Boating
The Illinois Boating Education Class consists of a minimum eight hours of instruction. These courses cover the basics of boating safety, equipment and requirements, navigation, registration and titling, emergency measures and the Illinois boating laws. Films, manuals and handouts are provided for use in the classroom.

Illinois Providers for the authorized on-line Boating Safety Course and Certification:

www.Boat-Ed.com

www.BoaterExam.com

Hunting
The Illinois Hunter Education Class consists of a minimum of 10 hours of instruction. These courses cover the basics of hunter responsibility, wildlife conservation and identification, firearms and ammunition, field safety, wildlife management, first aid, archery, muzzle loading, and state regulations. The instruction may be supplemented with the use of films, flip charts, and firearm displays.

Illinois Providers for the authorized on-line Hunter Safety Course and Certification:

www.huntercourse.com

www.hunter-ed.com

Celebrate the Earth

This program offers an opportunity for area school groups to spend a day learning about the environment by attending educational programming in the form of hands-on games, exhibits, and lectures. Professionals in their field present programs such as: Birds of Prey, Nocturnal Animals, Forestry, Reptiles, Environmental Arts, and much more. Over 3,500 school children attend this educational event every year. If you are a teacher who is interested in bringing your class out for this event contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at (618) 594-2484.

Kids to Parks Day

This event is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May.  It is a national day of play that connects kids and families with their local, state, and national parks.  By discovering our public lands, kids across the country:

• Enjoy outdoor recreation
• Learn STEM and history
• Embrace their important role as park stewards

National Public Lands Day

This event is celebrated annually at public lands in the United States on the fourth Saturday of September. The day promotes both enjoyment of the outdoors and volunteer conservation of public lands.

Campground Programs are presented in the Dam West, Coles Creek and Boulder Campgrounds Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend.

Tour of the Dam

Join Park Rangers on a tour of the Carlyle Lake Main Dam. Discover what makes the dam so important, what it takes to maintain it, as well as the history behind its creation. On this one-of-a-kind tour, visitors have access to the control house and the 'catwalk' that is typically not open to the public.

Tours are offered Memorial Day – Labor Day and take place on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. from on top of the dam.