Fountain Bluff is a large, isolated range of hills located in the floodplain of the Mississippi River, on the river's east bank in Fountain Bluff Township, Illinois. Its unusual geographic location was a result of glaciation during the previous Ice Age. It is known for its high steep sandstone cliffs along the river, its biodiversity and abundant Native American rock art. Fountain Bluff is named for the numerous natural springs within its hills. There is also a large spring called the "Fountain" on the north side of the hills. Fountain Bluff is sometimes called Big Hill by locals with the name "Fountain Bluff" referring to the sandstone cliffs themselves. Physical characteristics Fountain Bluff is located in western Jackson County between the Illinois towns of Gorham to the north and Grand Tower to the south, and across the river from Wittenberg, Missouri. Tower Rock, a major Mississippi River landmark, is also located nearby. Here, the Mississippi River is squeezed into a narrow channel between Fountain Bluff and the Missouri shore, where it forms bedrock rapids. During an 1864 survey the range from low to high water was determined to be . The 478 megawatt Grand Tower Energy Center is located next to the Mississippi River at the base of Fountain Bluff. The hill is part of the Shawnee National Forest with the exception of a small portion of private property. The hill is about long and up to wide, covering . The highest elevation on Fountain Bluff is near the north end, which is more than above the level of the Mississippi River valley. Illinois Route 3 follows an alignment along the eastern edge of Fountain Bluff; the Big Muddy River, a tributary of the Mississippi, flows a short distance to the east. A fire tower, open to the public, was long located on the summit and offered "a far-flung view of Illinois and Missouri, of the hills and the river, the fields, forests and farms of the vast bottom lands." As of 1985, the tower was reported to have been dismantled. In the 1939 Illinois: A Descriptive and Historical Guide Fountain Bluff is described as a "freak formation... which juts from the level flood plain like a huge loaf on a table top." The west and south sides of Fountain Bluff are flanked by sandstone cliffs high. The rest consists of wooded hills interspersed with large rock formations: "some sections