Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

In any season of the year, and every day of the week, the grounds of the site are open to walk from 8AM to dusk. See above options for self-guided tours during operating hours. Interpretive signs can be found along the trails and on days the Interpretive Center is closed, there is a box of brochures and trail maps outside the front door.

Geocaching is a sort of scavenger hunt using a GPS receiver to locate the hidden item. Several geocaches in the park have been created with official permission.

This 5.5-mi (10-km) hike explores more remote parts of the site.

This 1-mi (1.5-km) hike circles Spring Lake and passes a fresh-water marsh. Guide pamphlets/maps are available at the Information Desk.

This 1-mi (1.5-km) hike shows the flora and fauna of the prairie. Guide pamphlets are available at the Information Desk.

This 10-mi (16-km) hike takes you through many remote parts of the site, including grasslands, prairie, forest, and marsh environments, as well as mounds and other cultural features. Trail map at Interpretive Center.

On the Sunday morning closest to the solar equinox (Mar and Sep) or the solar solstice (Jun and Dec), early-risers gather to watch the sun line up with the wooden posts of Woodhenge. As the sun breaks over the horizon, an archeologist is on hand to explain how the massive solar calendar worked.

Twice a year (May and Sep) a special walking tour takes visitors through some of the usually-unseen parts of the site. Normally conducted by an archeologist and author who has worked at Cahokia for over 35 years, the three-hour tour is considered the best opportunity to really learn about Cahokia and its past. The group is also accompanied by a naturalist who points out which plants are native to the area and how they were used in prehistoric times.

Each May, Kids Day provides hands-on activities for all ages, including crafts, games, dancing. Try your hand at using an Atlatl to throw a spear, as it was done before the bow and arrow were invented.

Each August, Archeology Day provides a chance to meet real archeologists, tour the summer excavations, touch and wash prehistoric artifacts from the excavations. The day also includes hands-on activities for all ages, including demonstrations of ancient crafts by experts. Try your hand at rolling a chunky stone and throwing spears with an atlatl, or making an arrowhead or a clay pinch pot.

Each summer, several archeological digs are conducted at Cahokia. While they are underway, visitors are invited to tour the dig sites and talk with the people doing the work.

If you would like to volunteer to participate in one of the summer excavations, complete an application in the early spring. Volunteers may work for just a few days, a week, or several weeks. Throughout the year, volunteers assist in lab work such as washing, labeling, cataloguing, and inventorying archaeological artifact collections. Contact the Interpretive Center for an application or check the web site after February (www.cahokiamounds.org)