Today is Saturday, so I left the gym to go hiking the trails at Starved Rock State Park with Mary. This has really been the best summer in quite some time to get out and enjoy the parks, lakefront, biking trails and everything else that I pass up because it’s normally too hot, humid or crowded. The weather today was perfect for a hike, and the beauty at Starved Rock was the perfect setting.
Description of the park from the website: “Experience the fun of outdoor adventure at Starved Rock State Park. Whether you enjoy hiking along the nature trails or viewing the many spectacular overlooks along the Illinois River, recreational opportunities abound. From picnicking to fishing to boating, from horseback riding to camping to enjoying winter sports, there’s so much to do that you’ll come back again and again.”
We set out just a bit after 8am, and arrived less than two hours later. Starved Rock is located in Oglesby, Illinois near Utica and Ottawa in La Salle County. This park is also close to Buffalo Rock State Park, and the beautiful Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail, which ends just a few miles from Starved Rock. Despite the fact that it is Labor Day weekend, the parking was plentiful when we arrived, and the trails were not very populated either. We took a brief look at the map and decided to head toward the canyons that are known for their waterfalls, and off we went.
It was amazing that we were walking for several minutes on what seemed to me to be flat land when all of a sudden, in a clearing, rose a giant wall of sandstone that could have easily been missed by folks constantly looking at the ground to avoid tripping over tree roots.
This just jumps out of nowhere
Once in a while you just have to stop walking and look around because the landscape here is amazing. The varying shades of every kind of green imaginable are all present, and the way the sunlight streams through the canopy of trees creates the illusion of several well-placed spotlights illuminating one glorious miracle of nature after the next.
Great sandstone outcropping on the way to the canyons
Just beautiful!
It only gets better from there as we come upon the marker that leads us to Lover’s Leap outlook, and Eagle Cliff. We did see birds in the air at Eagle Cliff, but they were most likely hawks because the Eagles won’t be back until November.
First up was this trail
The view from Lover's Leap
The view from Eagle Cliff
From here we continued on towards Beehive and Wildcat Canyon. I was somewhat concerned that it was called beehive because there were bees there, but after seeing it I think it’s more likely that the rock formations there resemble beehives (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself).
On the way to Beehive and Wildcat Canyon
These are the stairs that lead to and from many of the trails
Not a wildcat in sight, but there were many scenic views from some of the bridges and boardwalks.
The Bridge to Wildcat Canyon
One of the many small creeks we passed. The water level is low this time of year.
With Wildcat Canyon behind us, we decided to go towards the LaSalle Canyon waterfalls. We didn’t realize before we came to the park that the waterfalls are really most active in March, April and May, but the canyons were still spectacular in their own right. Also, the lack of moisture almost guaranteed that we wouldn’t slip and fall. Yes, you could still trip over tree roots and break your neck, but at least you weren’t going to slip on wet rocks. There are silver linings everywhere.
On our way toward the LaSalle Canyon Waterfalls
Stopping for a photo op on the way to LaSalle Canyon
This is what I mean by the waterfalls not being very active this time of year...
You can walk behind the waterfall and around the other side of the canyon
From here we wanted to head toward Owl Canyon and Hidden Canyon. After some considerable walking, and having passed Owl Canyon twice, we were perplexed that we could not find the other one – that was until we remembered that it was Hidden. Duh! Not wanting to brave the intricate set of wooden stairs and boardwalks again, we decided to go back towards the beginning and find something to eat for lunch. By the time we were through with the trails we had been out for approximately three hours and fifteen minutes. It was a pretty good effort for a Saturday, and you couldn’t beat the scenery for a state park in Illinois.
On our way back into Utica we took a short detour to check out Buffalo Rock Park. How did it get that name, I wondered?
Nah, that can't be it...
Lastly, I just wanted to give a few props to Peter Wolf.
It's amazing what you can do with a piece of wood. Check out the detail!
Same with this one!
If you are going to go to Starved Rock, and I think you should, you will not only be surprised by the amazing beauty, but you’ll also be surprised by the different people who visit the area. I heard languages from France, Germany, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, and from south-side bikers too. The people were as varied as the landscape with each one just as charmed by the sheer awesomeness of this place as the next.
If you are wondering how Starved Rock got its name, the story goes like this - and I paraphrase: A group of Illiniwek Indians was trapped at the top of this area after being chased up there by Pottawatomie Indians trying to avenge the death of Ottawa Chief Pontiac during Pontiac’s uprising in 1769. The Ottawa tribe waited this group out until they eventually died up there of starvation. Hence the name. If you read the wikipedia entry on this tale, you will find that it has never been verified, and is thought to be mainly legend. A good story nonetheless.
What you should know: If you are going to visit this scenic wonder, you should bring the following: sunscreen, mosquito repellent, snacks, a camera, good walking or hiking shoes with some tread, binoculars and water.
You should also know that if you have arachnophobia there will be plenty of opportunities for freak-outs because we spotted at least a dozen Daddy Long Legs wandering across the path. Just when you thought that girls were the only ones afraid of spiders, we observed a grown man do several vertical leaps and let out at least one high-pitched utterance after not being able to free himself from a spider dangling off of his shorts. Yeah, but for the grace of God…
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