Shady Rest is a 28-acre (110,000 m²) natural area on the Sangamon River west of White Heath, Illinois. The landscape includes a river, moraine, a forest with under-story herbs and wildlife, a rail-trail that moves through the site, and cultural history spots. The park is part lowland and part upland.

History

Shady Rest was originally owned and operated by the Price family. In 1985, Mrs. Price, who was the sole owner after her husband David died, wanted to ensure that the site would be retained as a natural resource and retreat along with the related Heartland Pathways rail bed that runs through the site. Mrs. Price contributed significantly to the purchase of the rail bed.

In 1995, after Mrs. Price's death, the formal purchase of Shady Rest was arranged for preservation purposes and to allow the site to return to nature and dedicate it as a natural area. A non-profit organization, the Sangamon Valley Conservancy (SVC), was funded for that purpose by a number of contributors. Additionally, in 2006, a park was established by the Piatt County Forest Preserve District with the use of a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to create a new place to fish, canoe, and hike.