We visited Starved rock state park as a family after looking up waterfalls in Illinois. The parks name is taken from Indian legend where a band of Illiniwek Indians were trapped during battle on the 125 foot sandstone butte where they eventually starved to death.
In the state park there is fishing, boating, hunting and even cross country skiing during the winter months, on this occasion we came for a hike and views.
Parking up was easy as there is a large car park by the visitors center and another one higher up near the lodge. Parking is free but at busy times (holidays and hot days) can be difficult to find, so an early start can be worthwhile.
We parked in the car park near the visitors center which was our first stop. This was an interesting building with a small bookshop, there was various information available with a donation and an exhibition displaying artifacts and natural life from the area. The building is worth a visit, you can pick up a trail map and the staff were helpful and knowledgable.
This scenic destination hosts 18 canyons and over 13 miles of hiking trails. Along the way you will be able to find caves, waterfalls, wildlife and even a sandy beach!
Our first stop was Starved rock (0.3 miles) which involved a flight of stairs and an easy walk along a wooden path and a view of the lake and the damn. If you are short on time this is a quick mainly easy walk.
We went on to French canyon (0.4 miles) this was a fairly easy walk for most of the way but has a narrow section with water running through it that is hard to avoid. You will see wonderful rock formations and a small waterfall. Very beautiful and ideal for little legs.
After this trail we found a spot on the grass near the visitors center and enjoyed a picnic. The grass was pretty patchy and there were not many picnic tables, so bring a blanket if you are planning a picnic.
We then went up a long flight of stairs to the lodge looking for another trail. This was not as easy as anticipated as directions to the trails are not clearly marked. We asked two staff at the lodge, one who didn't know where the trails were and after a guess pointed us in the wrong direction. It took a disappointingly long time to find someone who knew where we could go and could work out our trail map... but we did eventually get to a trail and it was not a disappointment!
We walked to St. Louis Canyon (1.5 miles) passing Aurora canyon, Sac canyon and Kickapoo canyon. St. Louis canyon is defiantly the highlight of this trail with a waterfall, caves and a sandy beach.
In order to get to this area we did need to walk up and down several flights of stairs along a path with a bit of a drop to the right (only really worrying for us with a toddler insistent on running, jumping and not paying attention) and through a creek.
The creek could have been avoided, but with difficulty. For us however, this was part of the fun and while shoes got muddy (take water shoes or old shoes where possible) the kids loved running through the stream of water and puddles. Once at the waterfall there are a number of rock shelves and shallow caves that can be explored. Older children and adults will enjoy this. The sandy beach (formed from the sandstone the canyon is made of) is ideal for small children and if its not too difficult a spade and bucket are recommended. The waterfall can be reached by skimming the edge of the water and explorers can get behind it. Again chances of getting wet are high but fun factor is also high.
The trail to the canyon way easy to follow once we found the entrance, the paths are wide and generally clear and there are markers every so often letting you know you are on the right track. Stairs are well maintained.
*** UPDATE *** We have since returned and found that Louis canyon can be accessed from a parking lot outside of the park, this is a much shorter walk which may be more suitable for children... we certainly had less complaints.
The park is open all year round from 7am - 9pm with trails open from dawn till dusk. The visitor center is open from 9-4 daily apart from Thanksgiving, Christmas and New year.
The park hosts numerous events through the year.
As rated by parents:
9/10 = Great way to take in nature and burn off energy! Free parking, free trails, free map, free exhibit, fresh air and beautiful scenery!! How could I not love it? This is a beautiful place with good trails and amazing scenery!
If you like a hike and love a good view this is the place to be. Beware that with small children there are a lot of stairs in some places and a paths with drops near them that might make you nervous. It is NOT stroller friendly and a back carrier is recommended for little ones.
On this particular trail there is a good chance of getting wet and water shoes or old trainers are recommended for maximum enjoyment.
Make sure you take lots of water as despite water fountain near the visitor center and drinks available at the lodge, on a hot day you will get through a lot.
The day we went was not very busy and it was still relatively crowded, so if you are coming on a holiday or hot weekend I really recommend getting there early and being prepared to be sharing the experience with a lot of other people.
While we loved nearly everything about the day we did find the maps were somewhat confusing and sign posts to get to the trails not clear. As written above even some of the staff at the lodge didn't know where to go for trails which we thought was very bad form. While I would love to see better signage the overall experience was excellent for adults and while the hike didn't go down well with the kids they loved it once we reached our destination Next time I would bring more water and a few treats to keep the kids going. Great for outdoorsy families.
Overall I WOULD go again and WOULD recommend for able bodied people of all ages. This can be a FULL or HALF day.
As rated by a 12 year old:
6/10 = While I loved jumping through the creek, taking pictures and going behind the waterfall I hated the hike which had too many stairs and was too long. This was not my idea of fun and we also ran out of water about 10 minutes before we got back from the hike so I was also thirsty.
Overall I WOULD NOT go again by choice and WOULD ONLY recommend to people my age if they really like walking.
As rated by a 7 year old:
7/10 = I liked the waterfall and jumping over puddles. We also played tag after our picnic and that was fun. I didn't really like walking so much, that was boring.
Overall I WOULD go again but only sometimes and WOULD recommend for my age if they like walking and being outside.
As rated by a 2 year old:
9/10 = He loved running down the trails, hoping through the water and playing on the sandy area near the waterfall. He did not want to leave the sand and got upset when we did. He asked to be picked up a few times especially on the stairs which were too much for him. He also got very thirsty by the end as we ran out of water about 10 minutes before we got back.
Overall he WOULD go again and WOULD recommend for kids his age if they have a back carrier so they don't have to walk the whole way.
TOP TIPS:
- Arrive early on busy days
- Take lots of water
- Wear hiking boots or old trainers and take watershoes if you don't want to get the shoes wet. (water varies on recent rainfall)
- If you have small children plan a short route or be prepared to carry (carrier advised)
- Take a spade and bucket if you think you may want to stop and let kids play in the sand
In the state park there is fishing, boating, hunting and even cross country skiing during the winter months, on this occasion we came for a hike and views.
Parking up was easy as there is a large car park by the visitors center and another one higher up near the lodge. Parking is free but at busy times (holidays and hot days) can be difficult to find, so an early start can be worthwhile.
We parked in the car park near the visitors center which was our first stop. This was an interesting building with a small bookshop, there was various information available with a donation and an exhibition displaying artifacts and natural life from the area. The building is worth a visit, you can pick up a trail map and the staff were helpful and knowledgable.
This scenic destination hosts 18 canyons and over 13 miles of hiking trails. Along the way you will be able to find caves, waterfalls, wildlife and even a sandy beach!
Our first stop was Starved rock (0.3 miles) which involved a flight of stairs and an easy walk along a wooden path and a view of the lake and the damn. If you are short on time this is a quick mainly easy walk.
We went on to French canyon (0.4 miles) this was a fairly easy walk for most of the way but has a narrow section with water running through it that is hard to avoid. You will see wonderful rock formations and a small waterfall. Very beautiful and ideal for little legs.
After this trail we found a spot on the grass near the visitors center and enjoyed a picnic. The grass was pretty patchy and there were not many picnic tables, so bring a blanket if you are planning a picnic.
We then went up a long flight of stairs to the lodge looking for another trail. This was not as easy as anticipated as directions to the trails are not clearly marked. We asked two staff at the lodge, one who didn't know where the trails were and after a guess pointed us in the wrong direction. It took a disappointingly long time to find someone who knew where we could go and could work out our trail map... but we did eventually get to a trail and it was not a disappointment!
We walked to St. Louis Canyon (1.5 miles) passing Aurora canyon, Sac canyon and Kickapoo canyon. St. Louis canyon is defiantly the highlight of this trail with a waterfall, caves and a sandy beach.
In order to get to this area we did need to walk up and down several flights of stairs along a path with a bit of a drop to the right (only really worrying for us with a toddler insistent on running, jumping and not paying attention) and through a creek.
The trail to the canyon way easy to follow once we found the entrance, the paths are wide and generally clear and there are markers every so often letting you know you are on the right track. Stairs are well maintained.
*** UPDATE *** We have since returned and found that Louis canyon can be accessed from a parking lot outside of the park, this is a much shorter walk which may be more suitable for children... we certainly had less complaints.
The park is open all year round from 7am - 9pm with trails open from dawn till dusk. The visitor center is open from 9-4 daily apart from Thanksgiving, Christmas and New year.
The park hosts numerous events through the year.
As rated by parents:
9/10 = Great way to take in nature and burn off energy! Free parking, free trails, free map, free exhibit, fresh air and beautiful scenery!! How could I not love it? This is a beautiful place with good trails and amazing scenery!
If you like a hike and love a good view this is the place to be. Beware that with small children there are a lot of stairs in some places and a paths with drops near them that might make you nervous. It is NOT stroller friendly and a back carrier is recommended for little ones.
On this particular trail there is a good chance of getting wet and water shoes or old trainers are recommended for maximum enjoyment.
Make sure you take lots of water as despite water fountain near the visitor center and drinks available at the lodge, on a hot day you will get through a lot.
The day we went was not very busy and it was still relatively crowded, so if you are coming on a holiday or hot weekend I really recommend getting there early and being prepared to be sharing the experience with a lot of other people.
While we loved nearly everything about the day we did find the maps were somewhat confusing and sign posts to get to the trails not clear. As written above even some of the staff at the lodge didn't know where to go for trails which we thought was very bad form. While I would love to see better signage the overall experience was excellent for adults and while the hike didn't go down well with the kids they loved it once we reached our destination Next time I would bring more water and a few treats to keep the kids going. Great for outdoorsy families.
Overall I WOULD go again and WOULD recommend for able bodied people of all ages. This can be a FULL or HALF day.
As rated by a 12 year old:
6/10 = While I loved jumping through the creek, taking pictures and going behind the waterfall I hated the hike which had too many stairs and was too long. This was not my idea of fun and we also ran out of water about 10 minutes before we got back from the hike so I was also thirsty.
Overall I WOULD NOT go again by choice and WOULD ONLY recommend to people my age if they really like walking.
As rated by a 7 year old:
7/10 = I liked the waterfall and jumping over puddles. We also played tag after our picnic and that was fun. I didn't really like walking so much, that was boring.
Overall I WOULD go again but only sometimes and WOULD recommend for my age if they like walking and being outside.
As rated by a 2 year old:
9/10 = He loved running down the trails, hoping through the water and playing on the sandy area near the waterfall. He did not want to leave the sand and got upset when we did. He asked to be picked up a few times especially on the stairs which were too much for him. He also got very thirsty by the end as we ran out of water about 10 minutes before we got back.
Overall he WOULD go again and WOULD recommend for kids his age if they have a back carrier so they don't have to walk the whole way.
TOP TIPS:
- Arrive early on busy days
- Take lots of water
- Wear hiking boots or old trainers and take watershoes if you don't want to get the shoes wet. (water varies on recent rainfall)
- If you have small children plan a short route or be prepared to carry (carrier advised)
- Take a spade and bucket if you think you may want to stop and let kids play in the sand
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