Starved Rock

If you want to take a walk in the park, Chicago has 11,916 acres and 44 walking paths. If you really want to hike, and see canyons made by nature and not by skyscrapers, trek over to Starved Rock State Park.

Starved Rock is 94 miles southwest of Chicago and offers 13 miles of trails, plus fishing, boating, horseback riding, picnicking, and camping. As you near Exit #81 on I-80 you'll wonder if you're in the right place. The countryside surrounding the park is flat. Yet once you turn into the entrance you're transported into a world of rolling hills and towering trees.

This difference was caused by glaciers etching out canyons in the sandstone on the south side of the Illinois River. The very thing that gives the area its beauty also makes the ecosystem fragile. The elevated wooden walkways that cover many of the trails protect the land. They also keep hikers on the trails instead of scrambling over the rocks, which is both dangerous and damaging to the environment.

The park gets its name from its most prominent feature, a 125-foot sandstone butte. Back in the 1760s this bluff served as a source of refuge for a band of Illiniwek who were being attacked by the Potawatomi. Unfortunately for the Illiniwek, their opponents camped out at the base long enough for the refugees to starve to death.

Starved Rock has an extensive picnic area, with a few tables and grills, next to the Illinois River. The bank is protected with a concrete wall where you can fish. The Lodge has a full-service restaurant inside, and outdoors there's cafe seating with a full bar and burgers and such. Alcohol is only allowed in the picnic area from May 31 until December 31. Entrance to the park is free.

Note: Many of the pictures of Starved Rock show waterfalls. These are usually only present in the early spring.