Dead River Letterbox
Illinois Beach
near Zion, Illinois, Lake County
placed Nov 3, 2002

Dead River is so named not because it is polluted, but because it runs toward, but does not flow into,
Lake Michigan. Just yards from its goal, the river disappears into the sand in an apparent dead end.
Periodically, the river builds enough pressure to burst its sand bar barricades in a violent outbreak,
which can be very dangerous to bystanders. Mostly, however, the river snakes placidly from the
marshes of Dead Lake a mile or two to its dead end on the beach, hardly seeming to flow at all.

To find the Dead River letterbox, start at the Illinois Beach nature center. From the parking lot,
follow the Dead River Trail. Take this trail past the observation deck, on over a rugged bridge,
following the banks of the river. Finally you will come to a point where the Dead River Trail turns
away from the water. Continue along the bank on a smaller side trail. Less than 50 feet along, you
will come to a group of fallen trees. Examine the last log to find a hollow covered with pieces of bark
where the box is hidden. Make sure to cover it again when you leave.

Matt the Rat
Chicago