Starved Rock State Park Reviews

This park is a gem and not to be missed. The history, the geography, the scenery is wonderful. CAn't wait to get out onthe hiking trails on our next visit.

Took about 3 - 3.5 hours to hike from visitor's center down to LaSalle Canyon while hitting Starved Rock, French Canyon, Wildcat Canyon, LaSalle Canyon, Eagle Cliff Overlook, and Lover's Leap Overlook in that order. French Canyon is pretty (sunlight glistened off the water onto the canyon walls) and most accessible but it also crowded for that reason. The waterfall at Wildcat was a small trickle compared to the others but it's also very high which is cool. LaSalle Canyon was definitely worth the hike especially since you can walk behind the waterfall for some cool photos.

I would not recommend for young children (mine are 8 and 10) to do the whole distance we did. My kids certainly enjoyed the hike, several photo ops, and lunch / snacks along the way. Lastly, visitor center is nice and clean with pretty decent food options if that's your fancy.

Extra Tips: Make it a 2 day trip and hit Matthiesen State Park - Dells Area nearby on your other day. Also, I read St. Louis Canyon and Ottawa Canyon can be nice but we didn't have enough time to hit them.

The canyons are beautiful. Starved rock itself is a disappointment. You climb a hill and lots of stairs to an overlook of the dam. The park is free to enter, which is nice but it shows in the upkeep of the park. Parking lots and paths need repair, many of the stairs are loose, wooden benches are in disrepair. Strongly recommend seeing Council Bluff Overhang.

Three days with our two adult sons in a rustic cabin with two adjoining suites - what fun! A perfect getaway if you enjoy hiking, especially if you ‘enjoy’ lots of stairs!

Stairs aside, the scenery on the trails is beautiful and the canyons are amazing.

The lodge was a short walk from the cabin.
There we found an amazing (and warm) pool and one of the nicest whirlpools ever. It was a pleasure to relax in both after a long hike.

I thought the food in the lodge was ok but nothing to write home about, we ate two meals a day and had snacks from home for lunch.

We saw two bald eagles, but not from the lodge side of the river. We did see cardinals and woodpeckers while hiking though.

Finally the fireplace in the cabin was great!

We didn't have a lot of time to explore the entire park, but in the couple hours we had, we enjoyed the spectacular scenery! There are about 17 different canyons and a number of outlooks, so couple hours isn't enough. We only walked down to the French Canyon and hit the Starved Rock area/lookout. Caution is needed for all trails, but this one wasn't too strenuous for this 60-plus grandma and her 7- and 9-year old grandkids. And getting to the bottom of the French Canyon was worth it! Simply amazing!

So fun to get cooled off around and under the different waterfalls. We were there on a very hot Independence day, but the hikes were all worth the heat! Fun to see the park from various perspectives, too. A gorgeous park that I would highly recommend!

Awesome State Park. We visited Starved Rock and was able to hike over 8 miles that day and see many waterfalls and great views. The staff at the visitor center were beyond helpful and friendly. They provided us with some great ideas for our hike and told us which way to go and what to expect. I would really suggest to start as soon as you can as the area fills in and the parking lot does as well. The [ark was fairly crowded in the first mile to the visitor center then cleared out from there on. Many places to get great photos and play in the falls. Prepare to get wet as there is plenty of mud and a few places that you need to hike up the stream to get to the waterfall. Bring good shoes, snacks and plenty of water oh and a little patience to get away from the crowds in the first mile.

We were driving from Iowa to Ohio and decided to stop and visit Starved Rock. We were not disappointed. This is a wonderful place to hike and at the end of most hikes is a beautiful waterfall. The employees were very helpful giving us tips and advice about the best trails. If you are driving past this park do yourself a favor and stop. You will not regret stopping.

This was on my checklist for quite a few years. Finally visited but could hiked for 2-3 hours. Park was crowded even on a Sunday afternoon. Suggest to wear mask and carry sanitizers for safety. Overlook point and canyons are definitely worth a hike.

Let me start with there is a lot of lack of communication at the lodge. We had to fight to get into the park w a State trooper. What a jerk! Food was ok. Not worth the price- room was cool. Good if you like hiking...

We cannot wait to come back in the Spring/Summer/Fall to go hiking. We arrived just after a big snowfall, and although the lodge sells yak-traks for the adventure seekers so they can walk the snowpacked trails and even climb a frozen waterfall, I wasn't brave enough to attempt it, although I would have loved to watch someone climb a frozen waterfall. The canyons and waterfalls look beautiful, and my husband walked one of the trails to get a look at the canyon. Starved Rock Lodge has a short film that shows some of the trails, canyons, and waterfalls, and we will definitely come back to see them in-person! We also highly recommend staying at the beautiful Starved Rock Lodge or at least enjoying a meal at their wonderful restaurant. We did catch a glimpse of an eagle in a tree near the roadside because we were here while the eagles were migrating in the area.

Great park! The river trails are great and well maintained. The bluff trails are pretty good but there are some slippery, steep drop off areas. Be careful!

My husband and I were visiting family in his childhood town nearby so we stayed at the SR Lodge. My dinner of Walleye Pike was perfectly prepared and served. Lovely scenery and hiking trails. The room was clean and rustic. The indoor pool with its gigantic windows looked like it was from a past era movie. Swim suit comes next trip for sure. Very enjoyable two days.

Inside the Visitor Center, we walked around the educational area, learning about Starved Rock. Looked in the gift shop - books, patches, and stuffed birds - but didn't buy anything. We felt sorry for the two Gars, Catfish and Crappie fish in a tank that looked too small. We didn't take one of the hiking maps. No energy to hike in this heat (94°).

In the other section of the Visitor Center, we bought a tee shirt for $10, and lunch for $10 (chicken strips, baked cod sandwich). Both were good and hit the spot. The young people behind the counter were friendly and got our food out in a timely manner. The fudge looked delicious and so did the ice cream. Before leaving, we filled our water bottles at the water fountain which was big enough to accommodate our bottles.

We walked around the outside, noticing the large number of people picnicking and enjoying nature. We also saw people next to fishing poles, leaning against the wall overlooking the serene waters. We wanted to hike out to the rock formations, but we’ll do it next time in cooler weather and earlier in the day. The parking lot was almost full, and it is huge. Handicapped spaces were mostly empty. If it were cooler, this would be a perfect place to hike & relax.

The campground is self check in and hadn’t been mowed. We were told that the state pays someone twice a year. Sad. However the upkeep on the park itself is well kept.
The little store at the campground wasn’t open during our four day stay. We found Jack’s about a mile away. They have everything including wood which is cheaper than the parks. Great family ran business.

Parking is free. We came there at 9:20am with plenty of parking left. When we got out at 12noon, the parking was packed. So be early, plus it is nicer to hike in the morning. There are a lot of stairs, picnic areas. We didn't need a bug spray.

When we arrived at Starved Rock, we walked to the Veranda overlook and spent a few moments enjoying the scenic view of the Illinois River Valley. On warm days, visitors can dine outdoors on the Veranda and order their favorite drink or locally brewed craft beer.

We continued following the pathway behind the lodge, passed the cabins, and to the trailhead for St. Louis Canyon. Recent heavy rainfall left the trail slightly muddy and, at the same time, created ideal conditions for viewing waterfalls. The first canyon we encountered along the trail was Aurora Canyon. The falls at Aurora Canyon tumbled down the rocky cliffs and into the resplendent canyon basin. A short-distance later, we crossed the rushing falls at Sac Canyon.

Stayed at the Lodge and had a comfortable room, recommend reservations at Lodge Restaurant, walked different paths, and recommend going to the St. Louis Canyon.

We had a great day at Starved Rock! We hiked several of the trails, all of which were fairly easy, and had a nice picnic lunch overlooking the river after our hike. Our children are 6, 5, and 3, and we felt that the trails were easily do-able for all of us.

The Visitor's Center and Lodge are also very nice, and there is a ton to do! We stayed at the campground, which needs some attention from the State of Illinois, but was a nice stay, and very quiet. There is no alcohol allowed, and the gates are locked at 10:00 nightly, so a very family friendly atmosphere.

Over the years I have had several people recommend I go here to take pictures. They were absolutely correct. I was impressed with the views and the overall ambiance. However, the main reason I wanted to go was the waterfalls. To my disappointment I went at a time when there was little rainfall and the falls were almost non-existent. Which was extremely disappointing.

I would not recommend bringing small children on the hikes. The trails are narrow at points and I would not want to be bothered with strollers and bored children. The trails are not places for small children to roam. Also, it can get very hot so drink lots of water.

There is so much garbage everywhere, not to mention the graffiti on almost every rock face and fence. Every other group had personal speakers that blasted music that ruin the ambience of the natural environment while groups try to squeeze past each other on narrow trails and bridges. The park itself did not seem to be well maintained at all and I did not see one ranger the whole time during our visit. It is so sad to see the complete disregard for what could be an amazing park. This is my one and done trip to Starved Rock and will not be returning any time in the near future.

I very seldom give a 5 rating but I just cannot help myself here. This State Park is absolutely excellent. We hiked in the park on three different days accumulating a total of 6.4 miles. The trails leading from the Visitor Center are wide, comfortable to walk on, are boardwalks at times; but there are a lot of steps. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for anybody with a stroller. (See photo of one of the set of steps we climbed), All of the boardwalks and steps were made of lumber that was probably 3-inches thick so there was no question about safety. You can get some information about the park and its trails on-line; but I strongly suggest a visit to the Visitor Center. There you can get (one per family) a very large map of the trails throughout the park. Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff members are there to provide you guidance and suggestions. During a weekday approximately 1500 people visit the park. On a "normal" weekend there are 3000-4000 people in the park, and we were told that on holidays the people count soars upward to 7000. So plan you visit carefully. Some of the canyons can only be seen from above; but other canyons you can walk all the way into depending on the amount of rain in the past in the area.

Our first hike was to Wildcat Canyon then down some steps to the River Trail which goes along the Illinois River then back up to the Visitor Center. On our second day we climbed up steps to Starved Rock for some great views of the river, and dam. After we climbed down the steps from Starved Rock we hiked into French Canyon. The third day of our visit we did the St. Louis Canyon which is accessed from a parking lot just off route 178 slightly past (going south on178) the turnoff to go into the Visitor Center. We continued hiking at the other end of the park and went into Ottawa and Kaskaskia Canyons. There hadn't been much rain in that area for a while so the there was hardy any water falling into the canyons.

It's is hard to recommend a suggested length of time as that totally depends upon the amount of hiking you plan on doing. I've included 11 photos; but I could have included many more as the scenery is absolutely overwhelming.

To the right of the entrance into the Visitor Center there is a gift shop and a place to get what we believe was home made ice cream. SUPER !!!

Staying in Rockford, we researched parks to go hiking.
We decided on Starved Rock and drove down.
We went on Saturday which was a huge mistake. The crowds were unbelievable.
The trails were so crowded with people you were constantly dodging others making the trail walk more work than it should be.
I think the trails could be very enjoyable if there literally weren’t thousands of others fighting to walk on them.
Parking was horrible. We had to move to other parking areas.
No waterfalls and streams in canyons were dry.
Pretty sure I will live the rest of my life not wanting to go back.

Beautiful visitors center; wish it could have been open (thanks Covid). Trails marked fairly well. Disappointed in the map and knowledge of what trails were closed, due to heavy rains. Sunday was really busy. Get there early to enjoy the beauty before everyone comes walking with their dogs and music blaring. Hopefully you don't mind doing stairs, because there are lots of them. Some of the scenic overlooks need a good trimming to see more than leafy trees. Overall we had a great time and would recommend. Please take your trash with you. So sad!

Fall is great time to explore Starved Rock State Park - fewer people and plenty of fall color. In addition to checking out the Visitor Center and the Lodge (along with lunch in the dining room) we took several hikes in the park. The first was to St. Louis Canyon. We found the parking area ok and then made our way down the black top road that's in the process of being reclaimed by nature. We also hiked in to LaSalle Canyon. Other trails we visited on previous trips. The hike to LaSalle was nice offering scenic river views on the way to the canyon cut off. Tonti Canyon is closed. I am not sure why or for how long. I don't care for the trail marking system. More markers with clearer indications should be used. I would have liked to see a film detailing the history of Starved Rock S.P. but a sign at the Visitor Center said "no films today". Most places have that sort of film on a perpetual loop. Again, I saw no rangers on site except for the Visitor Center desk. Admission should be charged to help with trail and parking lot maintenance and personnel costs. Great place for a fall hike.

I could not believe that this hidden gem was located so close to home. I've heard of Starved Rock before from friends and families but never been. Now, I regret never taking more interest. There was a great number of trails for all ages. There were many canyons and some waterfalls. Just an absolute beauty. Fall there is just magical and picturesque. Great spot with plenty overlooks to see the leaf change and take picture worthy photos. The guest center was informal and filled with lots of visuals and the history of the land. We will definitely come out again soon.

Looked at the map and the length of trail was 4.7 miles. We only got about halfway due to all the stairs that are involved. Map showed only major stairs but I thought some of them should have been noted. With all the stairs they had it was just too much for us. Canyons not much to look at this time of year as there was very little water flowing.

We spent several hours hiking and worked up quite a sweat. It would be great to return for the fall colors. Dinner in the lodge was exceptionally enjoyable; everything was home-cooked.

This was a wonderful weekend getaway. Despite the landscape being bleak in March, Starved Rock offers some stunning hikes with frozen waterfalls that are just magical, think Middle Earth and Lord of the Rings. Another plus this time of year, less crowds. The trails are color coded and well sign posted. Be warned though, mud abounds and there are lots of steps so not for the faint of heart but definitely doable and highly recommended.

Grandparents, Parents and four children ages 1 to 7. Lots of hiking trails, beautiful waterfalls an many beautiful areas to explore and eat lunch. Be sure to take a map. Can be very busy but lots of space. Parking can be challenging too. Lots of steps up and down in some areas. Rigged terrain in some areas. Plan for two to four hours. More or less depending on goals.

We were part of a group of old sports cars - driving across Illinois on a nice spring day. Our path took us through Starved Rock State Park and the scenery was spectacular. We drove on narrow, twisty and hilly roads through the park. Trees are right next to the road and the forest floor is covered with plants and wild flowers.
It would be great to explore the many miles of trails - and to search for the waterfalls that are active in the spring - and after rains - without the cars.
It is possible to stay in the park - in the lodge or in a cabin. That could be fun

I'd recommend doing this park in the spring and fall early in the morning in the middle of the week. In the spring, you may catch the waterfalls. In the fall, you'd see more at the overlooks and/or get some color. The park has some interesting history and I'd recommend arriving just before the ranger tour. The visitor center opens at 9:00.

We went in July and I wouldn't recommend it. The heat not only makes you drip in sweat, but attracts the plentiful amount of mosquitoes. If you have no other option but the heart of summer, take water with you and bug spray. Apply in parking lot and then reapply as you hike.

Paths very some sandy, some on cement, some board walks, some stairs. A stroller won't get you far.

The Junior Ranger Program is great and can be completed easily on your visit. You can pick up the booklets at the visitor center. There are a few movies you can choose from to watch and some displays.

Great place to hike stairs. My old dog could not do all the stairs. We had to go near rover and walk flatter lands and hills.

It is hard to separate the lodge from the park but you can certainly do one without the other. The park is very scenic, there are about a dozen hiking trails covering abut 13 miles. But all of the trails involve stairs, so if you are not into stairs, I would not suggest taking a hike. Rock climbing is not allowed due to he soft sandstone. They have a nice visitor center with a video, you can walk around the park, look out at the Illinois Rover, and just relax.

I went twice this year and I went there 8 times in my life. I really enjoyed and it's has some good hiking trails, waterfalls, canyons and rock formations. The overlooks from Starve Rock and eagle cliff are good because you can see the Illinois River. The Gift Shop is good and they have good ice cream too as well.

Enjoyed our Spring visit to this wonderful park. The scenery is beautiful and ever changing with the seasons. Our overnight in this comfortable, rustic Lodge, with a lovely,
room, great dining & friendly personnel will not be our last.

Great state park with beautiful views and wonderful trails. The trails are very well marked, and provide a good amount of exercise. Not overly challenging, but be prepared to climb and descend many steps. It is very pretty and has some interesting history. Unfortunately we were there in the fall and the waterfalls were dry. It would be spectacular to see them running at full strength. However, on the plus side the trails were fairly empty and having them much to ourselves was very nice

Really enjoyable and highly recommend.

I absolutely love Starved Rock and have been coming here since I was a kid. Its awesome for summer hiking because its mostly shaded. It's even fun in the winter with good boots and plenty of layers. Bring a picnic and eat under the canopies or along the river (also picnic areas available by Visitor Center).

Nice hiking! We were aware of this place for a long time before deciding to spend a few days. We enjoy nature walks and a variety of terrain. May was a nice month to visit as the woods are nice, the bugs weren't pesky yet, and the temps were moderate. We took the trolley tour and that was fun, too.

I went there with my two kids and we spent the day hiking! It was very nice and peaceful! Some steep climbing but not too bad! It was beautiful!

My husband took me here for my birthday weekend and it was surprisingly lovely! We stayed in one of the Sunset Cabins which are set just behind the Main Lodge. It's on top of the bluff so really nice views. The cabin is actually part of one big cabin made into 4 individual cabins each with their own fireplaces, bathrooms and entries, so you do feel like you are in your own cabin and you are, but you are sharing 1-2 walls. They do enforce quiet hours from 9pm to 8am. Also, if you have allergies or asthma be aware that the cabins with real wood burning fireplaces do smell like a smoke house! I didn't mind and I like the smell but I could see how it may be over powering for some. They do have some cabins that have gas fireplaces so they may be less smokey smelling. It was super rustic and nice though. Housekeeping is super friendly and attentive. The Main Lodge has a dining room and also a veranda (side note you can bring your dogs to dine with you on the veranda, they even have a doggie menu and bring out a bowl of water for them) and bar area as well as several coffee shop/snack places. The food was terrific, I don't think there was any meal we had that we didn't like. Staff was all really friendly. There is an in-door pool and jacuzzi which is really nice. We had a couples massage with Jeff and Sherri that was amazing, they actually have a massage cabin. It was a great get away and we live just outside Chicago so it's only an hour and 15 or so to get there and you really feel like you are "away". The hiking is great and there are always things to do, the Illinois river is right at the bottom of the bluff so if you like fishing or boating or kayaking they have it! There are also great restaurants and shops in the small towns that surround the property if you feel inclined. All in all a great get away from the city and suburbs!

We are not avid hikers but we did hike from the Visitor's Center to the lookout point on Starved Rock. This part of the properly has been very nicely laid out so that once you tackle several steps up to the lookout points you can gradually weave yourself around from lookout point to lookout point and then come down a flight of steps that lead back to where you started. This area is not very far from the parking lot so it is a very easy hike to do. From the map provided it seems that most of the trails follow along the river's edge.

Starved Rock State Park protects an unusual area of deep sandstone canyons along the Illinois River. I visited over Memorial Day weekend during flood conditions and most of the canyons had waterfalls. The park is extremely popular, being about an hour from Chicago, so recommend arriving early. I got there right when they opened and saw few people on the hike out; it was a zoo on the way back. There are 18 canyons in total. The most spectacular canyons and waterfalls were St. Louis, Wildcat, and LaSalle in my opinion, but all are pretty. The only downside was that the trails were extremely muddy, so plan to get dirty.

We had been here about 12 years ago and enjoyed it very much. We had however forgotten how much walking and stairs are involved. We did enjoy it again and the views from the top are really nice. Saw lots of wildlife.

Amazing canyons and great hikes even for my 6 year old. Be sure to leave nothing behind as I have seen a lot of people littering. The easiest canyon is the French Canyon and St Louis Canyon.

The park has over 13 miles of wonderful trails, through gorgeous sandstone canyons, cut by torrents of water. The canyon walls are gorgeous, with layers of different colored stone and lots of ferns an the walls. The views form the top of the bluffs are amazing. Starved Rock Lodge is a nice place to stay and eat.

Well staffed visitors center (with concessions in attached building), picnic areas, and maps. Trails are well marked and even have color coded markers to tell you if you are traveling towards or away from the visitors center (yellow away and white towards). We visited Starved rock, the French canyon and the wildcat canyon via the bluff and river trails. Lots and lots of stairs near wildcat canyon (down) and then we followed the river trail back to the visitors center so we didn’t have to hike back up all those stairs (I probably wouldn’t have made it - I’m not in the best shape).

No waterfalls this trip, too little water. The volunteers in the visitors center said early spring is the best time to see those due to the snow melt.

This park offers the junior ranger program as well.

No swimming or climbing any rocks allowed. Must stay on the trails. Rangers will give out tickets (starting at $120). The stone is fragile and can break easily - there have been a lot of accidents due to climbing or not staying on the trails and falling.

No alcohol allowed.

Very nice place to walk with
children, an accessible trail and wonderful landscape. We went in a group of 16 people and the youngest child with 04 years old. It's worth visiting.

I visited very early in the morning, before the visitors. I felt the spirit of the place and saw some wildlife. Trails are clearly marked and vary from short to quite extensive walks.

Buffet Bunch at Starved Rock!
We’ve always enjoyed the buffet selections and the omelet, carving and dessert stations.

Our buffet brunch consisted of out of town relatives from AZ and WI. Always make a reservation for Sunday Brunch when you’re planning a Sunday hike at Starved Rock, Utica

Went there for the weekend it was nice. We got to see the water fall. Staff at the rest area were friendly.will go back.

We were told about this place by someone at our hotel. We were surprised this was located in Illinois, we get so many people from Il up here in Wis and I bet alot don't even know this place exists in there own state.

The weather was terrible for our trip so some trails were pretty treacherous. There are a lot of stairs, which isn't immediately clear at the start of the trail. The visitor's center isn't open very much and no one was really available to answer questions if you didn't stay in the park. It is very beautiful and trails are well marked though. I like that one color means you're heading away from the visitor's center and one color means you're going toward it.

Despite the mud we had a fun time exploring the trails. We did get lost but found out way. Bring swimsuits for the LaSalle canyon.

We enjoyed our recent visit to Starved Rock State Park. The trails take you through beautiful scenery and it is such an enjoyable experience. We especially loved Wildcat Canyon! We stayed at the Lodge, enjoying our dining experiences at the Main Dining Room, Back Door Lounge and Cafe, as well as our room at the Lodge. We had a great getaway!

This is a large park along the Illinois River. The views of the river are nice up high but nothing amazing. There are a lot of trails with probably the two biggest attractions, Lover's Leap Overlook and French Canyon a short walk from the visitor center. If you expect to actually see waterfall, you'll be disappointed. Even on a day we went that was raining, there was barely a trickle.

The views are spectacular! Has a beautiful lodge to rest in after a long hike , they do have a Restaurant inside the lodge but it is closed 3-5 pm which is odd? But the have a grill and lounge where you can sit outside and enjoy a drink and food , we did have food outside but our server didn’t even come for about 10 mins , got our drink order confused and I ask three times for a gluten free bun when my food came no gluten free bun , so he didn’t take my food back instead he made me wait for a bun and this took to darn long , my food was cold by the time he came! Be sides the bad issue with the grill , everything else is a must see ! I suggest if you do bring kids or adults that can’t walk a lot and I mean a lot of steps I would leave them at home for your own Sanity lol !You have an option to drive up to the top of Starved Rock but it’s still up and down after you see that ! It was hard on us and were middle aged perfectly healthy people , at least we thought until just the stairway to Starved Rocks sends you to your knees , no strollers because you’ll be carrying up and down all these steps ! You can stay down in the lower area there are lots of flat
trails and a perfect place for a picnic lunch along the river! So all in all we did have fun ! But are legs will never be the same !!!!

We took a day trip to the Starved Rock state park with our 2 kids. It was an hour and half drive from Naperville on a Friday morning (no traffic!!). We reached the park at around 9 AM and there were plenty of parking spots. After looking at the maps and talking to the people at the visitors center, we decided to hike to Starved Rock first to get a view from an elevated point. We had a great view of the Illinois river. Next we hiked to St. Louis canyon because it was one of the only 2 spots that had an active waterfall. We are not avid hikers but are very active and found the hikes to be on the easier side. The Grand canyon (Kaibab Trail) was difficult!!
All in all it was great day trip and the kids had fun.

Visiting this place is good for the soul. Between the breathtaking scenery of the Illinois River, the epic waterfalls, and the actual towering tower of rock that is the literal "Starved Rock", this is the most incredible natural beauty in Illinois.

The drive isn't bad from Chicago; it's only about two hours.

There were no mosquitos anywhere. However, it was a bit muddy. Wear your old shoes.

Beautiful park. It’s overused for sure. We went on a Saturday around noon, definitely won’t do that again. Very large loud crowds. I would suggest off season such as fall and midweek, also have heard starting out very early makes for a better experience.

My family was traveling from WI to FL and this was one of our stops to get out and stretch our legs. Staff at the visitor's center were helpful. We went to the top of Starved Rock first and then visited Wildcat Canyon, French Canyon and Pontiac Canyon. The views were great. Some parts of the trails were a little wet/muddy but we made our way around those areas.

I heard EVERYONE raving about starved rock, so my husband and I decided to grab our dogs and check it out. First of all, its kind of in the middle of no where... BUT once you get closer to the park there are some really cool stores to check out to/from.

What I didn't like: It was a little confusing trying to use the trail maps, and I wish that the trails were marked throughout the paths more.. because there is little signage. However, its not like the paths are unmarked... its very clear what is a path and what isn't.

What I liked:
The rocks are gorgeous, and thats the geology nerd in me. The park is dog friendly, maybe even cat friendly too but make sure you have a leash. There are a LOT of stairs, so be prepared for that. There is a hotel and a restaurant on site, but please check to make sure it is dog friendly before as I am not 100% sure.
The paths were nicely reinforced, and groomed. The waterfall is beautiful, and the history of "Starved Rock" is even cooler. Great for families, great for pets, and a great place to soak up some nature and clear your head. For the 2 hour drive, it was worth it. They even have cabins to rent!!

Beautiful scenery, even with the trees having no leaves yet. Trails are wet, muddy, soft, hard, wood planked & lots stairs.

Throughout the years, we visited this beautiful park multiple times. Our kids and the dog loved it. The best time to go there is after big rain or in winter when water falls change to ice falls.

Our car was broken into and robbed the m broad daylight. We parked off highway 80 in the parking lot to hike to the waterfall right across from the Lodge and our brand new car was broken into and they took my wallet hidden in the car. This was at 11:00 in the middle of the day. We parked next to a black car with dark tinted windows.

Chose to visit the “Hocking Hills of Illinois” for our 30th anniversary. If staying one or more nights, we enjoyed a lovely stay at an Airbnb in nearby North Utica.

We got to Starved Rock State Park mid-morning after hiking at nearby Matthiessen State Park earlier in the morning. We knew that parking could be fill, but we had no trouble finding a space close to the visitor’s center. It’s true that there are a LOT more people here than in Matthiessen State Park, but there are also a lot more trails and distances to cover. So not really a valid comparison.

We hiked straight from the visitor’s center to St Louis Canyon. It was a great hike and provided the best photos of our trip. But this was all we could muster so soon after our morning hike. Would have loved to have had the extra time and energy to truly have seen all of Starved Rock State Park. Stopping in the lodge for souvenirs and a cold beer was a great way to catch our breath before leaving.

Pro tip: if you can’t climb a lot of stairs, ask the rangers in the visitor’s center which trails would be best for you before attempting them. There are 13 miles total to explore, so options for everyone.

I drove 90 minutes from Chicago because multiple told me that this is the most beautiful place in Illinois. That was a lot of hype to live up to, and Starved Rock didn't disappoint.

The way this place works is that you park near the Visitors Center (which was open when we went, had nice clean bathrooms, and vending machines with soda and water) and then there are a bunch of trails. Some trails go along the river, some trails go up on the rocks that overlook the river, and some trails go into "canyons" which are rock formations carved into the rocks. It's all beautiful.

Everyone raves about the waterfalls, but the waterfalls weren't turned on when we were there. They are a seasonal attraction. Still, EVEN WITHOUT the signature waterfalls, it was a beautiful place to go.

I love Starved Rock. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and have always been able to get lost in the scenery. In recent years, the trails have become packed, especially in the summer — perhaps a benefactor of the fact that there are not many worthwhile places to day hike close to Chicago. However, once you get off the main trails it’s less crowded and meandering around the canyons becomes more enjoyable. My biggest gripe: there is a gun range not too far from the park and the echoes from the gun shots reverberate throughout the canyons. And these are rapid fire, bombastically loud types of guns, making it sound like a war zone. This is really such a shame. I get (no, I actually don’t get it at all) that people like shooting their high-capacity weapons but can’t they move that range out of earshot of one of the most splendid sceneries in Illinois? Otherwise, the park and lodge are fantastic places to spend a day (or several).

Beautiful to visit especially on rainy or very icy days as all the caverns and waterfalls look amazing. Lasalle Canyon is our favorite

This lovely state park on the river has many different hikes (walks) and they are all fun. Go see Starved Rock by climbing the stairs and walk around the top of the bluff on the river! Walk to the many canyons along well marked paths. Take lots of beautiful photos. We visited the French Canyon and the St. Louis Canyon. Can’t wait to return.

Overcast Friday in October meant low crowds and great hiking conditions. Beautiful fall colors. In 5 leisurely hours, we ate lunch and hiked St Louis canyon area (with smaller Aurora Sac, and Kickapoo Canyons enroute), Starved Rock overlook, and nearby Wildcat and French Canyon (no access into the canyon). Wished we had time for Lasalle Canyon. St. Louis was the best canyon of our day with a small waterfall due to recent rain. Some of the trails are wooden planks. LOTS of steps in and out of canyon areas. Trails are fairly rugged and uneven due to tree roots. Park is clean and well maintained. Brought a picnic and ate at a picnic table near the visitor's center. Indoor bathrooms, water, and park rangers inside Visitor's Center. Bathrooms and water available at the nearby lodge as well. Concessions available, but we did not take advantage of those. Been coming to the park since I was a kid and it never disappoints. Just note that crowds can be heavy, especially on fall weekends.

Starved Rock is truly a gem. It rivals some of the US National Parks, but is designated a State Park.

The flat terrain and fields of Illinois are disrupted along this stretch of the river. There are wooded walking trails that open to exposed dirt paths. There are steep ravines and canyons that rush with waterfalls. There are a variety of trails that snake throughout the park, with entry points at the main parking lot / visitor center or the historic Lodge, which offers dining, refreshments and overnight accommodations.

You can spend several hours here hiking various areas of the park. Crossing bridges, climbing stairs, exploring the canyons or setting up a picnic.

I would recommend arriving early on busy summer weekends. Be sure to bring both sunblock and bug spray with you + water bottles and snacks. Food is available at the visitor center and lodge, but it will be good to have refreshments with you on your hike. Be sure to stay on the marked paths (there are usually a few slips a year), and take your rubbish back out with you. The park receives spikes in attendance, and the staff may have a hard time keeping up with crowd clean-up.

Enjoy yourself, and be sure to check out Utica and nearby downtown La Salle.

This is a wonderful state park. First it's free to get into. Next, the visitor center was very informative and even had a junior ranger program. Lastly, the hiking is great. The traill are well marked and easy to follow. Unfortunetly, the waterfalls were dry when we went but still enjoyed the hiking

We visited in late September, on a rainy, cloudy day. Even then the hikes were a lot more crowded than we were used to after 3 weeks of traveling through Provincial Parks in Ontario. The vistas weren't visible so it may be more beautiful on a nice day. The nicest rock formations were along the river trail near the far end. Those were really nice. We really only saw 1 waterfall despite the fact that the parking lot was closed due to flooding. There was a trickle in another place, but not enough that I would call it a waterfall. I last visited over 50 years ago, and my memories of it when I was young were better than I found it this visit. However, I had not traveled outside of Illinois much by then, certainly not the hiking in MT, WA, OR, AR, UT, CA, NY, TN, NC, AK, Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia, Yukon Territoy, Costa Rica, New Zealand, that I have done over the years so it may suffer from comparison to other areas

Very well maintained state park. Have lived in Chicago suburbs for decades but had never been and am so glad we had a chance to go, it is an easy drive. We spent about 5 hours here and the trails that are 1 mile or less from the visitor center are pretty easy to do. Agree with the comments about driving to the lodge if stairs are an issue. The trails are made of wooden planks so easy to walk on as well.
Beyond Wildcat the trails are a mix of sand and pebbles. There was not much dirt / mud when we went. The trails beyond Lasalle are not well marked, we got disoriented a few times and in speaking with others they also shared that they weren't sure where they were. Nevertheless it makes for a wonderful day and a great outing. Highly recommend.

We hiked Matthiessen State Park and Starved Rock Stare Park both very nice hiking paths! Beautiful scenery. We hiked early May, weather was perfect. Get there early morning and avoid crowds.

We attended the Eagle Days at Starved Rock this last weekend. It was an enjoyable Sunday sightseeing and viewing nature. Fortunately my wife made reservations for the Sunday brunch at the Lodge restaurant. Besides the cool atmosphere of the 30’s era wooden building the food and service were outstanding. Your options included the standard breakfast fare plus ham off the bone, individually prepared omelets and waffles, fish and chicken. Also, there was a desert table with fantastic selections. The service was excellent and we got in right at our reservation time. Oh Dud I forget to mention it was priced under 17.00 dollars.

Probably my fault for going on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of a pandemic, but this place is a trash dump. 1 in maybe 50 people even bothered to wear masks on crowded trails. There’s litter everywhere. The bathrooms are the grossest I have ever seen. And everywhere, no matter where I went, there was some selfish jerk blasting music on a portable boom box. It seems like people are given free rein to treat the place like garbage and there aren’t any staff there to enforce the rules. Why don’t they charge even a small admission? If they did, maybe that would deter people from coming to hang out and trash the place. It might also pay for rangers on the trails so that people actually face consequences for disrespecting the site and other visitors. As it stands, it seems like the people of this state are perfectly happy treating one of their geological wonders like a trashy amusement park, and given that there are so few places like this within easy driving distance of Chicago, that's a real shame. It makes me wonder what other natural sites in this state have been ruined by mismanagement.

I'm going to defend Starved Rock even though I was pissed to be turned away after a long drive and without warning on their website. I would recommend to come back to Starved Rock early and during a weekday for now. Mother Nature, Pandemic and lack of Illinois funding are reasons for the recent bad reviews. Trails everywhere are populated by people I don't usually see, but have no where else to go? Maybe in lieu of a vacation, parks are being flocked as an escape more than a genuine love of the outdoors. In better times, it's beautiful with fantastic trails. Even the visitor's center can be a great hang after a long day hiking. I've had great family stays here both in the Pioneer Cabins and the Lodge. BUT, this was years ago. Don't let this deter you from coming back to this gem. Just plan ahead and expect things to not be normal right now. I hope the state takes time to improve this place.

When you really need to get outside when everyone tells you need to stay in and social distance this is a great place to go. The trails are marked well and it is a great way to spend a few hours outside. There were not a lot of people there but everyone seemed to do their best to either have a mask on or social distance on the trails and on the stairs. There are a lot of stairs to climb if you are on the trails so be prepared to walk and climb alot if you want to see the canyons and river areas

There's a lot to love about living in Chicago but, having moved here a few years ago, one of the things I missed was interesting geographical terrain. Let's face it, the Mid West is pretty flat in every direction and lot of destinations turn out to be kind of the same. But the Starved Rock area is different. A wonderful (if sometimes busy) park of canyons, waterfalls and relatively easy trails, a majestic river and some interesting wildlife (including eagles if you go during the winter months). After the hike it's worth the short drive to Ottawa to get something to drink or eat - there are some pretty good restaurants. We went to the Lone Buffalo which is a sensational brewpub, with great food and lots of home-grown craft beer. A good way to cap off a morning of hiking.

Excellent place to hike and take in views of the Illinois River. I went on a Monday afternoon and I was surprised how many people there were.

I'm assuming this area has had some rain as some of the trails were very muddy in spots. The French Canyon and Wildcat Canyon waterfalls were both excellent. The amount of trash along the trails was disheartening. But overall, I was pleased I took two hours to visit.

We had a great time at the cabin in the Park for two nights and had an excellent buffet dinner on Wednesday night, and a great steak dinner Thursday. We hiked both days and had just a fabulous time. The service was good and we can’t wait to return.

The park has lots of natural beauty. The canyons and cliffs are breathtaking. I'm so glad we visited. It seemed like there was a lack of maintenance on the trails and throughout the park. Also a lack of water filling stations. We hope to return!!

This was my first visit to Starved Rock. We had a very good time hiking the trails. Here is a list of advice and recommendations.....

1) Wear good shoes. There are miles of trails and what seems to be thousands of stairs that go up and down, up and down - no exaggeration. Improper shoes will cause your feet to ache before the day is done. Buy good shoes, it will be a good investment. Your feet will thank you.

2) Pack plenty of water. It was a hot day when we went. I had a back pack with several bottles of water - YOU'LL NEED IT! Lots of stairs and the trails were nice. STAY ON THEM so that you don't get poison ivy.

3) Take a camera. The waterfalls and canyons are nice. But there wasn't much water flowing when we went. They it all changes with the seasons. It should be very pretty in the fall.

4) Dogs. There were some people who had taken their dogs with them. Depending where you go, taking your dog may or may not be a wise choice. Why do I say this? TONS OF STAIRS! If the stairs are going to affect you, think about your dog. They have twice the legs as you. You will need to take water for them as well. And PLEASE people, pick up after your dog! We did come across one pile that someone was rude and didn't pick up after them. We didn't step in it, but i'm sure that someone will. If you have a younger or older dog - DON'T bring them on these trails with the stairs. It will not be good on their hips, especially an older dog. You will end up carrying your pooch for miles potentially.

5) Don't Litter. There will be a point on the trail which there are trash cans and a sign that says Pack Out What You Carry In. Please do that. Don't litter. Unfortunately there are inconsiderate people who throw their trash along the trails. This takes away the beauty of nature and is not good on wildlife. Pack Out What You Carry In. If you are wearing a back pack, just put your trash back in it until you come to a trash can. Please be considerate for all. Thank you.

We would like to go back again someday. Next time I would like to hike those trails in the fall, I bet that it would be very pretty then. We enjoyed our visit.

Great park, we hiked to St. Louis Canyon this morning (July 5th) and were pleasantly surprised to see the waterfall still flowing. It was great to see and hear, and our kids really enjoyed getting up close to (and behind) the waterfall. We started our hike early (around 7:30 am) and didn’t see another person the entire way out to the waterfall. In fact we spent 25 minutes at the waterfall and had it all to ourselves. By the time we got back from our hike we could see the park was getting busier. So definitely start early to avoid the crowds!

Absolutely loved my visit to Starved Rock State Park! The trails were beautiful, especially the canyons and waterfalls. It’s a perfect place to relax, hike, and enjoy nature. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful getaway in Illinois!

Wouldn't expect these gorgeous canyons and waterfalls in the middle of Illinois, but there it is! Trails are fantastically maintained, sites are amazing, and no entry fee to boot!

Extremely disappointed with this park. Read the reviews and really wanted to love this park. Roads to get to the park were adequate. Visitor’s center closed and ALL maps for trails available only by QR code. Trails were not well marked. Views were not spectacular as others had posted. One positive note, there were many concrete paths for those who may use walkers and wheelchairs. The concrete paths were well designed and free of debris with accessible picnic areas.
I would not give this park a second chance.

Lots of icy paths, but it make it more of an adventure. Walking up the river on the ice to stand under the falls worth it.

Always a great brunch followed by a trolley tour lead by an awesome guide! Reservation suggested and bring your camera!

Went last weekend and I do not recommend going on a weekend until the Covid-19 crisis is over. Very crowded, no distancing- people seemed totally unaware that a global pandemic is happening. No wonder Illinois rates are rising. Even in public areas where masks are supposedly required, less than 1/2 of those in the buildings were masked and only about 10% of those hiking and you are literally right on top of another person much of the time
Too bad we do not have actual safety laws in place and that most of Illinois is refusing to abide by mandates.
Might be better on a weekday, it's a truly beautiful park and should be able to be enjoyed by everyone without risking their health

We had been to this park years ago and had a good experience. We were completely unprepared for a weekend in July post-pandemic. It seemed like every person in Illinois (and their dog) was out in the park. You couldn't get away from the people and too many of them had no idea how to behave in a state park. We passed multiple people carrying bluetooth speakers so that all of us had to listen to their music. We passed a group sharing a joint. We passed multiple people carrying dogs that were much too small to go hiking. We had to stand in line (waiting at least 5-10 minutes) to go down French Canyon.

I think this park would be nice early morning or off season, but do yourself a favor and don't go on a summer weekend.

Brilliant place so close to Chicago area to enjoy the outdoors. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Ottawa which was very close to all the attractions we were interested in. Highly recommend that hotel. We did take our furry friend. Day 1 we went early to SR entering at the main visitors entrance. Going early to avoid crowds is a must. There was much rain in the area so the park had mud. There are good trails some well marked. I recommend going to the visitors center and take a picture of the trail map. Otherwise, we picked up a pretty good map at our hotel produced by the county. Well worth it. On the second day on the way to Matthieson Park we did the back trails with parking off the back road. HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS IF YOU HAVE TIME. Big pot holes in the parking areas. The back canyons are very nice not well marked however, we did not see any waterfalls.(this section too dry but muddy) Again we got the scoop from the hotel staff. And Matthieson is much smaller did have a waterfall but due to its size it was very congested. Be aware and prepared for STAIRS everywhere at both parks; particularly for the furry guys.
Don't do the canoe trips that are expensive and not very exciting. The employees are not so nice. (Kayak Starved Rock)
Area restaurants are just ok.

This park has a beautiful unexpected terrain for an IL State Park. We spent about two hours hiking on the well marked trails. There are several somewhat challenging trails because there are many steep steps to climb up and down.

We saw a few people trying to take a stroller on the hiking path and this is simply not a good idea due to the many man made stairs and the natural earth steps on the paths. These paths are not a “stroll in the park”, but it is like climbing up the stairs of a ten story building.

We work out at the gym and ride bicycles regularly and our legs felt it the next day. Please keep this in mind when taking your very young children and pets with you to this park.

We did not get to see any of the waterfalls because it has been too dry recently. We hope to go back to hike the trails when the water is flowing.

We went over Labor Day weekend, apparently with the everyone else in the nearest three States. The place .was packed. It was utterly amazing.

It hadn't rained much, and this is dry time, so the waterfalls were in short supply / non-existent. Still awesome.

We had three young kids - 9, 4, and less than 1. The youngest rode in a backpack, so I was carrying 30 pounds on all of our hikes. Still. Totally. Awesome.

Our favorite canyons were Wildcat, LaSalle, French, and Basswood. You have to go a little off-trail to have fun at Basswood (sorry Rangers) but there's caves if you do! LaSalle is just amazing, and even better with even the tiniest amount of water running. Wildcat is great because you get to see it from every angle. There's another great off-trail opportunity at Wildcat, but you don't need it to have fun, so skip it if you're feeling guilty.

Things to skip : I'd skip the walk to Starved Rock overlook itself, honestly. The views are 1000x better from Eagle Nest. I'd skip the concession stand, it's overpriced and fairly gross. I'd certainly skip the gift shop if you can, and if you skip them both this trip is totally free!

We made an impromptu trip on this summer like day. The leaves are changing!
This was great for us newcomers to IL.
River views, a dam, variety of trails, bluffs.
We may concern me back in winter to see if we spot eagles!

Park is crowded with hiking families on weekends and holidays but still you can enjoy solitude moments. Park is best to enjoyed when it is not dry ( otherwise there is no waterfalls in canyons ). But it could get also muddy when too wet. Dress appropriate to weather. Especially shoes! It could be very slippery.

What a beautiful park . Great trails to hike and be prepared to take a lot of pics. Dog friendly. Fun

We took a wonderful hike of about 5 miles through this state park. The trails were pretty well marked and maintained. We got off course once but found our way back. We saw some nice caverns and a couple water falls. The folks at the visitor center were very helpful. The restrooms at the center were clean. We would have come back later in the week to explore more trails if it had not been so hot.

We came here for a mini-vacation, and it was totally worth it. The scenery was breathtaking. St. Louis Canyon was my favorite spot. We will definitely come back when it's more of a rainy season. This was a very dry year, so the waterfalls were not flowing.

Great canyon hikes with fall colors adding to the beauty. Enjoy this park anytime of the year... winter for snowfall scenery and quiet, spring for amazing waterfalls, and summer for cooling canyon strolls. Lots of stairways, so be ready for moderate hikes and bring water!

Great hiking trails and a splendor place to visit during Fall season. Magnificent Autumn colors and well maintained trails. It can get busy especially the parking area by the visitor center so go early to enjoy the sceneries before it gets crowded. Staff at the visitor center are very helpful and free trail maps available there too. No fee even the parking. Lunch at the Lodge is also great and buffet is very reasonable with lots of selections.

The has a lot of great paths, of varying length and difficulty. The Lodge is beautiful and reasonably priced. The buffet at The Lodge on Sundays is outstanding. It's a little more fun on a weekday than weekend, because it's much less crowded in the middle of hte week.

It would be great except, most of it is not natural terrain, there are loud, obnoxious people, and I do not mean young ones, we expect that from them, that wear fragrance, bug spray, sunscreen, and bring loud music with them for a hike in the forest??? Not to mention, a BAZILLION steps. Don't get me wrong, they've done a splendid job making the surrounding forest, canyons, and riverfront available for people to experience, but if you prefer natural beauty, natural terrain, and people that honor the forest, it's not this. OR, it is this in the middle of the week before School is out.
I prefer walking around Pierce Lake at Rock Cut. Natural, not a lot of people, and the ones you see, don't bring loud music and smell like Bath and Body Works.

The advertised views of the waterfalls attracted us to visit the park. We chose a trail based on helpful pictures in the visitor center. We did not anticipate that Illinois evidently had little rain and there was no water in the falls. It would have been helpful for the visitor center to post that the falls were dry. Secondly, we did not anticipate all of the crowds and dogs on the trail. As a senior, I do take my time when stepping on uneven rocks. But there were so many people that I felt like I was causing a traffic jam. Note to self - don't come on the weekend, and don't come to see the falls after a dry spell. Timing is everything.

if your a hiker, this place is for you. we went here as a getaway. really dont waste your time, there is absolutly nothing to do in the area at all. all surrounding towns, nothing. people in this part of illinois are very rude. nobody is nice,

About the only scenic place in Northern Illinois with the exception of Galena territory. Great hiking trails. Nice canyons and waterfalls when its wet enough season. Reccomend this during the fall, during peak colors and less bugs and mosquitos. Great ride if you are a motorcycle lover!

Visited with our dog for the week. So very beautiful. Trails are well marked and maintained and radiate either from the Visitors Center or the Lodge. Take time to eat on the veranda at the Back Door Lounge. The view is incredible. We could spend a week there and not hit the same trail twice. Helps that it was autumn and not super crowded. Staff at the Lodge were very nice and our waiter was great! Next time we will try to stay in the park so we can hike right from our door! Perfect week.

Back in the day, we used to go to Starved Rock every Weekend after Thanksgiving, There was a women that would play Christmas carols on he piano and we would all gather around and sing with her, Our daughter was only two and a half when we first went their, and as we settled down for our sleep, she began to make noise in her crib and said...This is giggly dad, We came here for years, until she had to get back in time to go back to college.
The beautiful fire place in the large dining hall is amazing, the food it great and a Giant stuffed Bear is in the main office. This last summer our whole family, two sons and their own kids and wives, our daughter all grown up, and my wife and I spend a week there, exploring the amazing caves and the top of the rock that gave this wonderful place its name. It is one of the main place to be in Illinois, so get your reservation months in advance.

Had a great hike to St Louis Canyon, French Canyon and Wild Cat canyon. Great outdoor activity and must see for anyone who is interested in frozen waterfalls.

Overnight stay in hotel queen room. Large room. Bathroom ok. Sink and vanity outside of bathroom in entry way. Room was kind of dark. Tv was not HD, a deal breaker for me. Adjoining door and hall door had gaps you could see thru at jamb.
People walking in room above created a lot of noise. Next time will try lodge or cabin.

A good park with well marked trails . Very crowded not alone on the trails, probably better on weekdays.

Amazing State Park!
Trails around the visitor center are more "man made" meaning there are signs bridges maps stairs bench... While far from it, is is more natural you are totally in the forest and sometimes have to deal with obstacles but they are also the less visited.
Everything is just so beautiful!

Illinois has done absolutely nothing to keep this park in good shape. The trails, bridges, and walkways are all in disrepair. There’s hardly any staff here to do the upkeep. One staff person told me that they have only 1/3 the staff that they had 15 years ago. At the same time the number of admissions has steadily increased.
On many weekends this park is so busy that they close the park before 11am. On the weekend we visited the park was closed for a marathon which made it impossible to access most of the park. Also marathon organizers didn’t seem to know what they were doing - very frustrating. It was also very frustrating that no one seems to answer the phones at the visitor center. As a Wisconsin resident, maybe next time we won’t make the effort to go to Illinois. Wisconsin’s got plenty of pretty state parks. We’ve going to Starved Rock for 20 years and it seems to only get worse. ILLINOIS spend some money and take care of your employees (otherwise the cheese heads will stay home).

One of our many state parks that we have visited multiple times. Great trails and waterfalls. Also great to see eagles in the winter. We have never been disappointed in our visits here. Nice visitor center as well.

Starved Rock is a great example of how far Illinois has fallen. Absolutely no maintenance, no signage, no MAPS at the visitor’s center. Everything is pathetic. We’ve lived in Illinois our entire lives and were so excited we finally had a chance to experience it for ourselves after so many people people (in years past) raving about how wonderful it was. Here’s our advice: don’t waste your time. Nothing is being maintained. Who runs a state park with a sign saying “we’re out of maps”? The trails give you the mileage length and they are inaccurate by far - how far you can actually go (through the mud, not a trail) is less than half of what they say. Do not waste your time here - worthless, Illinois bureaucracy at it’s worst. Fund the state parks for heavens sake!!!

The trails are nice and well marked, and the scenery is very pretty. The Lodge is very nice and you can even sit on the outdoor veranda with your dog(s).

Typically, we would go to at least 1 or 2 national parks, but it was out of question for this year. As one of the closest hikes to Chicago, we decided to make an adventure out to Starved Rock.

Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones that had that thought in mind. The park was very, very busy. We tried to beat the crowd by heading out a little early. This worked out initially as we were heading out to the various trails (some of trails were indicated as closed due to a very powerful storm that hit the area earlier in the year, but we didn't run into any issues). The park has several legs to the trip so you can pick and choose the length as you would like with various highlights along the way.

The entire hike is pretty much in shade throughout so I wouldn't worry too much about the sun. The waterfalls were pretty dry - did not really see any water throughout the park. Despite the lack of water, the park still had plenty to offer.

On the way back. the park became fairly crowded. At points, it felt like you were in a high school hallway with people marching around like ants. We only had the option to go on a weekend.

Our plan was to grab lunch/ do a picnic outside the park. The entire area was completely packed, it was hard time finding open spots for benches or picnic tables. There is a great view of the river to watch where we watched several fisherman catching quite a few fishes.

There is a large free car park with plenty of space. The visitor centre is just a short walk away and the staff are really helpful and there is a free map of all the trails with the distances on. There are also restrooms, a cafe and a shop. While the paths are really well maintained there are lots of steps if you want to go above the canyons (which is part of the round trip). Starved rock itself is right near the visitor centre and gives great views over the river. We did the shorter walk to French and Wildcat canyons. Both were really spectacular and I particularly liked the view from above Wildcat canyon looking down. On a hot days with all those steps I’m glad we took water. In all the walk took about an hour but we didn’t go particularly fast and you spend time looking at each canyon.

This place is beautiful! We visited here on a snowy, windy Saturday. The place was still packed! I recommend walking into the canyon and viewing the waterfall (it was frozen during my visit).

My husband and I stayed in nearby Sheridan and took off for Starved Rock State Park for an afternoon of exploring! It's a beautiful park with a great visitor/information center. We did some light hiking on the trails and enjoyed fantastic views of the river and canyons. We also spotted bald eagles. We also saw a frozen waterfall from a distance, which was very cool. I'd love to go back when it's warmer and hike some different trails to the waterfalls. This is definitely a hidden gem in Illinois.

I enjoyed hiking and photographing SR 5 times last year and twice this year (so far). I’ll probably go back another 3-4 times more this year.

Scenic trails along the Illinois River. Trails are well marked and kept in good condition. Campground is well maintained. Shower house was clean and had hot showers which can be a rarity in state parks. Would give it a 5 star rating if campground had water hook-ups at each site and if bath house was larger. Only one urinal and toilet and only two shower stalls in the men's side. Could have better lighting as well.

We had a great time on Wednesday hiking over 6 miles on various well managed trails. The staff at the office were helpful. Suggest your take water with you and please if you take it in, take it out. Some are littering.

Illinois is not the most scenic state, however here is the hidden gem of Illinois! Beautiful, easy trails into different canyons some with waterfalls. The best part....VERY dog friendly!! The restaurant at the lodge has an outdoor restaurant that allows dogs and even has a dog menu. We brought our dog and so did many other responsible dog owners. Beautiful views from many overlooks.

This park has some beautiful views up in the bluffs and down in the canyons. We were there in July and only one waterfall had actual running water, so that was disappointing. These trails have some SERIOUS stairs to climb up and down - lots of them. Not for the hiker looking for a casual meandering trail. Also pretty crowded with people. Overall, not nearly as great as we had heard, but I imagine the falls are gorgeous when the water is flowing. Our favorite spot on the trail was LaSalle Canyon.

What an amazing place to be at any time of the year, and with the fall colors, it is most amazing. There is ample parking, and many places to park and go for a walk. The trails are marked and well worth the hike to see some amazing scenery and canyons!

My partner and I LOVE driving to Starved Rock! It’s a great place to spend a beautiful day.
There are so many trails and beautiful spots to sit and relax. Some trails are ok for little ones - some are not.

There is a boat ride, and other rentals if that’s your cup of tea.
We always bring lunch or snacks with us however they do have a little shop inside where you can purchase food items and gifts.

Make sure you grab a map before hitting the trails!!

Variety of hiking trails although all involve stairs or climbing. Maps available but not required particularly helpful or descriptive, so check for blog posts that are more helpful.

This is a hidden gem!

I must have driven by this park a dozen times in my life, but never stopped in to visit.

This is a must visit park if you are in the area.

There are lots of well marked trails with great views and interesting geological features. The facilities are well maintained.

Most of the trails can get pretty difficult, so it is not ideal for mobility limited folks. But the views and canyons are worth the effort.

I spent 2 hours here, but it is worth spending a whole day.

We had a great time at Starved Rock, though visiting in August meant the waterfalls were dried up. Still, it was a fun hike with gorgeous views, lots of trees, and a pretty river. Be prepared for lots and lots of stairs—if you’re not in shape or struggle with steps, it might be challenging.

We went in the afternoon and it was busy, so I’d recommend early morning or evening for fewer crowds. The visitor center was great with history and info, and overall it’s a wonderful spot for the whole family. I imagine it’s stunning in the fall!

Over crowded. Litter filled. No respect for the rules. Graffiti. A nature experience for urbanites. I will never go back.

Trails are well marked, some of the paths could use some trimming, the maps of the park were very helpful and infomrative. The workers at the park were very friendly, the park was very clean. It was a shame to see where visitors don't stay on the path and compromise the park. Beautiful visit

Park is open 6:30 AM to 9:00PM all year round. No entrance or parking fees. Parking available at the visitor's center. Start here and receive a free map and assistance highlighting trails that match your interest. There is a first time hikers trail that starts at the Lodge and returns to the Lodge. There are many trails, canyons and waterfalls. All well maintained. Many stairs. Beautiful views overlooking the Illinois River.

We have wanted to come to Starved Rock State Park for years and finally made it. We enjoy going to parks on vacation and hiking the trails. What a beautiful setting the trail along the river.

Canyons are definitely worth seeing. No waterfalls Aug. 2018 too dry. Many are long arduous hikes, up and down wooden stairs, uneven steps, tree-roots, crumbling rocks and slippery sand. Ask at the Visitor Center if you need an easy path - several trails are not as long nor as steep. Highly recommend Council Bluff and the caverns at that end of the park - not nearly as crowded there. But at this area, trails are not marked well. Interpretive signs at each canyon would be very helpful - we saw, heard and had confusion on the trails.
On that note, be prepared for crowds - this place is heavily visited, over-loved and way under maintained - especially the trails. In some areas what once were rocky, now dirt or mud, steps are worn down to create big indentions outlined by timbers. There are no restrooms, no drinking water, no concessions on the trails. Only at visitor center or at the really cool historic Lodge.
A shame that the Visitor Center and Lodge are so nice but the rest of the park - the recreation areas - are so worn down.But that’s life in this economy with little $ put toward preservation and parks.
At the Visitor Center, must wait in line for assistance on trails or directions. Only one employee and she said there were only 6 employees in the whole park??? Wow! No wonder it’s in dire need of help. Surprised they don’t recruit Scout troops or civic groups to do projects like work on trails. It could make a difference.
The historic Lodge common rooms and restaurant are really neat. Didn’t overniggt there so didn’t see rooms. The back porch dining and drinks area is awesome (need to trim trees - no view), food is good too!
Campground is offsite, run by contractor the visitor info. gal said, also in dire need of maintenance and attention. Restrooms there were Nasty! There 4 nights - no sign of cleaning and out of toilet paper. But very popular - hard to get a reservation.
Saw Signs all over the place - don’t do this, don’t do that - we started kidding that the next sign would say No Fun Allowed! One rule that seemed absolutely absurd - no alcohol allowed anytime in the campground. But in other areas alcohol was not allowed only from Jan. - May. Assume alcohol is allowed the rest of the year, there in the day-use portions of the park? But never in the overnight campground area?? Alcohol was allowed and served in and around the Lodge. Just made no sense.
Directions for campers to get to the off-site campground should be made Clearly!! Areas around the Visitor Center, the Lodge and the road from there to the campground (Caution: Low Bridge - No warning signs!!) are not made for RVs!! I checked my reservation - no directions; no info. on where to ck. in. Went to visitor center, closes at 4, concessions staff directed us to Lodge - no parking there, then the sign to the Campground took us on a road with a Very Low bridge which we barely (and I mean inches) could drive under with our 5th wheel!!

Who knew we had a beautiful state park so close to Chicago?!
We arrived later in the day so we only had time for 2 short trails but we were not disappointed. The views are stunning.
There are lots of hills and stairs so asthma suffers take care. Be sure to bring your inhaler and a bottle of water.
The visitor center has a concession stand, gift shop, and museum. Be aware that the parking lot at the visitor center has a gate that is locked at dark so be sure to be out before then. We hope to make a trip back soon. Would love to see the falls.

I wish I could rate this higher than a 5. The views in these canyons are unlike anything I have ever seen. If you can/will go during the week and in a slight rain you are more likely to be alone in the canyons. I saw Illinois canyon, Council Overhang, Ottawa, and Kaskaskia and all were amazing. My only warning is that the paths can be very wet and muddy so be careful.

If you spend the night I would probably stay in the lodge. I stayed in the primitive cabin and it was nice and quiet.....until nighttime. All night I had an animal (mouse or squirrel?) running around on either the top of the cabin or inside of the cabin (never figured it out) so it was hard to sleep. In all fairness, I wanted the natural stay so you have to take it all in stride.

We decided to walk the trails for our anniversary. There are great views and clean trails to hike on. Our only issue with the place is they are switching to metal stairs instead of wood and metal stairs are not dog friendly they can get there nails stuck in the holes and cause damage. Please be careful with your fur babies.

Very fun free family activity. This was better than the pictures looked online. Well worth the trip and it is free. Make sure you get here early for parking

A gorgeous huge park that has a ton of trails that intersect. With help from the ranger at the station, get a map and have them mark the route to see as much as you can. They have a wonderful restaurant and bar - great to visit at the end. We visited on a Saturday and it was crowded. But still worth visiting. No bathrooms on any of the trails - just at the beginning. Great canyons and waterfalls to be seen, along with the overlooks over the river.

This is a great place, whether you’re ready to sweat on a serious hike or just need an excuse to break out that new LL Bean outfit.

The visitor center has plenty snacks and souvenirs. There are small exhibits to check out, and things to look at. You can hang out on the lawns right outside, or just do some people watching. Families had set up tents (though I’m certain they were there only for a couple hours) last time I went.

The hiking will be challenging for most folks. But the payoff — great views and waterfalls and such — are plenty incentive.

My boyfriend and I had a fun time, and I’m always happy to get this dose of nature.

The park is very large. The visitor center was very nicely done with exhibits and helpful rangers to give us direction on trails to take. The trails we took had amazing sandstone domes and a waterfall. It was very muddy and we had to cross a couple streams on logs, so good balance needed. We enjoyed our experience. Trails were not hard to navigate. Even our 7 year old had no trouble. Just very muddy.

This is a place I go repeatedly. Great hiking and fun atmosphere. There are some well-groomed trails around the Lodge and they get more natural the further out I go.

Visited Starved Rock with my grown daughter to hike to the St. Louis Canyon.
The trail was beautiful, with ferns and mosses all green amid the late winter trees.
There was still some ice by the waterfall!
We really enjoyed our visit.

Beautiful property with 2 awesome swings (that our boys couldn't get enough of), friendly staff, clean cabins with just about everything you can think of, movies galore at the office for your viewing pleasure, cool fire starters for just a dollar, variety of books for the book worms, awesome guest books (even though we forgot to add our experience) and super easy check in and out. Highly recommend. We stayed in the traders post cabin and look forward to staying again! Just make sure to bring your own grill tools and you should be fine! Oh and the cabin has ac... Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice ❤️

Very pretty park with great hiking trails . U can stand on top of starved rock or visit several waterfalls . Weekends r extremely busy so keep that in mind. The visitors center there and gift shop r really nice. And be sure to go into Utica to see the lock and dam in action with barges going thru. Don’t miss eating at the lodge it’s yummy!

This place is absolutely very beautiful to me, i woud come and camp more here. I have been here more than ten times i believe

Starved Rock State Park is a wilderness area on the Illinois River containing steep sandstone canyons formed by glacial meltwater. A few canyons: St. Louis, French and Wildcat canyons have waterfalls. Wooded trails lead to Lover’s Leap Overlook, with views of the river and the dam. Park wildlife includes white-tailed deer, bald eagles and migratory birds, and reptiles. You can spend all day hiking and have lunch or dinner at the lodge.

While stayingg at the Lodge w took in some sites in the park such as the Visitors Center grounds, the campsite area, and strolled the property surrounding the Lodge

I hiked Starved Rock as a child, then I took my boys when they were young, and now I take my grand children. I am so fortunate to live an hour away, so when the weather is good and the kids are out of school we can jump in the car and go hiking. We went on Earth day so we took trash bags and picked up litter while we hiked.
The waterfalls were great, and the birds were all singing to each other. There were lots of families having picnics and walking their dog! We were there for about 6 hours but you can take shorter hikes or just visit the nature center and have a picnic. There is something beautiful about each season at Starved Rock and I have hiked all four seasons. The waterfalls when they are frozen are amazing!
My only recommendation is if you go to Starved Rock on the weekend(except possibly winter), make sure you get there early.The lower parking lot gets full and you have to park farther out and either grab a shuttle to the park or walk. It still works but it's a little more time consuming.

Our party of three senior adults took the Starved Rock Land and Water Cruise tour in mid-September. We were very pleased with the whole trip and it helped that we had beautiful weather, too.

The three hour tour started with a decent sit down lunch the restaurant located in the Lodge and Conference Center. We were waited on by a highly professional and friendly staff member. The meal selections were good with something for just about everyone. The total tour price of $41 includes the lunch and lunch tip, too.

At 12:00 noon sharp, we boarded the tour trolley for a short guided trip through a portion of the park and ended up at the boat launch. The group (maybe 25-30 in total) boarded the launch for a leisurely cruise up and down the Illinois River. This trip is also guided by knowledgeable and friendly staff. There is plenty to see on the cruise including various waterfowl, river barges, fish, some color change of trees and locations of hiking paths. The historical aspects of the trip were very interesting for us first-timers.

After the boat tour, we boarded the trolley again for the continuation of our trip including a stop at the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. Our timing was fortunate because we were able to see first-hand barges and a tug navigating the locks. Pretty cool. We then went for a short trolley ride through the small town center of Utica. We arrived back at the lodge at the scheduled time. We never felt rushed throughout the tour. Tips for the trolley and boat crews were optional, of course, but we were very happy to contribute based on our positive experience.

For the price paid, we all felt that we received an exceptional value for the scenery and the historical background information experienced. We'll do it again the next time we're here. We will also take time to experience the various hiking trails that the park has to offer.

Very good hiking trails, could be marked better. Very well shaded, friendly people in trail. Good is great at restaurant, great wood carved benches.

This state park is VERY busy! While there are miles and miles of trails to explore, we had a difficult time determining which trails were the best for what we wanted to see/do. Because it was so busy, it made it difficult to just enjoy nature. The birds were singing like crazy, but it was hard to just sit and lsiten to them with groups of people walking by every 30 seconds. We only visited LaSalle Canyon on the day we visited due to the length of the hike and although it was really pretty, the experience was somewhat ruined by the number of people there, making it impossible to get a good photograph. I think this may be a place to visit during questionable weather and early in the day to beat the crowds.

Great place to visit just very busy on the weekends. The walking paths are very nice and clean. I would highly recommend a visit during the weekday.

We visited Starved Rock State Park in mid-July. The trails are well maintained. None of the hikes are too strenuous, but each of them does provide a great peak into the area around the Illinois River. We particularly enjoyed the climb to the top of the Rock and French Canyon. The canyons are great when there's a little water running, but it has been dry in this part of Illinois so not much water was moving.
The Lodge is inviting and centrally located so you can pop into the restroom when you finish one hike and then start another.
On a weekday, there's plenty of parking, but on busy summer weekends, it can get challenging.

This is a VERY popular Illinois park and for good reason. It's beautiful any time of year and draws people from all over the US. So you would think that the campground would be a showplace for Illinois State Parks. First, it's well outside the scenic area of the park which can't be directly accessed from the campground. The campground itself has fewer facilities and hookups than most state parks in other states. I'm sure the state budget doesn't help the situation, but it is still a disappointment. Not a terrible spot, but it could be so much better.

Everywhere you drive to you can go there by yourself; tourist trap. We regret it to have bought the tickets! Area itself is also not very beautiful, more boring.

Lots of good trails, well marked and well maintained, lots of different length hikes available. Lots of families with kids of all ages hiking and enjoying.

Lots of trails with canyons spread around the park so there is a good sense of stops along the way for some photos and views. I started out early enough that it wasn’t too crowded but it got pretty busy by the time I was getting out so I would recommend going early in the day here.

Our family spent about 4.5 hours here on a Saturday afternoon. We are mildly familiar with the park, but previously have hiked closer to the Lodge. I have to believe the route we took was more rustic and less populated than what I remember of paths to the west. So I recommend this route for good duration, variety of terrain, and peacefulness. First, we parked by Hennepin Canyon, on 11th road off of route 71. There was no sign for this lot off of route 71 and the lot was pretty isolated, but there is a trail map and a port-o-potty to ensure you are in the right place. Then you walk a mowed path along rt 71, cross at a marked pedestrian crossing, and start into the woods. We hiked west, with the river on our right, for about 2.5 hours at an exploring rate. This way you encounter bluff lookouts, two canyons, riverside paths, and a section of 140 stairs. We decided we'd turn around in LaSalle Canyon. This is a long canyon with a trail on both sides**. At the end of the canyon you are rewarded with a lovely waterfall that you can walk behind. Many visitors were wading at various depths as well. **We were happy to use this canyon as our "turn around" until, after hiking a third of the way out of the canyon, we realized the trail and bridge on that side was closed. Adventure, off-trail hiking kept us from needing to double back, but be advised. I do not know how long this closure has been/will be in effect. Once we got out of the canyon, we retraced our steps along the river and made it back in under 2 hours. We really enjoyed this stretch of the park and are considering a return visit starting at the same parking lot, but starting out east. That should bring us to the Illinois Canyon, the most easterly part of the park.

The park is located adjacent to the south bank of the Illionis River offering many scenic views and hiking trails. Visited on a pleasant Saturday morning in early June as did many others.
The good: Enjoyed the beauty and learning about the park's history. Visited the Wildcat Canyon & Lonetree Canyon and the viewing areas of Eagle Cliff, Lovers Leap & Starved Rock. There is much more of the park I did not see.
The bad: Many portions of the trails' natural surfaces are very worn and erroded. Soil retention boards are in need of repair or replacement.With the recent repeated rains, several muddy spots are located in the trails. Flooding has caused closure of the visitors center's parking area and receding waters have left a large portion of trail adjacent to the river under several inches of mud, debris and a large tree trunk blocking the trail. Trash was observed throughout the park including clothing and a used female sanitary pad. I spoke with a staffer who stated they are at 10% of original staff with 10 fold increase in park visitors and have had no trail maintenance for years. As I returned to the overflow parking lot there were no spaces available and cars were waiting on the roadway to enter.
While I enjoyed not paying a fee to enter the park, maybe it's time to charge a park usage fee. This will raise revenue to hire additional staff to maintain trails while lowering the number of visitors. If not the park may not recover from current conditions and will continue to be over traveled and damaged.

This is a park used to accommodating a large number of visitors and I prefer a more wilderness-like experience in nature. So this is more of a place to take the family or those new to outdoor recreation. The canyons are very scenic. The sad part was the amount of trash in the streams, plastic bottles and cups and sports balls.

Visitor center was closed on Sunday. Good thing we were there Monday morning. Interesting exhibits. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Hiked to the top of Starved Rock. It only took a half hour round trip. Lots of families. Parking lots were almost full. Experiencing one of the longer hikes would be good.

The advertised views of the waterfalls attracted us to visit the park. We chose a trail based on helpful pictures in the visitor center. We did not anticipate that Illinois evidently had little rain and there was no water in the falls. It would have been helpful for the visitor center to post that the falls were dry. Secondly, we did not anticipate all of the crowds and dogs on the trail. As a senior, I do take my time when stepping on uneven rocks. But there were so many people that I felt like I was causing a traffic jam. Note to self - don't come on the weekend, and don't come to see the falls after a dry spell. Timing is everything

A friend and I hiked on a beautiful October day. we were surrounded by people with dogs on leashes, families with children, seniors and everyone was in a good mood enjoying the outdoors. We had a nice lunch in the café and loved seeing the lodge built by the CCC in the 30's which is remarkable. The visitor's center had lots of exhibits and helpful information. We recommend this park for a half day or day long visit.

We planned this trip as an introduction to hiking for three kids under ten as we were in the area. The trails are well marked and not very challenging save a very few spots. It was dry when we went so we only saw one waterfall but the canyons are still impressive. It does get a lot of tourist traffic.

It's worth the trip! Come early and spend half a day. You'll see plenty along good trails. It's not hard walking but there are some stairs.

The trails are paved, boardwalk, or well manicured and “easy”. Lots of stairs but plenty of benches for rest. Trails are well marked with large waypoint maps at all intersections. Many viewpoints. French (photo 1) and Wildcat Canyon (photo 2, top view only) are impressive with Wildcat being much larger and taller. They’re probably better with full water flow.

Starved Rock State Park is one of the most visited state parks in Illinois. Start at the Visitors Center. They have some interesting displays about the history and wildlife of the area. The hiking trails are great. The scenery is wonderful. Starved Rock itself is a nice climb. The canyons are peaceful and beautiful. It is a wonderfully peaceful place. However, too many hikers violate the rules. People get off the trails. They climb on the rocks. They endanger themselves and the park itself. With money problems in the state of Illinois, the park seems to lack adequate staffing. Starved Rock State Park is a treasured--sadly an endangered treasure.

This park has something for everyone. Light hikes through beautiful woods or challenging hikes through canyons and gorges. Plenty of cool hidden away spots to catch breath taking views. We were lucky enough to have a quiet picnic for two on one of the look out points. Come visit during any of the seasons to get a different perspective.

On our way to our Door County Wisconsin vacation, we decided to plan an overnight at Starved Rock State Park Lodge. What a great decision! The lodge is earthy/rustic, like all the park lodges built by the Conversation Corps., but we love this atmosphere. The Lodge is clean and the food is quite delicious. The Lodge has a nice indoor restaurant and an outdoor patio restaurant with ample seating and includes music on weekends. The view is really nice and the lobby is pretty. The room we stayed in was small (only thing left, since rooms fill up for years in advance), but cozy and offered plenty of room, since we were mostly hiking the trails. The trails are well-maintained and amazingly gorgeous. In fact, in mid-July with no rain, we were even able to find a waterfall in one of the canyons. The trails are mostly paved and require a lot of steps, so you have to be able to navigate. Who knew Illinois had canyons like this! We really enjoyed our time at Starved Rock and have already made reservations for 2019, just like all those other people who reserve years in advance (ha, ha). Don't miss this gem.

I came from Chicago and was there for four hours. The drive was equally long, but I do think it was worth the trip. I did the canyons west of the visitor center and St. Louis canyon. I didn’t go near the visitor center so can’t speak to that area and it’s possible complaints I’ve seen on here relate to that.


*COVID

I went on a Thursday afternoon and it was great. Not too crowded. About half of the hikers had masks, and the trails are narrow. You cannot force other people to wear their masks unless you are law-enforcement. A guy *was* hacking like crazy and didn’t try to cover his mouth... that’s not the park’s fault, he’s just thoughtless or a jerk. That said, there was a strong breeze so not awful. I let people go past me and it was fine, I think and hope. Other people were definitely doing the same. Ultimately yeah, you may be breathing in some particulate. This is the risk we take for leaving home and going anywhere, because 2020 is a hellish nightmare that wants to kill us all. Don’t sit on the benches! Other people sit there and breathe heavily there.

*Litter

Other people complained about litter... I saw some litter but not much. A few water bottles, someone lost a sandal, and I saw a pair of shorts someone must have dropped.

*Value

Free! Use your saved money to buy stuff in Utica.

*Parking

I wanted to see the canyons most, so I parked at Parkman’s Plain. Maybe 75 spots, then a 15 min hike at most to the first canyons. Parking by St Louis canyon would be a real crapshoot during any busy time, it’s just a short road with parallel parking. Don’t risk it.

*Lodging and other stuff

I apologize, but if you’re here just for Starved Rock, this is a day trip place if you’re within northern or central Illinois or in Indiana and Iowa. It’s 2 hours to Chicago, 1:15 from Rockford, 1:30 from quad cities, 2 from Springfield, 2:15 from Iowa city. It’s 3:30 from St. Louis or Indy, which yeah that’s a stretch, so you could stay! Otherwise if you’re beat or kayaking, hey stay! And I didn’t go, but Matthiessen state park is right there and also supposedly very nice, that would be a lovely weekend. It’s right outside the tiny town of Utica (North Utica?), all local stores! You should buy things to support the small businesses so they don’t go under. Also the town is 100% a speed trap at 30MPH so watch it. The bigger town of Ottawa is 10 min away for fast food. Gas was real cheap at the Thornton’s. The folks at the Culver’s were super pleasant and the pricing was the most reasonable I’ve seen recently for a Culver’s.

*Staff

Didn’t see any.

*Gear

Bring water, good shoes, maybe pants cause you’ll probably sit in sand at some point. Wear boots if you don’t want to get your shoes yet, but if you don’t care about wet shoes, sneakers are fine. Hiking sticks would be the most needed. Anything more is overkill and frankly with more gear you’d be tempted to do stupid stuff, see below... And do not bring swim suits for the kids! They shouldn’t touch that water at all.


*Difficulty

The trails are moderate only for the stairs and for balancing. The stairs are steep, and there are many - at least a hundred in a row on each. The stairs will be hard for anyone in bad shape or older than a boomer, and it’s going to be tough for kids under, say, five or six. But it’s as little as one up one down if you keep it simple. Once you get to the bottom of the bluffs, it’s easy hiking, packed dirt with little elevation variance until you near the canyons. There are tiny streams by the canyons that are muddy.


*Trails

You probably want the bluffs trail and the canyon trails. I was most impressed with LaSalle, Wildcat, and St Louis canyons, very photogenic. Wildcat canyon has overlooks directly above, and you can walk the stairs down. It’s probably 100-150ish feet up so the view from below is impressive, but the small waterfalls at the two others personally were more striking. The river trail is next to a river. You’ve probably seen a river before. It’s a slow river, so it looks like a lake, which you’ve probably also seen before. You can use the river trail as a connector and you’ll see the river enough. There are also higher views of the river, from overlooks so you can see the dam and some industrial silos. There are less-traveled paths that cut around... I didn’t trust them, they were steeper, muddy, and sandy. Pretty well marked with signage and location boards every few minutes. I strongly recommend you stick to the packed dirt paths. There are some unmarked trails that are steep and have sand, roots, and loose dirt ripe for falling. 


*Risks if you’re careful

Don’t be stupid and you’ll be fine, the most you’ll get injured is probably a twisted ankle from roots or scrapes from sliding. The water in the waterfalls looks pretty, falling water always looks pretty. The pools look gross because the water is actually gross. It’s farm runoff. Keep the kids out of it and for god sake don’t drink it, there’s fertilizer and other crap in it. A lot of the trails are designed as one way; especially around the canyons, they’re covered in sand and loose dirt and roots. I had to take a few minutes to figure out how to get down a very small ledge, I just sat down and slid. Wear pants and those hiking sticks and you won’t care. Some of those steeper cut trails, you could fall, I’d say avoid them without the hiking sticks. There are a few points that have small trail markers that say not a trail, that’s all that stops you from the next part...


*No, seriously, there’s actual danger

This is virtually the only natural place in central Illinois you could fall off a cliff and die. The risk is legit. You can, seriously, fall off a cliff and die. Someone did fall off a cliff and die, just two days ago as I write this. The cliffs don’t have anything to stop you from falling besides the most blatant of death risk points and this is not a trail trail markers, so stay the hell on the clearest marked trails and stay back from others. The small ledges are covered in sand, you can’t get a good foothold. I saw a kid climb 30 feet up a rock face, then realize he couldn’t get down. He had to jump to another landing, and he was still 10 feet up. Easily could’ve ended badly. Don’t try out your sweet parkour moves unless you want to die. Because I am a bit of an idiot, I’ve stood on granite cliff edges 3,000 feet above valleys; those felt FAR safer than these cliffs and small ridges did. But if you aren’t stupid, it would be hard to fall off a cliff and die.


*Verdict

In all, this is widely understood as the best park in Illinois. It won’t hold a candle to most other parks outside the Midwest, but it’s worth a trip for locals and other Midwesterners looking for a nature escape.

A beautiful place for a hike. Expect to spend at least a full half a day here. Some of the trails have stairs. If you're bringing your dog, chances are the dog will not know how to walk on the metal stairs.

Overall a beautiful place to visit.

This is a very picturesque area of Illinois. We put the canoe in at the West boat drop and paddled upriver. This meant going through the locks. NOT RECOMMENDED. The undertow and current went crazy when the locks started opening, forcing us to quickly paddle far away. The amount of time spent here was an hour..a bit if a time waster. After the locks, it was a smooth paddle, even up steam. The water level looked low, so the current was easy to deal with. We stayed on the north side bank and paddled up to the Lone Point Shelter (5 miles). This is the second area where you can put in...highly recommended.
Straight across the river from the shelter is Captain's Cove. Looks like a dive bar, but has awesome food and a full bar. My wife had the Grouper Rueben and I the burger...good stuff.
Heading back was quicker with the current, but a dead stop for 90 minutes while a barge cleared the locks. Next trip we will put in at Lone point and head upstream to Ottawa and another great looking place to eat...Dockside Bar and Grill.

I love Starved Rock and encourage everyone to go and visit it at least once in their lifetime and hopefully more often. You'll hardly believe you are still in the state of Illinois with the amazing canyon bluffs, waterfalls and beautiful forests.

Having never been here before, our friends brought us to this wonderful place. It's off the beaten path but worth the effort and time.
Three of us hiked down into the canyon. Not too far but, strenuous and slick. Plenty of handrails help keep you from sliding. At the bottom you can walk to the base of the falls. It was only a trickle today. Hiking up and out to the Lodge, there is a nice little gift shop and restaurant inside. Interesting gifts that complement the Park.
Although, I live a long ways away, I'd like to return.
There's no admission for the Park and I didn't use the restaurant so,I don't know about it.

Very good state park. It is my third time coming here. I still enjoy coming here. This one place I don’t mind how many time I come here. I always enjoy coming here

This was a getaway, meant for hiking trip to enjoy nature. Just snowed night before, but leaves were falling. Beautiful out, just alittle cold. Trails ice some but could see everything. 1st week in November. Stayed at Starved Rock State Park Campground.

This was a lovely park, free entry is always nice! Lots of steps and the map was not so clear which was frustrating.

Love this park has amazing trails and beautiful seen water falls were frozen and just look amazing trails were little cover in snow but it was in January it was amazing and I hear it very busy in summer but it was not real busy but still lot people on trail

We were told in person, and noticed many signs on the way to our reserved campsite about the NO ALCOHOL rule in this campground. Imagine our surprise when the huge group of young people across the road from our campsite had a party in full swing, with tiki torches, music, liquor bottles, and even a beer funnel in plain sight. They were kind enough to offer use of the funnel as we walked past. They partied hard until at least 1:30am, well past the 10pm quiet time. And despite the rule of 2 cars max, there were 5 cars jammed into the driveway & road. Never saw even one DNR truck or ranger drive past. Beautiful park, but apparently there is no staff to enforce any of the rules. Also, the bathrooms in the shower building were nice, however the rest of the campground had to make do with portapotties - most of which were well past emptying time. Some showed evidence of bad aim, another had a diaper stuffed in it, most were filled almost to the rim. If this is the "jewel" of the Illinois park system, they should be ashamed. We will not be back.

If you live near Chicago or are flying out of Chicago, stay here the night before as it is a truly magical place
We are staying in one of the cabins and are loving the experience.
The staff are pleasant and the food available is very good.

Took the lunch with tour option - great lunch (full dinner menu or buffet available) followed by a narrated bus tour of the area and a short "river cruise", again with history and info about the park and the various canyons that you can tour. We are old, but still made the trek down from the Lodge to the visitors center, and then up to the top of Starved Rock. Then back down and back up to the lodge. A lot of tiring walking/climbing but I think it was worth it. Good over view of the river. Lodge was clean and comfortable, though maybe a little dated. There is a newer hotel wing which I think is more up to date. Had Sue as a waitress for the lunch and for breakfast the next morning - very attentive and thorough. Good food both times. We would definitely come back - next time allowing a little more time and possibly doing some more extensive but easier hikes. Be prepared for lots of people, be prepared to get tired, be prepared to probably get frustrated from time to time for various reasons, but take it all in stride and you will have a great time. It is a very popular place, therefore expect a lot of people - spelled "crowded". Get used to it.

This is a very nice area with plenty of hiking trails, waterfalls, River view and woodlands. We enjoyed checking out most of the area. We hiked about 6 miles, took a lot of pictures and enjoyed ourselves.

This is definitely a busy park. We went on a Saturday afternoon the weekend of November 2nd and could not believe how crowded it was. We stayed at the campground which was nice and quiet. The shower houses were clean and warm for November. Great weekend

Visited the lodge in the park for a wedding and decided to take my daughter and her cousin (both 5) on a bit of a hike the day before the wedding. We hiked French Canyon, out to a little waterfall, because the guy at the nature center told us it was short and easy. I wouldn’t say it was a hard hike, both the 5 year olds managed, but at one point you are basically walking in the water flowing down the rocks from the little falls – makes for quite slick rocks and a lot of mud. That hike is definitely not for everyone. We also did the Lovers Leap trail…. which had some pretty views of the forest but culminates in a rather disappointing outlook to a quite ugly dam. This one also felt like just a solid hour of climbing stairs – I wouldn’t really recommend it. Wish we had had more time to find the other little waterfalls. But the person who was running the nature center seemed very knowledgeable and helpful, the trails seem very well maintained and there were lots of signs (I’m super surprised to see another reviewer saying trails weren’t well marked…). My biggest pet peeve of the park is just that every place that sells bottled water (from the lodge to the Trail Head Restaurant to the vending machines) charges $3.50 for a bottle of water. Insane mark-up. But otherwise, I would love to return and do some more hiking of this park.

Many walking trail opportunities to see amazing rock formations and long vistas of the river below. Great for a day trip or a picnic with the family.

This park is gorgeous and full of very well-maintained trails. The trails around the lodge were VERY busy when we went. We drove down to a parking lot on the other end of the park and hiked there too. The trails there were not crowded whatsoever, but a little harder to navigate (which we loved).

Really enjoyed our day here and plan to go back in the winter, it is very busy but the trails themselves weren’t too crowded

Went Hiking October 14th and the Colors had just begun to Change was hoping for more of a Change but was still Kinda Green.

By far the best place to stay in a family friendly environment. Breathtaking scenery. Recommend having a drink and food on the observation deck near the lodge. Wow.

Very nice State Park. There were a lot of trails to pick from and the ones we did had very well maintained paths that led to great views. The lodge was very nice and the restaurant had great food and friendly staff. We will definitely return to Starved Rock and the surrounding State Parks (Buffalo Rock and Matthiessen).

We were actually in search of another Peter Toth's carving in his Whispering Heroes collection. This one is called Chief Walks with Wind. You must enter the park to locate the statue. It is close to the park lodge on the grounds in front. The park has parking, but it will require a bit of a hike to head from the parking lot to the statue. There are a number of other carved statues in this area.

This is a lovely park. It has some great hiking trails but it can be a good workout to get to the canyons and waterfalls. It was really hot and humid when we were there so we went early and glad we did because this park gets really crowded. This is one of the worse parks that we have seen where people have defaced the rocks, the information boards and litter. It's such a shame. Carving into anything in a state park is vandalism and you should respect the beauty of the parks or stay out of them. The campgrounds are not in the park but down the road from the park. There are a couple more parks in this area also.

This was our first time here and loved it. Went on a cloudy day and it wasn’t to crowded or hot. Walked almost 9 miles.

Only complaint is that one of the bridges was down that took you on a loop back to parking lot. No signs were in place until you actually got to the bridge so we had to back track the way we came.

When reading website it said there were 14 waterfalls however when we went we could only find one. I think maybe the water level is too low this time of year.

The views were so pretty to view when I was hiking. I enjoyed swimming, and using the hassle-free grill to make lunch for my family.

Our favorite place for hiking in IL. Do avoid the weekends or only go very early am to hike then. Much better experience to hike there during the week though. Do not recommend most trails with kids under age 8 or so, and keep them close and a good eye on them then, as dangerous spots on upper trails if you do off them. See field trips with school kids on trails at times. Would not want to be a chaperone on those!

My wife and I spent two days at Starved Rock. The geology is wondrous. We went to the top of Starved Rock, which gave us a view of the Illinois River. I also hiked into two canyons, following streams while surrounded by rock walls at least 100 feet high.

However, everything that required maintenance was in poor shape. The Visitors Center museum was closed. The restrooms seemed to be dirty, but most of the lights were out so you couldn't tell for sure. There were no maps available to keep, only some taped to a window to take a picture of. On the maps, the only information regarding the trails was how far they were from the visitors center. There was no information about the length or steepness of the trails.

I found an app that described some of the trails and walked them. There were lots of logs to step over, and in some areas the plants were not trimmed, so they pushed into the trail on both sides.

I hope this lack of maintenance was covid related, because the geology here is amazing.

Too many dogs!!!!!
Dogs are great but now instead of allowing dogs on certain trails or certain days, every hiker and more had them. I witnessed multiple peoples dogs get into fights and people get bit. Glad I left our dogs at home some advice a friend told me. Park was filthy also.

We arrived on a Sunday for 3 nights. I’ve seen Disney World less crowded; it was insane. That said, however, Monday & Tuesday were much less people and easier walking. Highly recommend seeing St. Louis & Illinois Canyons; both were gorgeous. The website states the waterfalls are seasonal and that appears to be very true; one can certainly see where there would be a waterfall in the Spring or after a heavy rain. Some of the waterfalls would not be accessible if the creeks are full of water and after a heavy rain, the paths could be slippery. When you first start out on the trail near the parking lot, the trail is paved & has some walkways; that quickly ends and the trails are dirt & have a lot of tree roots, you really need to watch where you are going. Many of the trails are not suitable for young children or anyone with issues walking/climbing stairs. Do not bring a stroller as you will not be able to use it. Some of the downsides: there are signs all over stating stay on the paths; yet there are idiots - and their young children - climbing up the rocks then struggling to get back down. Dogs, dogs, & more dogs; I like dogs but....please clean up after your pet and it is NOT acceptable to pick the droppings up in a bag then leave the bag lying there. Don’t stand in the middle of the trails; step to the side. Overall, the park is beautiful and well worth visiting; try during the week on a cloudy day.

Although we went to Starved Rock on very hot day, we had a great time. It was a great trek, albeit tiring, but mostly, because we chose to take many stairs...basically every route we took had stairs, lots and lots of stairs. For anyone who might have any challenges with walks of that nature, please, pay attention to description of different routes and only select the appropriate for your abilities. We did just that, using information from the website and once you will, walk, observe and enjoy great views and scenery.

These are photos from June 2019 at Starved Rock. Everything is in full bloom and the waterfalls were running. If you are a visitor or a resident of IL, get down to Starved Rock this year. There’s a reason it’s voted #1 attraction in the state!

Such a beautiful hike with canyons, waterfalls, rocks and overlooks...all in one place. We mapped our route ahead of time through French canyon to Wildcat canyon through to Tonty & LaSalle Canyons. LaSalle has the waterfall to see, they say it even goes when it's very dry. Came back along the river walk to Beehive, Eagle Cliff & Lover's Leap overlooks. Total hike was 4.7 miles, but definitely not a hard hike. There were stairs for the bigger inclines/declines, dirt parts were smooth, plus some of the trail had wood decking or concrete paths.

Spent the better part of a day going through the park, taking pictures. There are several areas along the trails for good bird photo ops.

Excellent views! But very busy and tough trails. Lots of stairs. But a beautiful park for sure. Worth the visit.

We happened to visit Starved Rock on our way to see family in Chicago for the holidays. We were even more lucky to visit just after after a fresh snowfall! Our first stop was the visitor center which was delightful. The educational value was outstanding (we are a homeschool family) and the rangers were very knowledgeable and helpful. We decided on a few of the easier hikes, due to the snow and to our time constraint. We walked up the stairs to the top of Starved Rock, and the views were phenomenal! Our children had such fun making tracks in the snow, something they don't get to do often because of where we live. From there, we came back down and walked the trail back to French Canyon. It was breathtaking!!! There was a bit of an icefall at the top from the water slowly trickling down. The silence was immense and it felt otherwordly as we all stood at the bottom of the canyon and looked up at the smooth sandstone. I do hope that we can visit again someday to explore more of the 18 different canyons. Sidenote - these hikes can be very dangerous. Please adhere to park rules and stay on the trails. For your safety and for those around you. The cliffs are very high and taking young children requires strict attention to where you are walking. All in all we had a wonderful experience!

Enjoyed the short but beautiful hike up the bluff to Starved Rock. Good signage of the historical significance

The Views are Absolutely Breath Taking They Are Gorgeous !!! it is a Magificent Place to Visit !!! The First Time I Visited was with My Parents Back in May 1972 !!! My # younger Brothers& I went with Mom& Dad !!! i had to give Money For admittence&parking ... he was short on Money That sunday after Mothers Day !!!

Stayed overnight at Starved Rock on the way to Chicago. I would highly recommended it. Husband and son hiked several of the canyons and fished in the river. Lots of scenery and a host of waterfalls in a relatively compact area. Trails were a bit muddy and could use some maintenance as well as improved signage. The lodge and visitors center were some of the best state park facilities we have visited in several states (posted a separate review). We were there in the hottest week of 2019 but think it would be even better to visit in winter or early spring.

Very beautiful, well marked and easy trails. The trails are very safe and easy to navigate. Canyons stairs are well placed and a lot of the trail is covered wood planks.

Very good state park. I always enjoyed visiting it. I always come back to this place. I don’t mind I see this place again. I always come back here

Visited the park during the week of 4th of July, from Texas, I am originally from Illinois, my home town is only 26 miles from the park, it has been 30/40 yrs since last visited Starved Rock. park well maintained, clean, great views of the Illinois river, needless to say things change since last visit, nice scenic drive from Ottawa to Utica

This park is extremely popular. I’d recommend weekdays or the winter. During the cold parts of the winter, the waterfalls freeze and provided spectacular images. The trails are easy to manage. The Illinois River is such a creative erosional force.

Enjoy the photos

We went for hike on Saturday 7/26 and there were large groups without mask on the trails. Also there was zero crowd control, I thank god that we had our masks. The state park showed very little regard to the health of the visiting by not controlling the crowds.

Probably not a fair review as I am comparing this park to many other more spectacular parks. As a stand alone park, it is nice with well marked trails and nice facilities. However, the trails are very narrow, so if you are stuck behind a slower group, good luck getting around to blaze the trail. The paths are not very difficult but are a nice walk. Overall a great park for beginners and families but not if you are looking for serious hiking or diverse scenery.

Majestic and breathtaking journey through the past.
Enjoy vistas and challenging canyon hikes.
It is challenging and very enjoyable activity.

I visited Starved Rock today & climbed up the stairs to top of Starved Rock. Cool view. Nice park. We went to the lodge. Despite signs mandating masks, many guests as well as staff were not wearing masks or had them on their chins! With the Omicron virus exploding, you'd think a state owned facility would follow their own guidelines!

We so enjoyed the beautiful views, all the canyons and the bluffs.
We will be back. Plan on returning in the fall to see all the colors of the leaves.
Unfortunately, there was no waterfalls due to lack of rainfall.
Maps are located throughout the park for assistance.
Lots of stairs, be prepared. Bring water and snacks.
We only planned on a 2hr hike...ended up staying 5 hours. So much to see. Enjoyed every minute.

There are many hiking trails along the Illinois River and in the many canyons. The “water falls and river” make it that much more scenic. There are a lot of unique chain saw art sculptures scattered around the lodge area.

Decent enough waterfalls, great hiking. I must say the place on the Fourth of July was packed! The next day? Barley saw eleven people across three trails (mind you this was early in the morning). So I can't state how populated the place normally is, but I can state that I will be back to Starved Rock State Park . Saint Louis trail happened to be my favorite even though it was an easy trail, perhaps if I remember correctly 40 minutes in and out, ending with a decent enough waterfall.

Please note, if you park at the main visitor center (lower level) and you want to get to the lodge restaurant or Saint Louis trail up top? You have two options: 1. Drive around to the lodge parking lot (recommended) or 2. go up a massive amount of stairs that many people took breaks going up. There's a lot of steps, a lot of staircases. (Day one I took the stairs, day two I parked at the lodge).

Some of the lookouts are short paths, some are easy, not too many amazing views, but just over all good hiking.

I keep coming back here during different times of the year. After snowmelts and after springtime rains, the waterfalls are tumbling through the canyons. During drier months, you can hike deeper into the canyon walls, many of which are dripping with ferns.

The lodge, the restaurant, the fireplace, the cafe, and the cabins are dreamy. One of the most fascinating highlights is the collection of chainsaw sculptures. At the front desk, you can request a map of "Art in the Park".

We love Starved Rock Stars Park! Great hiking trails, a wonderful way to find the peacefulness of nature! If hiking is not your thing, there are other things to do, like trolley and boat tours. Or just sit and relax by the huge fireplace in the lodge!

We visited twice over a 5-day span in October 2020. Each time the park was VERY busy.

Our first visit was on a Friday afternoon. We only had an hour to spend, but we visited the Visitor's Center, the Starved Rock trail, and sat along the Illinois River to enjoy the view.

The views are great, and the Visitor Center offers a gift shop and snack shops.

Overall, we like what we saw and promised to return again during this vacation.

Our second visit was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was PACKED! We parked in the last row of the 2nd Overflow Parking Lot. By the time we hiked from the parking lot into the park and waited 20 minutes in line for a restroom, my son's anxiety was ramping up due to the large crowd, so we turned around and headed back.

On our way out we saw that the park had been closed for reaching maximum capacity.

Perhaps the park should consider closing the second overflow lot and reducing overall park capacity. Clearly, there were insufficient restrooms and insufficient space for the foot traffic on the trails (especially during COVID-19).

So we love Starved Rock. I like going when the weather is cooler, because there are fewer people there.
DEFINITELY go in the winter to see the ice falls and eagle nests!

The summer gets super busy and packed. But the place is gorgeous and worth the trip.

There is wonder in this wonderful state park. The visitor parking lot must hold 1000 cars and it was nearly full on a weekend. Well marked hikes but every one of them has a staircase. The on-line reservation showed all the rooms were full, but we called in the late afternoon and got a cabin for the night. The restaurant was the end of a perfect day.

Late summer weekday with dwindling crowds. Nice shady trails lead to beautiful views and postcard canyons. A few water bottles cast about- I don’t understand that but otherwise great place.

Starved Rock State Park was opened to the public in 1912. For the next 30 years, it was accessible only by ferry or railroad. When Illinois Route 71 was opened in 1942, it allowed automotive access from Chicago. Even today, located southeast of Utica, along the south bank of the Illinois River, 94 miles southwest of Chicago, nine miles east of Peru, it seems remote. But it attracts over two million visitors annually, more than any other state park in Illinois. Open from sunrise to sunset daily, with no entrance fee to enter the park or for parking, the park is steeped with history and beauty. Archaeological evidence reveals the park was occupied by prehistoric indigenous people dating to 11,000 BC. Europeans first explored the region in 1673. Why is it named Starved Rock? Around 1770, Illiniwek Indians were besieged on a large sandstone butte overlooking the Illinois River by Ottawa and Potawatomi Indians. The Illiniwek starved to death and the butte became known as Starved Rock. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The park covers 2,630 acres of wilderness on the Illinois River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River, that is known for steep sandstone canyons, waterfalls and unique rock formations formed by glacial meltwater. A wooded trail leads to Lover's Leap Overlook with views of the river and Starved Rock Dam. Today, visitors can stay at the 78-room Starved Rock Lodge and Cabins.

This was a lovely place to stop on our trip down I80. It’s just a few miles south and was a wonderful way for our kiddos to burn off energy. The hiking was beautiful. We did lovers leap and French canyon. Both were easy enough for our children (but lots of stairs on the lovers leap trail), and the canyons on the French canyon trail were so pretty. We spent about an hour and a half here and although we could have hiked longer, we felt like it was enough time for a quick stop.

Absolutely amazed at this unusual scenery in farmland Illinois. Canyons and waterfalls along the bluffs of the Illinois River. Be prepared for LOTS of stairs to get down to see the canyons.

The visitor center was very helpful in guiding us to the trails that would fit our time frame and abilities and we were not disappointed. Highly recommend exploring many of the different trails. Very well marked and very well maintained.

We booked reservations in July for a 2-night stay in Septemeber. When we called to check on our reservations booked online asked about the falls pretty much why we wanted to go. When we arrived we found out the falls were all dried up. I know Mother nature moved the water to the Carolinas. And the leaves had not changed color yet ok got it mother nature had thrown a curveball again. We also wanted to book an event online with our room and us unable to do so. When we arrived we were told they were all booked by a bus tour who was able to book ahead of time. Our room very simple for the cost, no mini frig no microwave and the TV reception was fuzzy at best except 2 channels. Complained about finding black hairs on the wall and sink in the bathroom after it was cleaned for the day. Honestly, I have found better rooms at Super 8. Maybe it was just a bad week. We did find most of the personal was accommodating when we asked questions. On the other hand, we found that Utica was charming with great service and friendly people.

The park is a great year round attraction. Trail hiking, walking near beautiful waterfalls and rock formations. The Lodge is a fantastic place to stay and they have delicious food and drink in the restaurants. Winter is stunning with snow covered prairies and frozen waterfalls. There is an abundance of wildlife with Bald eagle nesting areas along the River.

Perhaps it was the time we visited but there was garbage everywhere. People didn't seem to care what the speed was. Even with kids and toddlers running around. No longer a place I'd ever recommend.

Not until a month ago I have ever heard of Starved Rock State Park. I think I seen a picture on Facebook and we decided to go once our oldest was out of school. So we travel down from Wisconsin and get there at 9am. I highly suggest getting there early the parking lot fills fast later in the day and seems like they had some flooding so the visitor center parking lot was closed so we used the overflow parking lot near the lodge. Typically I hate hiking I’m overweight and out of shape and hiked in Hawaii and absolutely hated it probably cause it was hot, but I really enjoyed this hike we were there for almost 5 hours. Trails aren’t too bad need to watch out for things sticking out of the ground so you don’t trip. There is quite a few stairs so we brought our 1 year old and used a baby sling because it is definitely not stroller friendly. We hiked all the way to wildcat canyon which was amazing our 7 year old jumped into the water and had a blast. Then took the river trail back to the car. Definitely bring snacks and water for the hike. Also again make sure to get there early. We felt rushed out of our parking spot with people waiting for us because we were trying to feed the baby and people waiting for us to pull out.

This well-known park had 2.5 million visitors in 2018 and is the 16th most visited park in the nation. It is located 1 3/4 hours from Chicago. We arrived on a beautiful afternoon and hiked to Starved Rock, French Canyon and its connecting trail to Wildcat Canyon. All very scenic and good trails but with lots of stairs. In addition, there is a Lodge located on the property and on a Saturday they were hosting both a family reunion and a wedding. It is a very busy place. At the onsite restaurant, we tried the deep-fried ravioli and were not disappointed.
We had booked a Trolley Tour with a guided hike to Ottawa Canyon and a Boat Ride. It rained but 4 of us went anyway. The 1/2 mile hike was led by Joe, our guide and geologist. He gave us folding walking sticks, the kind with points on the bottom, like ski poles, to use and they became very important as conditions became muddier. First we came to the Counsel Overhang, once used by Native Americans. There we made the decision to continue on to the canyon. We all had wet feet. (We were warned) but it was worth it. The boat ride was well narrated and we learned about the locks and how rainy conditions this spring affected the barges that travel the Illinois River. We also saw a flock of pelicans which hang out on the sunken islands in the middle of the river. The boat ride would have been much more enjoyabe on a sunny day, but passengers and crew made the best of it.

My girlfriend and I drove an hour and half from downtown Chicago to escape the concrete jungle and take in the beautiful fall foliage of Starved Rock! The views did not disappoint and the crowds weren't bad when we went (around 230pm). Parking was easy to find, as the early crowds were leaving, and were able to do Wildcat Canyon which was gorgeous. It was an easy mile hike to the bottom of the canyon and made for terrific pictures and scenery. Cant wait to go back and try one of the many trails!

This park is one of my favorite places -

Would Illinois please join the ranks of Michigan and Wisconsin by charging a daily and annual visitors fee to help staff the park and keep up with the high demands on park resouces.

we didn't see any waterfalls and we got to know that waterfalls exists only when heavy rains happened fro couple of days

We was visiting and stayed at the Grizzly Jack Grand Bear Resort. But we did the historic trolley tour, which was very interesting. The tour guide person was very knowledgeable about the tour.

We stopped at the lodge for lunch. The deck behind the lodge was a great place to sit and have a sandwich and local beer. The visitor center is full of information and very well presented. There is a help desk where you can get lots of suggestions for things to do. Be prepared for lots of steps and upward climbs. There is a trolley (with a cost) if you want to get an overview. There is no admission fee to enter the park.

We came to Starve Rock to go hiking for our daughter's birthday. We hiked to the top of Starved Rock. The trail and stairs where clean and easy to navigate. The view was beautiful On our next trip we plan on hiking the canyon and going to a few of the water falls.

Well worth the time to stop and see this park , the lodge shows a old time structure and the sunday brunch is great . If you have the time downtown Utica is good to visit as well

Trails are of varying length and difficulty for all hikers. Views incredible and many quiet places for reflection. Trails in good condition for most part and mostly well marked. Great place for a day or a weekend.

We just went to the Visitors Center and walked/hiked up to Starved Rock. Beautiful views all around, and it was not too crowded.

enjoyed stopping in briefly. There was woman loudly telling everyone they must see Starved Rock because it's the 'main attraction'. I thought Starved Rock itself was kind of lame--the views were really nothing to get excited about. We only had time to see the French Canyon, as we were just passing through. Beautiful, easy hike, and the canyon was great. Look forward to coming back to see the rest!

Very well maintained, great help with directions and location, lots of things to do in the park, great view from the top of the river, nice views of the river, great hiking.

Falls Canyon and Lasalle Canyon are really nice to view. There are a LOT of stairs here and difficult terrain too. There are quite a few muddy trails. As we were leaving around 11 am the people really started pouring into the park. Additionally it is a shame a few people find it necessary to write on fences and information signs. Noticed the park was closed due to maximum capacity as we drove away. Route 178 had illegal and dangerous parking going on that was dangerous for everyone.

Starved Rock State Park is a perennial favorite in the Chicagoland region but I did not realize that - in pre-COVID years, at least - 2 million visitors explored the Illinois river, the forests, and the canyons. It is obvious why the park is so popular; it is close to Chicago and its suburbs, it provides a landscape that is totally unexpected in flat Illinois and easy access to the Illinois River allows visitors to enjoy water sports.

There are 18 sandstone canyons, carved out by rainwater over the millennia. Depending on rainfall, they will feature waterfalls of varying sizes. In years past we had visited mostly in the fall, on dry days, and there were no waterfalls to be enjoyed. On the other hand the trails were dry. Bottom line, to enjoy waterfalls go during or just after a significant rainfall but be prepared for muddy and slippery trails.

The maps and on-line resources will remind you that there are yellow and white trail markers; yellow tells you that you are heading away from the Visitors’ Center and white tells you that you are heading back.

The park is stretched out along the southern bank of the Illinois River. The River Trail runs along the river bank 4 miles to the Council Overhand and entry to the Ottawa and Kaskaskia canyons. Inland runs the Bluff Trail, well above water level leading to French Canyon, and overlooks to Wildcat, Basswood and Lonetree Canyons.

Parts of the River Trail closest to the visitor center are paved. There are numerous wooden walkways and staircases to climb and descend, especially if checking out the views from the Starved Rock, Eagle Cliff and Beehive overlooks. The wood staircases and walkways were dry to slightly damp when we visited but I could see them becoming quite slippery when wet. The trails were also mostly dry with the muddy patches being mostly when heading into the canyons themselves. I cannot see anybody with significant mobility impairment getting around. If you have major heart or lung disease go easy when negotiating those stairs. According our phones we hiked almost 7 miles during our 4-hour visit and climbed the equivalent of 30 floors. Wear sturdy shoes, preferably water-resistant. On the other hand, if it is really hot and you don’t mind getting feet wet you could wear sturdy hiking sandals.

We went during the week, and arrived before 10AM so there were no issues with parking but the official website notes that some weekends are so busy the park closes to vehicles due to lack of parking by 11AM. By noon, we were regularly encountering fellow visitors on the trails, normally not an issue but, in this era of the COVID19 pandemic, a potential source of concern. Understandably over half of those we encountered did not wear masks, and those climbing the stairs were breathing heavily. I can only imaging how crowded the trails would be on weekends. This would be another reason to visit during the week.

We were impressed by LaSalle and Wildcat canyons. There was a decent waterfall still pouring over the overhang. There was barely a trickle at Wildcat but the vertical, multi-layered head of the canyon was lushly overgrown, a veritable handing garden. I you have a camera with interchangeable lenses be sure to bring your wide-angle lens.

We enjoyed a late lunch on the rear patio of the Starved Rock Lodge. Tables were spaced out appropriately. Servers were friendly, prompt, and masked. It was surprisingly busy for a mid-week visit. Almost all the other visitors wore their masks until they sat down at their respective tables. The kitchen appeared to work efficiently as our orders were delivered fairly promptly even though the place was busy.

Take a few minutes to walk around the impressive lobby or great hall of the lodge, a magnificent log structure that would look entirely at home in the Western US. In fact it reminded us of the Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier, just a bit smaller.

We did not check out the Visitors’ Center.

We had visited Starved Rock in the winter many years ago to spot the Bald Eagles that winter in the area. We had hiked several times in the fall as well but it has been a long while since our last visit. I was surprised to see American white pelicans swooping overhead and out over the river near the main parking lot. We saw several perched on a log snagged in the middle of the river (and cormorants on nearby logs as well). At the lock and dam there was a large flock swimming around, occasionally squabbling over something in the water, presumably a fish stunned by its passage through the dam. Turns out the pelicans are relative newcomers. Normally migrating between the Gulf of Mexico and Canada, this particular flock appears to have settled on the Illinois River as being as far north as they needed to go.

It was good to get out and enjoy this park once again after almost 15 years.

Don't go when it's busy or trails near the lodge. As yogi beara said, "nobody goes there anymore, it's to crowded.

Me and my husband took 3 active boys during thanksgiving break nice beautiful park to hike enjoy nature in Illinois.

Went during the week and it was peaceful, not crowded and we had wonderful tips from the ace volunteer at the Visitor Center on which waterfalls were best to hike to, and the best way to see them
Trails all clearly marked and some were really fun.. like going through an obstacle course to get to the end. Loved the 8+ hours we spent hiking daily. Best time to go is before it gets too hot and humid! No bugs .. we had no bug issues whatsoever.

The park allows you to get an idea of the immensity of North America's forests, as well as its biodiversity. Located in a place with a lot of history, and on the Illinois River, it shows what the region must have looked like two centuries ago. Walking along its long paths you can climb over the treetops and see the dam, and then descend into the canyons. Its thousand shades of green are an invitation to photography. Its paths are accessible, the stairs require a little effort. It has an interpretive center that allows you to learn about geography, history and its fauna.

It was too icy to safely hike much this weekend but I can’t wait to come back again. I want to experience Starved Rock State Park in every season.

We were in parking Ottawa parking lot by around 9am on a Sunday, no crowds, ran into one family and one couple. We were prepared with change of shoes and socks as we don't have waterproof hiking boots. It rained the night before and was very muddy but my 7 year old enjoyed it, my wife not so much. Couple areas a little challenging trying to find least amount of mud and crossing the stream. Both the Council Overhang and Ottawa Canyon were great. I wasn't sure if could make a loop to Kaskaskia and back to parking lot as the map on starved rock website you can't tell. It is a shame people carve their names into the Council Overhang! Something as beautiful shouldn't be defaced.

Want to keep it hidden. Most beautiful state park in Illinois. Go somewhere else if you want to write on walls and throw dirty diapers on the trails

We went on a lovely fall day with our two little dogs. We had a very difficult time navigating the place. There are lots of stairs, very steep stairs, on almost every trail. If you park at the Visitor's Center lot and make your way via trails to the Lodge (a bit of a hike) know that the only way to return to the Visitors Center (unless you retrace your steps) is by a shockingly huge staircase with metal spikes (for winter safety I presume). We were forced to carry our dogs down - very very difficult!

Had we known any of this, we certainly would not have brought our dogs, or even gone ourselves. There were a lot of elderly people and also dogs. Don't
know how they managed to explore the area.

On a positive note, The park is lovely, with great views. The Visitors Center has a decent snack stand, a shop, and a nice historical exhibit. There is no charge for visiting the park. Note that they do not provide paper maps of the trails. But there are a lot of diagrams around the area. Tip: Look for the yellow and white dots on the trail markers to know which way you are going.

My wife and I camped at the campground the week of July 4, 2022. We've been there several times so we knew what to expect, or so we thought. The park has a "run down" feeling to it. Supposedly one of Illinois' best parks, some trails were closed, signage was poor or missing; it just looked poorly maintained. The campground was ok but the camp store was never open on the days we were there. Overall disappointed. I think the whoever in the State of Illinois government is in charge of Starved Rock SP should take a trip over to Indiana and see how it's should be done right. Over there they charge a small fee per car to get into their parks, like Indiana Dunes or Turkey run. Most people don't mind paying when the park is well cared far. Illinois doesn't charge a fee and it shows.

We usually go to the national parks, but heard good things about this one so we decided to give it a try. Trails are well maintained and the visitor center was good. The center has bathrooms along with a fast food and gift shop. There is a lodge close by that offers sit down menu.

The park was nice and the trails BUT the campground was not that great. Not enough showers/flush toilets then the urine smell terrible. Very small campground with two loops. Mind you one bath house in each loop...2 flush toilets and 2 showers...swelled awful and not enough standing to use. Oh they had 2 other sections for toilets BUT was pit ones...the smell was so horrible you could not stand it. WHY is no chemicals being put in these for odors??? THEN we had electrical issues on site 34 & 35. Blew fuses and took us a spell to figure out poor electrical and or old electricity boxes that needed attention. Site 35 friends had to buy a battery charger to keep trailer battery charged so could have some lights. We called after hours for help and a lady shows next morning WELL these big rigs coming in messes with electricity WHAT. No you have issues with electrical lines. Well she claims someone to come at noon. NOPE we waited till 12:30 and NO ONE came. We drove 7 hours to visit this area and picked this park. It needed mowed. We will NOT be back and advise something is going on with electricity that messed up fuses. We have camped 40 yrs. and never had problems like this. We think some kind of surges are going on. Stay at the INN NOT in this campground.

Wow - unexpected with hills, scenery, and views - given this is surrounded by relatively flat farmland and associated towns for many miles in all directions. A visitor center on the history is a good place to start - takes only 15-20 minutes. Then much of the rest is trails both dirt and boardwalk - overlooking the river, in canyons, or just through rolling terrain in the woods. I'd recommend doing the 80-stair climb to Starved Rock. Then if you handle that fine, you can do a loop where you follow the signs on trails to Wildcat Canyon where you can go down the steps into the canyon - then take the river trail back - which both runs along the river at river level and on bluffs many feet above it with overlooks. We did this "loop" and it took us 2.5 hours for just shy of 3 miles with stops to enjoy, take in the views, and take pictures. But, there are quite a few different options.

This is a great go-to place to hike and enjoy nature. It is scenic and there is quite a bit of variety for novice to more experienced hikers. It is kid as well as dog friendly, we saw both.

We decided to take a day trip to do a little hiking and exploring one of our State Parks. We had heard a lot of good things about this park and we were not disappointed. This is not for the faint of heart or out of shape! We ended up walking most of the park trails (a little over 6 miles) and there are a lot of neat things to see, but there is a lot of going up and down steep stairs. I definitely would not recommend this for anyone trying to push a stroller (you are wasting your time) or unfortunately for those with accessibility needs.
There are some great spots to fish and picnic, play frisbee, or just spend quality time with family/friends.
There are porta potties by the picnic areas, and modern facilities inside the Visitor Center. There is also food available for purchase in the Visitor Center.

You will get it all within short distances.
Canyons with water falls, well maintained stairs with steep climbs, easy stroll along IL river, outlooks with majestic views. Pick the ones which fit your interest.
Get a map from their website or visitor center and use the parking lots to access nearby canyons and viewpoints.
Art in the Park is also worth checking out.
You can hike all trails within a day if you plan properly.
The famous lodge has a very good, affordable restaurant too. Consider staying there for a night if time permits. We stayed there two nights and loved it.
Also make sure to check out the Illinois waterway visitor center and see the lock in action showing how ships are moved across the dam.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program that gave millions of young men employment on environmental projects during the Great Depression.
CCC planted more than three billion trees and constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide including this park during its nine years of existence.

The views are great. The walking paths are well maintained. The visitor center is very educational and well staffed

For years we only went into French Canyon and the rock. They're ho-hum compared to the canyons farther out. Make it all the way to St. Louis, or along the trails to the east. It'll be worth the extra 40 minute walk!

There are loads of hiking trails along the Illinois River just a short trip from Chicago. The 90 minute trip lands you in a completely different environment allowing appreciation of the beauty of nature. Weekends can be crowded and if possible try to make it during the week.

Drove down from CHICAGO for some hiking on the weekend and weren’t disappointed! First of all, get there early, by 11 am the parking lot was almost full. We got there at 9a and it was great. Once you get to the further areas of the park (read not starved rock) the trails really thin out. It’s great. Also bring water and be prepared to hike stairs.

I looooove a good canyan/waterfall situation, and Starved Rock does not disappoint! As others have said - plan wisely. I personally have gone during the week (though that can backfire too if there are field trips...). On this visit, we did St. Louis Canyon (beautiful, a bit of a walk from the visitor's center), Aurora Canyon (short walk, no one else there, lovely), and French Canyon (stunning! More heights with this one on the way down). I've heard French Canyon can get very busy during peak hours on the weekend.

In the past, I've also done Illinois/Ottawa/Kaskaskia trails, which were all beautiful and not too busy at all - those three didn't have any heights and were pretty straightforward paths.

The place is very nice at here. We enjoy this place so much. We did not have any problem at here. We will recommend this place to everyone

Left home this morning headed to this park.
We were hoping that some of the colors were still showing.
They were past their peak but still had some colors.
Our fault. Planning to return next fall for all the colors.
The lodge and visitor center were nice. We will make reservations for next fall.

We enjoyed several hours hiking here. Trails are well marked. There are a lot of stairs that you need to climb. We visited last week and the waterfalls were still flowing due to recent rains.

My first choice was Matthiessen down the road, but it is still closed due to storm damage, so I went to Starved Rock instead. That really ins't a complaint. I just wanted a more intimate location since I was by myself.

First off, the trails were pretty busy. Not crazy busy, but pretty busy. I was rarely by myself. Social distancing wasn't an issue, but I like to stop and take in the sights (and take pictures) and I often had to wait for people to get out of the way. It was a Wednesday in September, so on an off day in what should be the off season. IO'm guessing this place is never really dead.

It has also been very dry, so there was almost no water running at the places that would usually have a small waterfall. That's just bad luck.

The trails themselves were pretty darn good. Sure, you are looking at a dam and industrial construction as you look out over the river, but most of the trails are in what feels like wilderness.

I did see a Bald Eagle flying over. It was actually by Eagle Cliff Overlook. I did not manage a picture, but it was the first time I saw a Bald Eagle in flight in nature. Pretty cool.

I did eat lunch at the little restaurant in the Visitor Center and had a burger and fries. Not bad. A little pricey. It was made to order, so it was fresh. I got my usual doodads from the gift shop before heading out.

Nice park. Popular as you would expect. I'd suggest going in the spring to see the falls if you are travelling to the place.

So much beauty and great trails. The restaurant has good food and depending on what time of year you go, you can eat outside on the veranda or inside. We try to go at least once a year, if we lived closer we would go all the time.

Beautiful scenery and the walking terrain is pretty nice. It can get muddy though in the canyons during certain times a year. There are a few challenging climbs but nothing too hard. Watch out for poison ivy however, it is along the trail side.

The canyons and waterfalls are cool, but it's a bit of a hike to get to some of them. I'd say you're walking through forest 90% of the time, doing stairs 5%, and viewing canyons 5%. I had the image that I'd actually be walking through canyons, and that wasn't what happened. Depending on what trail you do, be prepared for a LOT of stairs (makes sense as you're going down into a canyon). If you go down, you have to go back up too.
We got there at 7:00am on a Wednesday and pretty much had the place to ourselves, outside of the gazillion mosquitos. BRING BUG SPRAY! Went to Starved Rock first, then French Canyon, where a family showed up, but other than that, we were totally alone. We had to walk through some water to get into the canyon (this will depend on the weather). I wish I saved this place for last because my shoes were wet the rest of the way.
We walked out to St. Louis trail, and went the long way. Note: park at the parking lot close to the canyon. It will make your trip much shorter. Going the long way is a bit of a hike through forest. The walk is easy, but when there's a lot of park to see, you want to save your energy. The canyon itself was very pretty, and outside of one other person, we were the only ones there.
The park was cool/warm, but felt kind of muggy so we were drenched in sweat. We decided to leave to change and on our way out of the park, the parking lot was already packed, with buses even. (10:00am?).
We drove over to the parking lot closer to La Salle and there were only a few cars. Lots more people on this trail than the St. Louis one (but that's probably because it was later in the day, noon?). Sooo many stairs. Be prepared. There's also some spots that I don't think would be safe if it was shortly after rain. We saw a number of people with younger kids and the kids were not happy. I wouldn't bring kids under 10 out here. It is however, the prettiest canyon in the park. And the prettiest hike. If I only had a couple hours, this is the canyon I'd choose to do.
Some of the trails aren't marked that well. It would be nice if the park put up some sort of measurement of how far away you are. The signs just say 'away' or, I don't remember the other one. It would also be really nice if there was a shuttle from one parking lot to the other. Once you've come to the end of a 6mile hike, you just don't want to walk back!
Tips: GO EARLY, don't bring young kids, not a place for people out of shape, bring LOTS of bug spray, don't bring your dog if they aren't used to hiking (people were actually carrying them out!), check the park to make sure the paths are open before going. I'd skip the overlooks also. Lots of people to deal with and the view isn't that amazing.
We didn't stay at the lodge because of the cost, but finding out the lodge is smack dab in the middle of the park, I'd probably pay the extra cost, if just to avoid dealing with parking!

It is the best, plenty things to do from camping to hiking to eat.
You get in touch with nature, water, falls, eagles.
Highly recommend if you are there for hiking bring backpack with water and maybe some snacks because when you are inside the park no restaurants, no bathrooms. It is pure nature but the trails are well so you always know where to go.

Our first time at Starved Rock was a good experience despite it being somewhat crowded. Even without waterfalls, the canyons were impressive. The scenery was lovely and the trails were good just be prepared for a lot of stairs. Some of the overlooks (Beehive) were not worth all the stairs but we walked 6 miles and felt like it was well worth our time even if we didn’t make it to all the canyons. We will definitely be back!

I really want to come back because unfortunately I didn't get a chance to hike in the canyons because my 4 year old just wasn't having it that day. I highly suggest going very early if on a weekend or go during the week because midday on a weekend it gets crazy busy. Lots of dogs so if your dog is reactive, you might want to leave that pup at home. We only hiked the boardwalk type trail along the river but the views were very pretty. Downtown utica is a very cute place to grab a meal, shop or get some ice cream. I hope to return sometime!

Unfortunately too many visitors to this gorgeous setting don't follow the "leave only footprints" premise. The canyons, forest, and river are beautiful but there was a lot of trash on the trails. We went mid-week and started our hike pretty late so we didn't see a lot people. The signage on the trails could be more clear. There are quite a few places where you need to make a choice and the signs were inadequate. The views are incredible and awe inspiring. Be prepared-there are a lot of steps.

Winter is one of our favorite times to visit Starved Rock. Not only are the crowds smaller, but the trees are leafless so you can really appreciate the beauty of the rocks and birds cannot hide so easily. Bald eagles soar over the park, and especially out over the river, in addition to winter birds. Some trails were inaccessible because of a recent storm laying down ice, but the boardwalks were navigable. We attended the evening owl prowl so we also encountered owls as they hooted back to calls. Of course, fat raccoons saunter around like they own the place, but that's to be expected when people stuff food into garbage cans.

We are spending 2 days and staying at the starved rock lodge. Beautiful state park and lodge. The canyons are unbelievable. I cant believe Illinois has terrain this beautiful.

My husband and I went to this beautiful park in June 2018 right after our wedding. Very clean. Friendly staff. Lots of fun!

I normally try to get here by 8 am and then there are very few people on my hike away from the visitor center parking lot, until I turn around and get most of the way back. I always walked on the trails going East from there. This time I arrived by about 7 am but there was a line of cars on the road heading in. I couldn't see what was happening (someone later said they often have trees fall across the road). I turned around and parked in the "lot" on Rt 178. The road to the parking lot is blocked off and is in poor repair but there's a slight rise with gravel/dirt near Rt. 178 that you can park on, walk around the gate and go about 1/4 mile to the trailhead. The walk to the Visitor's Center area was nice, with few people.

The views of the river are IMO not very scenic at all, with the dam and industrial buildings on the other side of the river - it's slightly better as you walk east and get away from that. But the trails are nice and shady. Part of the Visitors Center was also closed, with the exhibits, bookshop and counter with the Ranger also in the closed off area so that was disappointing. Not sure if that was due to the pandemic or not. The gift shop was available and the food area also. They sell wrapped squares of fudge and ice cream (good selection on the fudge!).

There wasn't a lot of water but there was a bit of a waterfall in St. Louis canyon and 1 or 2 other areas. The lodge is nice and I went out back of the lodge and sat on their deck and had some food and a local beer which was good.

Met family here to celebrate Thanksgiving. Beautiful surrounds, rustic lodge and rooms. Pool was great for the kids. Restaurant was rustic and had good food, but though a little pricey. $13 for basic fried chicken...….. Cheapest thing on the menu.

I guess I expected well marked trails and easily accessible sites. While it was beautiful and interesting, some paths were a bit rough, and in order to view the waterfall, we would have to walk though some water to get to it. There were lots of stairs and levels, so it probably wasn’t the best outing for a super hot day. Though a good portion of the trails are shaded, we were still sweating from the heat.
Overall, you can’t beat the price ( free) and the beauty. You are able to choose your trails to best for your ability. I’m happy we were able to experience it. Be sure to bring water to stay hydrated! There was a gift shop and food in the welcome center.

The first time I visited Starved Rock State Park was the day after my senior prom, with my date and two other couples. The second time I gave a speech at a student convention at the lodge. This time, I took time to do some research before embarking on a lengthy tour of the historic 2,630-acre park located just southeast of the village of Utica, Illinois, in La Salle County, along the south bank of the Illinois River. It hosts over two million visitors annually, more than any other state park in Illinois. Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette were the first Europeans known to explore the region. By 1683, the French had established Fort St. Louis on a large sandstone butte overlooking the river. The park got its name from an incident that occurred around 1769. According to legend, a group of Native Americans of the Illinois Confederation (called Illiniwek or Illini) were pursued by the Ottawa and Potawatomi and fled to the butte. There they were besieged and starved to death. The butte became known as "Starved Rock." The area around the Rock was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Historically, a catastrophic flood took place between 14,000 and 17,000 years ago, before humans occupied the area, helping to create the park's signature geology and features, which are very unusual for the central plains. The park region has been the subject of several archaeological studies concerning both Native American and European settlements. In the late 19th century, the parkland was developed as a vacation resort, then acquired by the State of Illinois in 1911 for a state park, which it remains today. In its early years, Starved Rock State Park was accessible only by railroad. When Illinois Route 71 was opened in 1942, it allowed easy automotive access from Chicago. There are over 13 miles of hiking trails in the park, allowing visitors to enjoy a view of the 18 deep canyons and 18 waterfalls from Lover's Leap Overlook or Eagle Cliff Overlook or Beehive Overlook. Camping, boating, horseback riding and fishing are among other activities offered in the park in the summer and ice skating, tobogganing, ice climbing, cross-country skiing and sledding in the winter. There are 133 campsites. Visit the Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center to obtain a map of the park. You can even obtain binoculars to observe bald eagles that visit the park from December to February. If you care to stay overnight, book a room at Starved Rock Lodge and Cabins, which were built from 1933 to 1939. A major renovation was completed between 1986 and 1988 when a heated swimming pool and a 30-room wing were added to the hotel. The lodge has a central lounge, known as the Great Room, and hotel wings and a dining room wing. There's a lot more to see in Starved Rock State Park than just the historic Rock, which is about all I recall about my first visit in 1958, proof that you're never too old to improve your education.

Starved Rock State Park is absolutely beautiful. It was unfortunately a little crowded but for good reason- it was the place to be! Such beautiful trails with a lot of scenic overlooks. It’s most definitely the best hiking location in Illinois. Make sure to check out St. Louis Canyon - ended up being a little less crowded with an incredible waterfall. Can’t wait to go back!

To park car it took us lot of time due to Sunday and summer holidays, visitors center is well maintained with lots of information and food is also available, but not much options, better to bring water for the trail. Wildcat canyon is must visit trail though water is not there. Well maintained place with trash cans, but mobile toilets are only at beginning, of the trail. Strollers are not the best option for small children. Lots of steps to climb, oh my God I would see him. But the views and canyons are mesmerizing. That will hold ur for a second. Parking lot is big, you can bring food and cooking. Good place to picnicki. ng, some people are even fishing. You can bring your dogs too

We spent a day at Starved Rock State Park with our family reunion and it was a wonderful day. Took the trolley tour a d Laura did a great job. Highly recommend doing that. Some of us hiked. Highly recommend this venue!

Though the park was lacking water so the waterfalls were minimal - it was a great place to go for our morning hikes.

We would like to thank Rob & Joe for a wonderful tour of Starved Rock. We went on Labor Day and enjoyed a tremendous buffet lunch before taking the trolley and boat tour. Joe really was an outstanding narrator on the boat. He really has a lot of knowledge and an acute interest in the geology and ecology of the area. It was extremely interesting. We would recommend it highly! The price was very reasonable in our opinion, too!

I visited Starved Rock State Park about 7 years ago. I met my adult son there and we hiked the trails. Many of the trails went through ravines and some even led to waterfalls. We ate in the lodge located in the park and found the food to be be quite good and reasonably priced. My son was so taken with Starved Rock that he took his girlfriend there and in February of 2019 they had their wedding pictures taken there. The backdrop of frozen waterfalls was absolutely beautiful.

After reading several recent reviews, we decided to arrive early on a Sunday morning to avoid crowds. We arrived at about 8:45am and the parking lot was already about 33% full.

We brought face masks due to the pandemic, and these were important when we were on narrow trails where it was impossible to maintain physical distance from oncoming parties. Interestingly, everyone we encountered for the first hour and a half was wearing a mask (or put one on when we drew close). As the day progressed, it got increasingly busier and less people wore masks. My assumption based on this one-day experience is that people who want to avoid close proximity with others due to the COVID pandemic are more likely to hit the trails early, and they are also therefore more likely to wear masks. So, if you are trying to stay safe, I would recommend going early.

We hiked the canyon trails—French, Wildcat, and Lasalle. The last two were particularly gorgeous (as another reviewer has mentioned). The scale of the canyons was beyond anything we had imagined based on photos. It grew progressively hotter as the day went on, reaching 97 degrees by the time we left (around 12:30). This reinforced to us that early morning really is the best time to go during the summer.

My husband and I had our two kids with us (7 and 3). We spent about 3.5 hours on the trails, including lots of breaks for exploring, snacks, and pictures. The kids did great, but they are adventurous and love hiking.

Best to get there early. We arrived at 930 on a Sunday morning and there were already a lot of people. We parked in the overflow parking which was already half full. It was about 10 min walk to the visitors center. We first went to the French canyon. You have to go further up on the narrow rock path to see the u shaped canyon view you see online. It was muddy going up but worth it. We then went to lasalle canyon following the red trail on the map which ran along Illinois river. You’ll pass thru lovers leap but the view on eagle cliff is better. You’ll come across 2 forks which are not marked where each leads to. In the first fork , go up the stairs to your left then another left (there are logs on the ground). Once you cross a big wooden arched bridge , turn RIGHT . There is a sign after the bridge , but the lower right corner of the sign was covered with a branch of leaves and we turned left which added another hour to our hike since we went the wrong way towards Hennepin canyon and had to turn around. It was about 30 minutes from eagles cliff overlook to that bridge and another 10 minutes to lasalle canyon. A lot of people played on the waterfall. Be careful , there were slippery /muddy areas . I saw a few people wearing flip flops - wear gym shoes (not white ) or hiking shoes . We left around 1pm but could have left earlier if we didn’t go the wrong way or stopped along the way (there are benches /logs to sit/rest. Lots of stairs so I feel sorry for those who brought strollers. Maybe if it’s a light one , it’ll be ok. Checked off Illinois must see list but will probably not go back, not worth the many hours of driving from Chicago for a second time .

Unfortunately I only spent two days in the Starved Rock State Park and managed to go on about 4 trails, but I am keen to return even if only for a day trip. Even though the area is well maintained and sign posted one still feels like a discoverer and on an adventure. You never know which beauty lies around the corner and what view is going to astonish you next. Utica has a delightful bakery for your breakfast needs and Ottawa great spots for lunch and/or dinner. Make sure you stop and see the (free!) Illinois Waterways Visitors Center. My favorite was the Kaskaskia Canyon trail but others were equally as great and interesting...

Today was the most perfect day for a hike, mid-sixties. I had a glorious day hiking and getting outside for fresh air. Lots of the trails were very muddy but able to get around. I thoroughly enjoyed this visit.

Starved Rock is one of favorite places. The hiking trails are awesome and the scenery is beautiful. The lodge is nice and the campground is very clean.

we adid the trolley tour, very nice and affordable, about 7/person, want to definitely go on the holiday version of this