Illinois Most Visited State Park

Starved rock State Park is the most visited state park in Illinois. It is also one of the most visited state parks in the whole United States! We visited in August of 2022 making it our 12th State Park on our Illinois State Park Challenge. Some people say that the park is overrated, or not worth a visit due to the crowds. We found both to be false! Below I’m going to tell you all about our Starved Rock State Park trip, why it was amazing, and how you can have an amazing trip there too!

Canyons, Bluffs, Waterfalls and Towering River Views

What makes starved rock so amazing? Illinois is known for its flat Prairie land, cornfields, and being able to see for miles. The canyons and waterfalls at starved rock are such a stark contrast to what people expect to see in Illinois. For locals it is a nice change of scenery! It’s also not just one canyon or one beautiful trail. It is a big place, with a lot of trails, stairs, overlooks, and 18 canyons (14 of which have waterfalls). If you love waterfalls be sure to check out these other 15 Illinois
Waterfalls.

History of Starved Rock

Throughout a visit at starved rock there are opportunities to learn about the history. Along each trail there are plaques with history about each spot. The large visitor center also has many interactive exhibits about the history.

Starved rock itself is a 38 m high sandstone cliff. It is said that in 1770, Peoria Indians came under attack by an Ottawa and Potawatomi band seeking revenge. The Peoria Indians suffered starvation when trapped on the rock without food or water.
Many excavations have taken place around it the area. At the visitor center, You can see many artifacts that have been found in the time period in which they came from.

Best Time to Visit Starved Rock

Starved rock is beautiful and accessible year-round. If you want to see the waterfalls at their fullest spring is the best time to go. For the best color show, fall foliage usually peaks around mid October. We went at the beginning of August. The vegetation was lush and green, and the waterfalls still had a small trickle of water, enough to be enjoyed. During busy season from March to November you’ll have the best experience visiting during the week. We visited on a Wednesday and Thursday and we’re not overwhelmed by the crowd. The trails closest to the visitor center will be more crowded, especially mid day. Our Thursday morning hike to LaSalle Canyon.

Best Starved Rock Hiking Trails For Kids

There are 13 miles of trails to explore at Starved Rock. We spent a day and a half covering about half of the trails. Here is our itinerary. It went very smoothly with kids, but there were quite a bit of stairs to climb!

Day 1

• Hike 1. Starting at the visitor center. We took the trail to French Canyon from French canyon we took the Campanula Trail to the Wildcat canyon overlook. From the overlook we went back east toward Pontiac Canyon. We did a small loop to see the Eagle Cliff overlook and lovers Leap overlook. We then continued back east towards the starved rock overlook loop and ended up back at the visitor center. At the visitor you can some snacks, some stuffed eagle souvenirs and gear up for the next hike.
• Hike 2. This hike is to St. Louis Canyon. From the main parking lot/visitor center we hopped in the car and headed down 178 about a half mile to a small parking lot. From this parking lot you can hike 0.75miles to St Louis Canyon. The this canyon usually has a good amount of flow from its waterfall and also has beautiful sandstone Bluffs.

Day 2

• Hike 1. To visit La Salle Canyon we parked in the La Salle Canyon parking lot of Route 71. From this parking lot trailhead, you can go to west to La Salle Canyon and Owl Canyon, or go east to the owl canyon Overlook and on to Hennepin Canyon. To La Salle Canyon and its waterfall it is a 2.3 mile out and back trail. This trail goes along side the Illinois river for a while and along some bluffage making it a beautiful hike to the waterfall. We did this trail on an early Thursday morning and had the trail all to ourselves!
  

Trail Considerations

Many, if not all of the trails at Starved Rock State Park have stairs to climb or descend. The trails closest to the visitor center, like starved rock and lovers Leap both have benches to sit down and rest along the trail. If you are going in the winter, or after a rain, make sure to have on good footwear as the stairs could be slippery. If you are going to see waterfalls, try to go after a rain as many of the falls are water dependent. The best (or the most picturesque) waterfalls at starved rock are Ottawa Canyon Falls, St. Louis Canyon falls, and La Salle Canyon Falls after a good rain!

Hiking Starved Rock State Park With Kids

starved rock State Park is a great place to hike with kids. There are many short trails to choose from, as well as different sceneries for kids to enjoy. In St. Louis Canyon, my kids loved playing in the sand. At French Canyon they loved jumping over the small creek. They really enjoyed watching the big barges go down the Illinois river from the LaSalle Canyon Trail. Like any other outing with kids make sure you bring plenty of snacks and drinks. It’s also a good idea to have a first aid kit on hand, kids love running upstairs, but they also often fall down a few.

Lodging Around Starved Rock State Park

When visiting Starved Rock State Park, there are a lot of lodging options to choose from.

For closest access to the trails check out The Lodge at Starved Rock State Park. This is right on Stared Rock property. You can rent a room at the lodge or rent a whole cabin. If you are staying at the lodge, you also have access to the pool and restaurant which is great if traveling with kids!

Just one minute up the road is Grand Bay Resort, an indoor waterpark! Grant Bay resort has cabins for all family sizes, as well as a bunch of fun things to do for the kids!
During our visit, we stayed in a cute little Airbnb in Ottawa. We also visited Buffalo Rock State Park and Illini state park, so the Airbnb in Ottawa was a great middle point. There was also a small park and splash pad in Ottawa that was fun for the kids!

Near By Attractions

If you are visiting Starved Rock State Park for the hiking and waterfalls, make sure you check out nearby Matthiessen State Park. It is just 5 minute down the road and boasts equally beautiful waterfalls and canyons. Down the road to east, is Buffalo rock State Park, which has beautiful overlooks of the Illinois river as well as live bison!

Best Place to Eat Near Starved Rock State Park

The closest place to dine while visiting the state park is The lodge and the Visitors center. Both places offer multiple dining options. We love to get ice cream after a long, hot hike, and the visitor center had a great ice cream selection. We also had a great breakfast at Nonie’s Place in Utica. If you are a pizza lever, we had a great pizza at Sam’s Pizza in Ottawa!

Things to do at Starved Rock State Park, other than hiking

If hiking isn’t your thing, or you’re not able to do all the stairs the trails require, there are plenty of other recreational activities to do around Starved Rock State Park. To see more in less time you can book a trolley tour. The Starved Rock lodge offers different themed trolley tours throughout the year like bald eagle viewing tours and wildlife tours to the neighboring Buffalo Rock State Park to see the bison. You can view the iconic Starved Rock from the Illinois river while kayaking. You can rent kayaks or take a guided kayak tour! Whether you are hiking or not, make sure you check out the visitor center. It has many interactive displays, an educational bookstore, informational history and geographical displays and a gift store.

Visiting Starved Rock State Park

If you are wondering if you should visit Starved Rock State Park, the answer is yes. It’s definitely worth the hype. To make the most of it, with out the crowds, visit on a weekday and in the morning or evening. Remember when visiting to leave, no trace, and try to support the locally owned businesses in the area!