What is a Hill Prairie?
A hill prairie is a prairie opening on a forested slope, caused by a combination of factors which result in droughty, well-drained soils. Hill prairies typically occur on steep, exposed, south and west facing bluffs. Periodic fires have maintained many hill prairies. Some hill prairies occur on eroded glacial drift, especially where a river valley cuts through an end moraine, exposing the coarse glacial deposits in the moraine. Coneflower Hill Prairie is a glacial drift hill prairie as it is located on a southwest facing bluff of the Cerro Gordo glacial moraine overlooking the Kaskaskia River Valley.
