Location – Argyle Lake State Park is located approximately 7 miles west of Macomb, Illinois in McDonough County.

Gorgeous colors of autumn

Tall prairie grasses near the visitor center.

My wife and I (and our two dogs) camped for two nights in this lovely Illinois State Park the 13-15 of October, 2006. The fall colors were spectacular! We hiked the five mile trail which circumnavigates the 93 acre Argyle Lake. The trail was rated as difficult by the park guide and the description seemed to be accurate.

There are several areas of extensive stands of pine trees that added to the uniqueness of this gem that was once a part of the old stage route between Galena and Beardstown.

Bigfoot Perspectives – I was very impressed with the large area of forest that is included in this 1700 acre park as well as the 93 acre lake. There appeared to be many different varieties of trees and scrubs. Especially interesting to me was the scattered stands of pine. The lake is stocked with 8 varietes of game fish. There are beaver in the area and we saw many squirrels. There is both bow and shotgun deer hunting as well as upland bird season. Over 200 species of bird life has been documented in the park.

In two nights of doing all night recordings only a very distant chorus of distant coyotes was heard. I was disappointed not to have recorded any owls. One of the visitors was over-heard showing the park officials at the Visitor Center some photos of cougar tracks that he had taken in the park. The visitor had spent ten years in Alaska and seemed to know what he was talking about.

Previous sightings – there was a daylight sighting by a hunter 9 miles west of the park in Hancock County on the 15th of November 2000.

BFRO Report # 3521 (Class A) - Deer hunter sees large hairy black creature that “plays peekaboo” near Webster.