Paul Ice Recreation Area

• Features

  • 3 playgrounds

  • 1 walking path

  • 2 geocaches

  • Boat launch and parking

  • Hunting and Fishing

  • Restroom with changing area

  • Pavilion and grills

Today’s Geocaching adventures brought us to Kinkaid Lake; the Paul Ice Recreation Area to be specific. The Paul Ice Recreation Area is located outside of Murphysboro, tucked away off Ava Road. It took 36 minutes to reach by backroads from Carterville.

Before you reach the playground area, there is a Hunting and Fishing pull-off to the left. This is where the geocache “Kincaid (misspelling) Lake” is located, into the brush and grass. There is an area for hunters to sign in.

Next we proceeded to the playgrounds. Having never been to this area at all, I was shocked at the amount of space set aside for children to play! There are three playgrounds, and a massive amount of yard/grass that is mowed for people to enjoy. This would be a great spot for a game of catch, frisbee.

Playground evaluations:

The first playground is a bit older. It did not appear to have an easily accessible path from the parking lot to the equipment, and because we had the stroller, we did not explore that area. The geocache “Chicken Fried” is about 250 feet from this parking lot. This area had the tallest slide, and is better for ages 5+.

The second playground was easy to access from it’s parking lot, there was a paved sidewalk that lead straight to and past it. I will say, this was not the most pleasant strolling experience as the path is lined with dreaded gumball trees. We had to bump along and watch our step as we proceeded down the path. This playground is also a bit dated (maybe a decade), but the most modern looking of the three. It has the most to interact with, and swings. It does have some algae and dirt from being near the lake - but we don’t take our kids to the playground and expect them to remain clean! This area also featured a pavilion with grill. This playground would be best for littles and up.

The third playground is closest to the boat launch and restrooms. It has a large pavilion with two family-sized grills. This area would be best to reserve for a large party. This playground ranks in the middle for age of equipment, and is best suited for ages 5+.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Toddler-friendly playground equipment is minimal at this location, but I feel the large and maintained stretches of grass make up for that. The playgrounds are great for ages 5 and up. I would recommend area this for large family gatherings, especially as there are rental cabins nearby. It is also a great location for hunters, fishers, boaters, and kayakers.

There was no one present at the playgrounds when we arrived around 11:00 a.m., but there were vehicles parked at the launch.

The geocaches are not park and go, you will need decent shoes and be willing to walk a few hundred feet.