Kinkaid Lake Spillway — Attraction in Illinois

Our goal was to find a waterfall that my nephew could see up close. We started our day at Ferne Cliff. We were disappointed there after a mile hike to discover that waterfall was barely a trickle. I was hesitant to drive the extra hour to the Kinkade Lake Spillway.The term spillway made me question what we were going to see. I am so glad we went. This is a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall that ends in a small swimming/fishing hole. I wish we had gone here first.

The only downside is all the picnic tables are in full sun with no shade. It was a bit warm but would have been unbearable earlier in the afternoon...

The spillway is one of our new favorite locations! Don't specifically listen to the reviewers that are complaining about the level of water on the specific day that they went because it changes. It had actually been flooded for a while up until a couple of weeks before we went. Thankfully, because of that, it was manageable to hike up through the water since the levels decreased. Otherwise, you have to hike completely around the spillway, which can be difficult. Main tip, wear anti-slip shoes as there are some pretty slick places. Overall, we...

Pretty neat place. My fiance and I went today because we knew the water would be really pouring out of the lake down the spillway after the rain. It was only our second visit but we found some walking trails today and also realized that you can walk around to the top of the bank you see as you're coming in and get to the top of the spill way that way if you can't get across the creek at the parking area. Definitely planning to explore more soon! The lake area up at the top of the spill way is also a great place to swim when it's...