Ticket C: Fog-photography locations near Bourbonnais, IL (60914), with drone legality

Prepared 2026-10-15. Home reference: Bourbonnais village centre 41.1639, -87.8840 (Nominatim); the ticket's 41.153, -87.879 is about 0.8 mi south, which changes drive times by 2 minutes or less. Drive times are OSRM public-router estimates, not measurements. Sunrise is roughly 7:00-7:10 am CDT now and roughly 6:20-6:40 am CST after clocks fall back on Nov 1 (my approximation; the forecast tool computes exact values).

Contradictions with the ticket

1. IDNR "permit from the site superintendent" is not in the primary text. The only aircraft clause in 17 Ill. Adm. Code Part 110 is 110.160(i), which requires "prior authorization for each landing" from "the Department". It says "aircraft", not drone, and does not name the superintendent. The "written permission / Site Superintendent" wording comes only from flyusi.org, a secondary source. Some IDNR parks ban drones outright (Starved Rock, Matthiessen); the Kankakee River State Park page is silent.

2. Will County has a blanket ban, with no permitted areas found. Preserves open at 8:00 am, so they fail your before-7-am test on two counts.

3. Illinois local-rule law has changed. Since P.A. 103-925 (eff. 8-9-24), 620 ILCS 5/42.1(b-5) lets local governments adopt reasonable rules for airspace over their own parks. A "state preempts everything" reading is outdated.

4. Closer Kankakee Sands. The Nature Conservancy's Illinois preserve is 37 min away; the Indiana one is about 52 min.

Summary table

Des Plaines and Iroquois are over the 45-minute target and are kept so you can decide. Iroquois has the best lone-tree terrain.

Evidence blocks

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Iron Bridge Trailhead

• Name and agency: "Iron Bridge Trailhead", USDA Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/midewin/recreation/iron-bridge-trailhead
• Coordinates: OSM node 1233563855 (tagged operator US Forest Service). The FS page gives none.
• Dawn: "Visitors and trail users are welcome to the open areas of Midewin every day of the year from 4 am until 10 pm." https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/midewin/recreation/opportunities/hiking. Trailhead page: "Trails: year-round, Mon - Sun, 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Closed on federal holidays)".
• Drone: Midewin's safety page links to the FS tips page: "Individuals and organizations may fly UAS for hobby or recreational purposes"; "UAS must be flown below 400 feet"; "Keep your UAS away from populated and noise-sensitive areas, such as campgrounds, trail heads, and visitor centers." https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/recreational-drone-tips. The Midewin safety page (https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/midewin/safety-ethics) says "Avoid Drone Use Near Bison". Orders page: "Currently there are no active Forest Orders at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie." https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/midewin/safety-ethics/orders-forest-supervisor. I found no Midewin filming or commercial permit rule. The tips page cites outdated Section 336 wording.
• Features: "Adjacent to the Iron Bridge Trailhead is Midewin's second largest restoration prairie." OSM within 1.5 km: 2 tree-row ways, 1 farmland polygon, 21 stream ways. USGS 3DEP elevation: 639 ft, surrounding ring 608-643 ft (flat).

Kankakee River State Park (IDNR)

• Coordinates: IDNR page, 41.203, -87.979. https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.kankakeeriver.html
• Dawn: the page lists no hours. Activities page: "Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Vehicle traffic is not allowed during quiet hours." https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/activity/park.kankakeeriver.html. Walk-in before 7 am is not addressed.
• Drone: no park-specific rule. Part 110.160(i) is quoted in General Rules. Park office 815-933-1383.
• Features: "Enveloping both sides of the Kankakee River for 11 miles... approximately 4,000 acres." 3DEP at the Warner Bridge Road river crossing is 546 ft against 586-623 ft on a 1.5 km ring. The IDNR page names Warner Bridge Day Use Area and Area 9 as boat ramps; I have not verified coordinates for them.
• Note: private strips Hawker (12IL) and Classic Landings (05IL) are 1.7 and 3.3 nm away.

Perry Farm Park (Bourbonnais Township Park District)

• Coordinates: Nominatim, OSM way 66311888. https://www.btpd.org/perry-farm-park
• Dawn: "Hours of Operation: Dawn until Dusk, Year Round".
• Drone: no rule found. The btpd.org search for "drone" returned no posts, and the Rules and Regulations page (https://www.btpd.org/rules-regulations) has no aircraft clause. Under 620 ILCS 5/42.1(b-5) the district may adopt one, so call 815-933-9905.
• Features: page text "the Indian Caves, a staple to the Kankakee River", "Centennial Orchard". 3DEP: park 656 ft, low point 586 ft within 1.5 km. OSM: 38 mapped trees, 12 river or stream ways, 3 farmland polygons.

Bird Park (Kankakee Valley Park District)

• Coordinates: Nominatim, OSM way 66455326. https://www.kvpd.com/parks-facilities/bird-park (893 W. Station St.)
• Dawn: opening time not stated; the page lists "Park Closes At Dusk".
• Drone: no rule found (site search had no match).
• Features: amenities list "riverfront access" and "open field". OSM: 210 mapped trees, 19 wood polygons. 3DEP: 614 ft, ring 608-646 ft. In-town park.

Kankakee Sands, Illinois (The Nature Conservancy)

• Coordinates: map marker on the TNC page, 41.079350, -87.656750. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/kankakee-sands-illinois/
• Dawn: "Open sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year".
• Drone: "Drones... Self-propelled or other aircraft are prohibited from taking off, landing or being operated on any TNC preserve except for official TNC purposes, approved research or in an emergency landing situation." Same URL.
• Features: "a birdsong-filled, tree-dotted grassland known as a savanna"; "rare black oak savannas"; caption "Sunrises over the rare black oaks"; 1,800 acres. Deer hunting is allowed on many TNC preserves from October through the first week of January (blaze orange suggested). Best ground-only fog subject on the list.

Island Park, Momence (Momence Park District)

• Coordinates: Nominatim, OSM way 66134648. Agency per https://www.momence.org/: "The thirty-acre Island Park located on Mill Street, maintained by Momence Park District". District site: https://www.momenceparkdistrict.org/
• Dawn: no hours found. Drone: no rule found on either site.
• Features: river island; USGS gauge 05520500 (Kankakee River at Momence) is about 0.8 mi west; 3DEP is flat (623 ft, ring 622-638 ft). I have no verified tree line or corn view; it is a town-centre park.

Momence Wetlands Nature Preserve (IDNR / INPC)

• Coordinates: Nominatim, OSM node 354252332. https://dnr.illinois.gov/inpc/area.area3kankakeemomencewetlands.html
• Ownership: "Illinois Department of Natural Resources"; 72 acres; dedicated September 1988.
• Access: only directions ("From Momence, take Highway 114 east 6 miles to a county road. Turn north on this road and go 0.75 mile. The preserve is on the west side of the road."). No parking, trail or hours. Contact: Site Superintendent, Iroquois County Conservation Area, 815-435-2218.
• Features: "trees commonly associated with floodplains... green ash, sycamore, silver maple and eastern cottonwood". Flat (3DEP 624 ft).
• Drone: Part 110.160(i); also 110.120(b) bars entry to a dedicated nature preserve where posted rules prohibit it.

Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area (IDNR)

• Coordinates: IDNR page, 41.372, -88.207. https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.desplaines.html
• Dawn: no general hours. Trail-specific only: "6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily" (equestrian). Boat ramps "closed seasonally from the end of October for pheasant hunting season thru mid-April". https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/activity/park.desplaines.html
• Features: "The Kankakee River borders the site on the south with 3 miles of shoreline"; "open areas, swampy backwater areas and woodlands"; an 80-acre prairie-remnant nature preserve. USGS gauge 05527500 about 2 mi away. 3DEP: 515 ft, ring 504-532 ft.
• Airspace: 3.0 nm from Dresden nuclear station (see Airspace).

Iroquois County State Wildlife Area (IDNR)

• Coordinates: IDNR page, 40.994, -87.599. https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.iroquoiscounty.html
• Dawn: no general hours. "Nonconsumptive recreation, in the form of hiking and nature study, is available when the facility is closed to hunting." The 8 a.m.-10 p.m. figure on the activities page applies to snowmobilers only.
• Features: "a low glacial outwash plain... marshland, sand ridges and dunes"; Hooper Branch Savanna, "the largest single tract of rare native savanna remaining in Illinois". 3DEP: 644 ft, ring 627-653 ft.
• Site office 815-435-2218.

Airspace

Method: FAA's public ArcGIS services (Class_Airspace, FAA_UAS_FacilityMap_Data), queried per site on 2026-10-15. This is a data lookup, not a legal determination; confirm in B4UFLY or Aloft.

• KIKK (Greater Kankakee, 41.0714, -87.8463): The only airspace polygon is "KANKAKEE CLASS E5", floor 700 ft AGL. No Class B, C, D or E2-E4 (surface-area) polygon exists in a box covering 40.7-41.8 N, -88.6 to -87.2 W, apart from Romeoville (KLOT) Class D, Aurora Class D and Gary Class D. The surface at KIKK is therefore Class G. For a Part 107 pilot, Class G (and Class E5 above 700 ft) needs no authorization at 400 ft AGL or below. The UAS Facility Map has no grid for KIKK, so it is not a LAANC facility. AirNav and aviationweather.gov confirm the location and runways only; they do not state airspace class.
• Sites near KIKK: Perry Farm Park is 4.8 nm and Bird Park 3.3 nm from KIKK. Both sit inside the Class E5 shelf but under its 700 ft floor, so the surface is Class G. No site is inside a Class E surface area per the data.
• Joliet (KJOT), Lewis (KLOT), Bult Field (C56): no surface-area polygons for KJOT or C56. KLOT is Class D with facility-map grids. The nearest site to KLOT is Midewin, 13.8 nm out. Bult Field has a recreational flyer site (FRIA) record at 41.378, -87.688.
• Private strips near sites: Hawker 12IL (1.7 nm from Kankakee River State Park), Classic Landings 05IL (3.3 nm), Kankakee Airport 3KK (2.0 nm from Bird Park). These are courtesy and give-way concerns, not authorization issues.
• Nuclear stations: The FAA National Security UAS Flight Restriction layers (part-time, plus the pending layer) have no features in the region, and the live TFR list showed no Illinois TFRs on 2026-10-15. The only nuclear guidance found is an advisory, FDC 6/8818 (PERM): "PILOTS AND UAS OPERATORS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE ABOVE OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE... SUCH AS POWER PLANTS (NUCLEAR, HYDRO-ELECTRIC, OR COAL)". https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/us_restrictions/fdc_notams/pdf/FDC4-4386_FDC6-8818.pdf. Distances: Dresden to Des Plaines SFWA 3.0 nm, to Midewin 6.6 nm; Braidwood to Des Plaines 7.8 nm, to Midewin 9.4 nm. Keep clear of both plants.

General rules

FAA.

• Recreational flyers (49 U.S.C. 44809): VLOS, give way to manned aircraft, authorization needed in Class B, C, D or Class E surface areas, and in Class G "not more than 400 feet above ground level". https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/44809
• Part 107: altitude "cannot be higher than 400 feet above ground level" except within 400 ft of a structure (107.51); VLOS (107.31); civil twilight operations need anti-collision lighting (107.29), which matters for pre-sunrise flights.
• Overflying farmland is a federal-airspace matter. State and local trespass, land-use and privacy laws are not preempted. https://www.faa.gov/uas/state-and-local-regulation-unmanned-aircraft-systems. Ground trespass applies when launching from private land.

Illinois.

• 620 ILCS 5/42.1 (as amended by P.A. 103-925): the State regulates drones exclusively, but (b-5) allows "reasonable rules" over a unit's own recreation and conservation land. https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/publicacts/103/PDF/103-0925.pdf. HB3190 (2025) is stalled in the Senate.
• Hunting: "The use of unmanned aircraft, or drones, for any aspect of hunting or recovery of wildlife is unlawful" (IDNR, 520 ILCS 5/2.33(i)). https://www.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/illinois/iisnewsattachments/27064-drone-use-for-hunting-prohibited-in-illinois-idnr-reminds-hunters.pdf

IDNR.

• 17 Ill. Adm. Code 110.160(i): unlawful "Except in cases of emergency, for any person to land or attempt to land any aircraft on Department-owned, -leased or -managed property without prior authorization for each landing or attempted landing from the Department." https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/017/017001100A01600R.html
• Explicit bans elsewhere: Starved Rock ("Drones and metal detecting are not allowed."), Matthiessen ("Drones are prohibited in all areas of the park.").

Forest Preserve District of Will County. General Use Ordinance 124 (Sept 2020): "FOREST PRESERVES shall be open to public from 8:00 a.m. to sunset"; "No PERSON shall start, fly or use any... unmanned aircraft or drone" (Sec. 3, Chapter on models); Sec. 9: "Unless otherwise authorized by a PERMIT or by the written permission of the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, no PERSON shall... Operate or fly any unmanned aircraft or drone on or above DISTRICT PROPERTY." FAQ: "The operation of drones... in the preserves by the general public is not allowed." https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/about/faq. All Will County preserves (Forsythe Woods, Sugar Creek, Braidwood Dunes and others) are excluded: closed before 8 am and drone-banned.

Road right-of-way launches. I found no Illinois statute either permitting or barring a launch from a public road right-of-way. A launch over farmland from a road shoulder is a ground-use question (road authority, trespass, hunter safety), not an FAA one. Treat it as unverified.

Fog sources with URLs. Only one: Flickr "Foggy Morning", Kankakee, 2007: "In the spring it is sometimes foggy by the river." https://www.flickr.com/photos/98826767@N00/1060309395/

Could not verify

• Kankakee Sands, Indiana (Morocco): drive about 52 min (estimate); TNC drone ban and sunrise-to-sunset hours (bison area 7 am) verified at https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/kankakee-sands/, but over the distance cap, so not shortlisted.
• Goose Lake Prairie: IDNR page lists no hours; drive about 68 min (estimate); its IDNR page has a coordinate typo (-89.691). Not shortlisted. A search summary said it closes for firearm deer seasons; not confirmed.
• Aroma Park boat ramp and confluence: only a third-party listing (howsyourriver.com, "199 Boat Club Rd"); no ownership, hours or drone rule from an official page. villageofaromapark.com returned no usable text.
• Kankakee Valley Forest Preserve District (Aroma Land and Water Preserves, OSM owner tag): official site not found.
• Hours or drone rules for Island Park, Bird Park, Momence Wetlands, Des Plaines and Iroquois beyond what is quoted above.
• Whether Midewin requires a permit for commercial or filming use; where the bison herd sits relative to Iron Bridge.
• Reddit r/Illinois and r/drones fog spots: no thread found. A Fred Miranda thread on Kankakee-area fog photos returned HTTP 403; Midewin "Soft Sunrise" fog photos could not be matched to a URL.
• visitkankakeecounty.com pages returned HTTP 403.
• Any Illinois rule on launching from road right-of-way.
• Exact sunrise times (approximate only).

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