Cahokia Mounds

Yesterday I returned home from a vacation, the main point of which was to visit Cahokia Mounds, in south-western Illinois (about 13 miles east of St Louis).

Twin Mounds at Cahokia

Cahokia Mounds are the remnants of a native civilization that at one time, was probably home to 10,000-20,000 people.

Monks Mound at Cahokia

Above is Monks Mound, the largest earthen structure in the Americas, which rises to 100 feet and has a base that covers 14 acres.

Cahokia Mounds

It’s amazing when you consider these structures were built by people hauling a basket’s full of earth at a time.

Wildflowers overlooking Cahokia

There were some pretty good views from the top of Monks Mound, including the skyline of St. Louis (although the haze prevented a good photo of that).

View from the top of Monk's Mound

In addition to the mounds on the 2200 acre site, there is also an excellent Interpretive Center and Museum at Cahokia Mounds. Well worth a visit.

Cahokia Mounds

3 comments on “Cahokia Mounds

  1. Good pictures as always, Jon. They bring back memories of our visit there last summer. Glad you enjoyed your visit there.

  2. I agree with Mom, great pictures once again. You are definitely a good photographer.Glad you had a good vacation.

  3. Great pictures! The size of the mounds is unbelievable. Really looks like a great vacation spot and something we will consider.

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