Snake Road, a 2.5‑mile stretch that cuts through the Shawnee National Forest between LaRue Swamp and the LaRue‑Pine Hills limestone bluffs, is the nation’s most famous wildlife crossing.
The state locks the road for roughly two months each spring and autumn, aligning the closures with a seasonal migration that sees more than 20 snake species—including northern copperheads and three venomous types—along with frogs, turtles, and toads.
Wildlife officials estimate that vehicles have killed close to one in four snakes in the area, but post‑closure surveys show a 75% drop in road casualties.
Local residents once opposed the lock‑down, but the program’s success has turned the road into a pilgrimage for herpetologists and eco‑tourists who walk the path to witness the reptiles in their natural habitat.
The Department of Natural Resources will review mortality data in 2027, using the results to refine the timing and enforcement of the closures and to explore similar measures in other parts of the state.