# Middle Fork River Forest Preserve

Region: East-central IL, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 40.2833, -87.75
Bortle class: 4 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: In Champaign County, IL, off County Road 2500N near Oakwood, east of Champaign-Urbana.
Best time: Fall and winter give the clearest, driest skies; the preserve is open year-round.
Established: Designated Illinois's first International Dark Sky Park in 2018.

## Overview
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, in east-central Illinois, became the state's first International Dark Sky Park in 2018 — and remains the only one in Illinois. It follows the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, the state's only federally designated Wild and Scenic river.

## What to see
Milky Way and deep-sky objects — a rare dark pocket amid the light-polluted flatlands of central Illinois.

## Highlights
- Illinois's only International Dark Sky Park
- Follows Illinois's sole federally designated Wild and Scenic river
- Includes the Harry L. Swartz Campground for overnight stays

## Tips
- Managed by the Champaign County Forest Preserve District — check their site for any lighting or access rules
- The Swartz Campground lets you combine an overnight stay with stargazing

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Middle Fork at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=middle-fork-forest-preserve

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/middle-fork-forest-preserve.json

Source: DarkSky International — https://darksky.org/places/middle-fork-river-forest-preserve-dark-sky-park/

---
Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=middle-fork-forest-preserve.