Besides birds that can be seen and heard while floating on the river itself, birding is good at: Carpenter Park, Springfield Centennial Park, Springfield Lincoln’s New Salem Historic Site , Petersburg — several miles of interconnected trails through forest and along Sangamon River. Lincoln’s New Salem H.S. is located about 2 miles south of Petersburg (map). Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield (Jim Edgar) Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area, with 16,550 acres of grassland and forest, three lakes, tributaries to the Sangamon River, and over 30 miles of trails, Panther Creek offers a fantastic variety of bird life.