Come Spring, This Southern Illinois Road Could Be Covered in Venomous Snakes

Once again, I will begin a story by telling you I have a rather large disdain for snakes. No, I don't like them, but I understand how important they are to ecological systems. Folks who have a paralyzing fear of mice ALSO grasp their relevance.

I toss in that disclaimer when I write about snakes because I don't condone just killing them for no reason just because they're what they are. Additionally, they are FASCINATING creatures; it makes me squeamish, but I enjoy the odd YouTube video about their habits and habitats. Although I wouldn't call what happens for four months each year--two in the spring and two in the fall--a habit. It's just nature taking its course.

LaRue Pine Hills Snake Road in Southern Illinois

And for multiple venomous serpents (cottonmouths, copperheads, and timber rattlers) and a couple of frog species that seldom make it this far north (the southern leopard frog and the bird-voiced tree frog), the "course" at the heart of this story is called Snake Road, and you'll find it--if you want to--in Union County in southern Illinois. On one side you'll find cliffs, and on the other, a swamp that's part of the Mississippi River. Here's a rare find for someone far more enthusiastic about it than I would be.

Reptiles and amphibians cross the road in the fall from the swamp to the cliff bottoms where it's warmer. In the spring, they reverse course. Last year, spring came early.

When Is Snake Road Usually Closed?

Vehicles may travel Snake Road for the other eight months, but from March 15th through May 15th (unless, as I mentioned, they need to close it sooner) and from September 1 through October 30th, the road belongs to them AND to any pedestrians who want to give it a shot.

I appreciate that dude's enthusiasm over discovering a cottonmouth. I certainly don't share it, but we all find happiness whenever and wherever we can.