Nestled in the Rock River Valley, just 3 miles south of the town of Oregon, lies a 2,291-acre wooded area that is one of Ogle County's most beautiful and historic sites. Its scenic qualities come from the 120-foot bluffs along 3.5 miles of riverfront forested with hardwood and pine trees. The history stems from the individual who, in the early part of the 20th century, augmented the natural hardwood forest by planting pines -  Frank O. Lowden (1861-1943), Illinois' governor from 1917 - 1921. He ardently embraced proper land use and strongly believed in reforestation as a way to retard soil erosion. Over several decades, an estimated 500,000 trees were seeded directly by him or under his supervision.

Since 1992, the tract has been known as Lowden-Miller State Forest. But prior to that Governor Lowden and his wife, Florence Pullman Lowden, called it Sinnissippi Forest from American Indian terms meaning "rocky river" or "troubled waters." It was part of a large and diverse farming operation that incorporated not only native hardwoods, but pasture and sandy farmland. Because the soil was of limited use for crops, Lowden experimentally planted white pines and other tree species to see what would grow productively. The earliest plantings of white pines were here before 1910 and are believed to be the oldest in the state.

The governor's love of the land transcended his desire to continue in political office. In his 1916 campaign, Lowden insisted that he wanted to serve only one term as governor as he preferred to return to his farm and forest. In his biography, Squire of the Sinnissippi, Governor Lowden wrote: "I like to think of this beautiful and fertile spot as the place where my children and my children's children and their children after them will gather long after I have become dust, and in the shade of the old tress my own hand had planted."

The governor remained an avid student of forestry throughout his life. In 1938 he invited the new forestry department at the University of Illinois to conduct research of the developing forest. Today, with nearly 80 percent of all data on Illinois hardwood forest growth having been developed at Sinnissippi, the forest still serves as a field laboratory for the university.

The family's Sinissippi Forest Christmas Tree wholesale and retail business began providing high-quality firs and pines for the holidays in 1948, and the operation continues today on land owned and leased by Sinnissippi Forest Inc. In 1955, Sinnissippi Forest was designated the first Illinois Tree Farm.

In June 1992, the state of Illinois purchased a 1,186-acre parcel of the forest from a grandson of Governor and Mrs. Lowden, Warren P. Miller and his wife, Nancy. Warren's brother, Philip Lowden Miller and his wife, Bonnie, sold an additional 1,039 acres to the state in 1993. In offering their land for sale to the state rather than seeing it subdivided or rezoned for development, the family said they were achieving their goal of keeping the area an actively managed forest and preserving its beauty for future generations.

Named for the family, Lowden-Miller State Forest now totals 2,291 acres. It is managed by the Department of Natural Resources and is located across the Rock River from another DNR property, Castle Rock State Park, which oversees its daily operations.

Lowden-Miller State Forest has approximately 22 miles of maintained trails available for hiking and cross-country skiing. These trails are open for use year-round except for a few days during the firearm hunting seasons. Check for closing dates at Castle Rock State Park. A self-guided nature trail, Loggers Trail, covers a 1.5-mile route and is accessible at parking lot #1.

 

Sheryl DeVore in Birding Illinois, lists these species as breeding at Lowden-Miller: Whip-poor-will, Least Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, 20 species of warblers, including Hooded, Blue-winged, Yellow-throated, and Black-throated Green (only confirmed place in state where this species breeds), and Vesper Sparrow.

The following sightings are culled from IBET files:

On 6/15/06 at Lowden-Miller State Forest, Red-breasted Nuthatches were reported between trail markers 3 & 4 and 2 Pileated Woodpeckers between markers 6 & 12.

On 6/11/06, a Black-throated Green Warbler was reported NW of trail marker 6; Pine Warblers between 25 & 26; a Worm-eating Warbler between 2 & 12; a Hooded Warbler at 11; and a Clay-colored Sparrow SW of 28.

A 6/08/06 report had 2 Blackburnian Warblers between markers 9 & 33; a Red-breasted Nuthatch at 5; Brown Creepers at 33 and between 19 & 20; PINE WARBLERS at 3, 9, & 53; MOURNING WARBLERS at 51 & 53; a CERULEAN WARBLER near 7; 2 LEAST FLYCATCHERS at 8 & 9; a BROAD-WINGED HAWK near 15; and PILEATED WOODPECKERS at trail marker 32.

On 5/26/06, 4 male BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS were singing between markers 32 & 33; 2 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS and a CERULEAN WARBLER between 4 & 5; a NASHVILLE WARBLER and a BROWN CREEPER just inside the woods at parking lot #1; and HOODED WARBLERS at and between markers 9, 10, & 12.