I could see, however the restrooms were kept well stocked. This is also a place where you leave with everything you came in with, including trash. There are no trash cans available. I usually make it a habit to stop at the gas station headed back into town. ALSO: bring bug spray!

    Since COVID 19 is still an issue we were looking for local places to try while avoiding crowds so…read morewe spent a day here. If someone is on the gate the price is $7 to enter and despite the fact that its a smaller park it does have a lake that allows for kayaking, fishing & electric trolling motors only. Jon boats & canoes can be rented by the hour and the lake has a beach area where a handful of children were taking advantage of the good weather. A lifeguard isn't provided but there is a changing house. There are grills within the park and we had a small portion of the lake to ourselves while grilling. There are picnic tables & benches around one side of the lake and it made for a peaceful break during the normal work week. Camping is available for tents and other sections for campers & RVs. The hiking is limited but if you combine all the trails & fire lanes its about 10 miles. The city of Ferdinand is what I call a sleepy little city and I mean that in the best way, so on a Wednesday I saw only a dozen people on this day and relaxed, avoided COVID and look forward to a time when its safe to try the local brewery & restaurants.

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    Ferdinand State Forest

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    Jim Yellig Park - parks - Updated June 2026

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