How to Visit Starved Rock in Illinois
Starved Rock State Park in Illinois is a great place to visit with your family or as a couple. Enjoying nature is one of the main benefits of this beautiful state park. You can fish, hike, ride horses, enjoy the scenery and camp. If you're a history buff, you'll enjoy this area as it was home to the Illiniwek tribe from the 1500s to the 1700s.
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Things You'll Need
- Hiking shoes/walking shoes
- Tent and camping supplies if camping
- Weather appropriate clothing
- Fishing poles/bait if fishing
- Internet
- Computer
- Telephone
Instructions
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Plan on getting to Starved Rock State Park. It is located 94 miles southwest of Chicago. If you need to fly, your best bet is to fly into Chicago and rent a car to get to Starved Rock. You could also fly into Peoria or Bloomington, Illinois. Both of these cities have small airports with some commercial flights. Detailed directions on the routes to Starved Rock are available on the website.
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Reserve a room in the Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center, which is the only lodging in the state park. You can also camp. There are 100 Class A-Premium campsites that can be reserved, and they are complete with electricity, showers and flush toilets. There is also a separate youth group camping area and a playground for kids. Permits may be obtained from the park office (815-667-4726) or at the permit booth in the campground. There are campsites available to accomodate people with disabilities. Reservations are accepted by mail only. The campground is closed during part of the deer hunting season.
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Plan daily activities. The lodge has several activities for guests. You can choose from cruises on the Illinois River, mystery dinner theater, or a casual walker's club. Starved Rock is also great for hiking with 13 miles of trails and 18 canyons. You can rent canoes, boats and horses. You can go fishing, boating, picnicking, or camping. The visitor's center is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, except for major holidays.
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Bring your children and prepare activities before you go on your trip. There are activities such as tree identification and fish anatomy. Instructions for crafts, such as bat and eagle finger puppets, are listed on the website as well as coloring pages you can print for free. Visiting Starved Rock State Park is an educational, beautiful and exciting trip for the whole family to enjoy.
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Winter activities can also be enjoyed at Starved Rock State Park. At nearby Matthiessen State Park, you can go cross-country skiing. You can rent cross-country skis at the Matthiessen Dells Area on weekends December through March. Snowmobiling is not allowed in Starved Rock State Park, but you can snowmobile at the I & M Canal, which is one mile north in Utica. Starved Rock State Park is also home to many eagles. This is a popular winter activity that many visitors enjoy when they plan a winter trip to Starved Rock in Illinois.
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Tips & Warnings
Starved Rock is a very popular spot for vacations in Illinois. It is important to make reservations in advance, even for the campgrounds.
Resources
- Photo Credit photo by macsurak www.flickr.com
