Starved Rock State Park — Attraction in LaSalle

This place isn’t starved for attention, that’s for sure.

Whether it was for a school field trip or an adventure with the family, visiting Starved Rock as a kid was a rite of passage of sorts. With getting into hiking, it only felt right to come back and see it again. I had tried making plans to go with a few friends but life gets busy and I wanted to get in before the winter weather started to stick around.

The thing to know about Starved Rock before I tell my adventure is that it’s THE place to hike in Illinois. Sure, Illinois has a million nature centers, state parks, trails, paths, parks, etc… but Starved Rock is the place that everyone seems to gravitate to. Expect it to be busy.

The first thing to note is that parking was a breeze to find. There was plenty of signage pointing to the main parking lot and the overflow parking lot. A thing to note is that the parking spots themselves are a bit narrow, so if you have a wider vehicles, be mindful of door dings. The visitor center is a short walk from the parking lot and you can’t miss it. I decided to walk among the shoreline first and take in the open view of the Illinois river and the lock & dam. After that, I headed in to the visitor center to snag a Starved Rock magnet from the gift shop and to see what displays they have. There is a brief but cool history of the area inside if you are keen on that kind of stuff. I gave it a quick look over but was ready to hike, not have a history lesson. Of note: There are bathrooms inside the visitor center.

Once I was back outside, I snagged a map from a display and hit the trails. I had no planned path to take. I had no set distance I wanted to hike. I just got in line with everyone else and started walking. At first, I was worried because all the pathways were wooded or paved. It felt like more of a viewing place than a hiking place, but once you got away from the visitor center, the wooden and paved paths lessened, as did the crowds. The actual area of Starved Rock was fairly close to the visitor center. I was able to mingle with a big crowd and read about the pretty grim history of Starved Rock and how it got it’s name. You can’t actually see Starved Rock from there, unless you look down, because you are actually standing on it. Feel free to check the wiki page out if you want to know more.

There’s actually not much deviation from the main hiking path from what I could tell. There were a few different detours you could take to see different canyons and such, but the main hiking path ran parallel to the Illinois river from my experience. I eventually hit this Wildcat Canyon that didn’t seem too high up until you looked down. Talk about a dizzying view. I eventually followed the path down to the bottom (Starved Rock has a million stairs, FYI) and it turns out, this is where the popular waterfall is. The waterfall was dried up while I was here but I can see why everyone likes to get their photo taken here. There were plenty of people taking selfies and group photos despite the fact the waterfall wasn’t running. It would’ve been nice to see it but there’s always another time. I stood there in awe at the sheer size and presence of the canyon.

As I continued my hike along the main path, there were plenty of bridges to cross, sights to see, photos to take and fresh air to breathe in. At about the Sandstone Overlook area, I decided that was a good enough point to turn around and head back.

On the way back, I took a different path that lead to a very breathtaking view of the lock & dam.

After that, it was a short walk before I was back at the visitor center. My watch said I was at 4.5 miles, so I took a nice long stroll along the bank where people were sitting on benches and others were fishing to round it up to 5.

All in all, despite how busy it was and never having a moment alone on the trail, it was absolutely worth the visit. I do wish it had more natural hiking elements but for people who aren’t comfortable with that or are inexperienced, Starved Rock is...

Today, we immersed ourselves in the natural beauty of Starved Rock State Park. We spent the entire day hiking along the La Salle and Owl Trails, navigating the upper ridge of the sandstone bluffs. The highlight of the day was walking through a canyon trail that led us to a massive sandstone bowl, carved out over time by rushing water. Though the waterfalls were dry, the scenery was still breathtaking. I imagine these spots must transform into something magical after spring rains or during wetter seasons.

The foliage was absolutely stunning. The leaves have begun to turn, and vibrant yellows and reds painted the landscape while green still held onto the canopy above us. Against the brilliant blue sky, the trees felt alive, and my wife was thrilled. She has always dreamed of hiking in the midst of nature, and today she seemed to be in her element, completely captivated by our surroundings.

We encountered wildlife along the way, including squirrels and two kinds of woodpeckers, redhead and reticulated. There was a moment that startled me when a large turtle dashed from the trail and plunged into the river right next to me. It was unexpected but added to the sense of being part of the wild.

As we moved through the trails, gusts of wind would send leaves fluttering down like colorful confetti, and it felt like nature was celebrating with us. The mild weather made it easy to stay comfortable, and we wore our fall jackets for the perfect balance.

However, nature can be tricky too. There were signs warning about ticks and lime disease, and sure enough, we found a tick crawling up my sleeve. My wife calmly pulled it off, and before I could react, the tiny creature jumped out of sight. I suppose that's part of the adventure as well.

Toward the end of the hike, we saw something quite eerie. A large snake was slithering into the leaves by the trail. It was mesmerizing to watch as it disappeared underground. While strange, it reminded me of how alive this place is, even in the quieter moments.

Overall, it was a day filled with beauty and unexpected encounters. I am grateful that today wasn't like yesterday, which had its challenges. There’s a bit of bad news to share, but I will save that for tomorrow's post as we set off for our next location. Life on the road is unpredictable, but it always gives us moments like these that make it worth the journey.

Thomas Corrao Stray...

Starved Rock State Park, a definite gem of the State of Illinois. Beautiful Lodge with the biggest fireplace you’ve ever seen, a tasty restaurant with something for everyone, rental cabins, camping and of course there are beautiful views at every turn. The history of Starved Rock is not a great one due to what happened to the Native American Indians here, there are several plaques that do explain the history of the area. As you go up to the top of the Rock or down into a canyon, you can see where Native Americans would have taken shelter/lived and even maybe held council. Very awe inspiring and well worth the time spent getting into the canyons. To get to the main Starved Rock, park down by the visitor center and walk up to the area. If you park by the Lodge you will have to walk down and then back up a whole lot of stairs. I’m just not a stair girl, it was a workout for me that’s for sure, but you do you. There is a nice hike into 3 different canyons, 2 of which had a beautiful waterfall and 1 looked like it would be where the Native Americans would have held their council. My husband said if we were on the Naked and Afraid TV show, we would definitely be taking shelter in there lol. It was pretty muddy and slick, so definitely prepare yourself for that but it was all very doable. We had a nice picnic lunch on our way out at the canoe launch/rental area which had a beautiful view of the lake. There are a lot of other areas in the park to hike and see, plus there are other state parks in the same area that also have their fair share of gorgeous scenery. Also, the town of Ottawa is of historic political importance. It was the sight of the debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas and there is a wonderful park in the middle of town with statues of Lincoln and Douglas in the middle of a fountain, another nice place to have visit/picnic lunch. You can also visit the Reddick mansion across the street which was the most ornate and expensive private home built in Illinois before the Civil War. Overall a wonderful way to spend a few days, plenty to see and...