Last fall I had the pleasure of exploring the Davenport, IA area. One of the days I decided to go a step further and just start driving into Illinois. I saw some signs for some state parks and that’s where this post comes in!

The area of LaSalle County in north central Illinois was such a hidden gem for me. I was not quite sure what to expect, but traversing through the woods, lots of stairs, and some super neat rock formations made this a trip to remember.

I explored two state parks in this area: Starved Rock State Park and Matthiesson State Park. I’d go to both again! Below I’ll highlight my favorite things about each location.

Starved Rock State Park

Starved Rock State Park was a beautiful stop in the autumn. The trees were amazing shades and made for a wonderful backdrop to a great hike.

This place is not for the faint of heart, though. There are no accessible hikes due to several steep staircases that go down to the bottom of the canyon. I was able to go on the Starved Rock trail (just under a mile) and French Canyon to Wildcat Canyon trek.

Starved Rock trail was incredibly crowded and at the end of the trail it was single file lines trying to get through. I highly recommend open hiking shoes like those for creek walking or hiking boots due to the creek in this location.

French Canyon and Wildcat Canyon were a bit more of a hike (on a mix of paved, sandstone, and dirt trails with 9 staircases) and took about two hours. I saw a lot of abandoned baby strollers because it is not stroller friendly.

The views were amazing once you keep going past the usual crowds (or if you wait for a spot to open up along the railings). I must have gone when there was a conference happening at the nearby Starved Rock Lodge.

Speaking of which, Starved Rock Lodge was a great place to stop after exploring the trails of this park. I was able to sneak a table and have a drink on the Veranda to cool down and relax after the long trek back up the steep staircase. There is also full dining inside the main lodge/conference center next door, including a gift shop.

Note to add: get to this park early in the day. I got there in mid-morning and was there for a few hours and parking was a complete nightmare of constantly making loops trying to find someone leaving to take their spot. It was well worth it, though!

Matthiesson State Park

Right next to Starved Rock State Park is the lesser visited Matthiesson State Park. This park did not have nearly the amount of people visiting and parking was easy to come by. This little park was probably my favorite to wander just for the fact that it was less busy.

This park has two separate areas to it: Dells area and Vermilion River area. I only went to the Dells area and chose to hike both the Upper Dells and Lower Dells trail. For this park, I highly recommend the same waterproof shoes used for Starved Rock. There was more water here than at Starved Rock (thanks drought) and was more open with wider canyons.

The parking lot at the Dells area of the park had plenty of spaces, restrooms, vending machines, and lots of picnic tables.

These hikes were less strenuous than Starved Rock, but there were still some inclines and stairs I had to navigate to get into the canyon. Everyone I met on the hike was lovely and friendly – definitely do not be afraid to say hi to others on the trail!

Matthiessen was perfect for a calmer and more slow-paced hike since I did not have to fight others for the trail. I do suggest layering up with a lightweight jacket or pullover because it can get cooler in the mornings and evenings.

Overall Thoughts

I loved both of these parks for different reasons. Starved Rock with the lodge/conference center onsite was nice for grabbing a drink, a bite to eat, and stop in the gift shop after a hike with a LOT of stairs. However, it was very busy. In that respect, I loved Matthiessen for the peaceful and calming hike that it was. You can’t go wrong with either and if you have the time, I highly recommend both.

If you’re traveling with kids, I’d probably choose Matthiessen over Starved Rock if the kids are small, otherwise they might get worn out and you have to trek up several flights of stairs carrying them (and I mean SEVERAL). For more of a “resort” feel, I’d go to Starved Rock to grab food and a drink on the patio after or before a hike.

Happy adventuring!