Illinois Canyon Trail

Illinois Canyon is the widest and most dramatic of the 18 canyons in Starved Rock State Park, its walls spreading to nearly 100 feet apart while still rising 80 feet overhead — a proportion that creates an amphitheater-like atmosphere unlike the narrow slot canyons found elsewhere in the park. A seasonal waterfall drops from the canyon head into a broad pool below, and the wide canyon floor supports a surprisingly rich plant community including ostrich fern, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and various species of woodland wildflowers that bloom from April through June. The canyon walls display beautiful cross-bedding in the St. Peter Sandstone, formed as ancient dune fields were reworked by water and wind roughly 450 million years ago, producing sweeping curved lines in the rock face. The Illinois Canyon Trail loops through the canyon interior before climbing to the blufftop via wooden stairs and traversing the rim with views into the canyon below. The rim section also overlooks the Illinois River valley to the north. In winter, the canyon walls accumulate spectacular icicle formations even when the waterfall itself is frozen solid. Illinois Canyon is located at the western edge of the park, about a mile from the main lodge area, and tends to receive fewer visitors than the more centrally located canyons.