A Walk in the Park: Lowden State Park is famous for the Eternal Indian

A Walk in the Park is an ongoing series from Rockford Register Star photographer Kara Hawley, who plans to explore the Rockford area — one park at a time — to capture all of the beauty and recreation Rockford area parks have to offer. If you have a suggestion of a park she should visit, email her at kghawley@gannett.com .

Established in 1945, Lowden State Park is located in Oregon, Illinois. It offers everything from hiking and camping to picnicking, fishing, boating, canoeing, cross-country skiing and hunting. There are dozens of campsites to choose from, a baseball field, sand volleyball court and playground equipment but the park's most well-known feature is the nearly 50-foot concrete statue, the Eternal Indian, by Lorado Taft.

The statue is commonly associated with Sauk Indian leader Chief Black Hawk.

Founded: 1945

Address: 1411 N. River Road, Oregon, Illinois, 61061

Acres: 273 acres

Key amenities: the Black Hawk statue, 80 Class A campsites, 38 Class B/S campsites, 8 class D campsites, picnic areas open year round, 4 miles of foot trails, boating and fishing off the Rock River

History: Before Lowden was established as a park, Wallace Heckman acquired the land in 1898. The land became an artists' colony called the "Eagle's Nest," which ran for 50 years. It became a popular home for creative people, flourishing until 1942. After all the artists left, the citizens of Oregon , with the help of the state's Department of Natural Resources, purchased the land to be turned into a memorial park in honor of the late Illinois Gov. Frank O. Lowden. In 1945, the general assembly designated the site as Lowden state park.

For more: Visit https:// dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.lowden.html or call 815-732-6828

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: A Walk in the Park: Lowden State Park is famous for the Eternal Indian