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STATE PARKS
 Illinois is home to 262 incredible state parks just ready for exploration. Whether your idea of an outdoor adventure is whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, fly fishing or eagle-watching, you’ll find it all in Illinois.
Click here for more information about Illinois State Parks.
Apple River Canyon
Why drive to Wyoming to fly fish when you can do it right here, right now in Illinois? In the beautiful hills of Jo Daviess County, Apple River Canyon State Park offers keeper-sized, seasonally stocked trout for spring fly fishing, as well a broad range of other river fish to challenge the angler.
- Some of the best fly fishing in the Midwest
- Beautiful hilly scenery
- Picnicking
- Family camping and hiking
- Five wooded hiking trails
- Limestone bluffs
Call (815) 745-3302 for more information.
Starved Rock State Park
If your outdoor passion is hiking, Starved Rock State Park offers some of the most exceptional trailside sights in the state. Right here in the heart of the Illinois River Valley, Starved Rock is known for its unique rock formations, hiking trails, waterfalls, canyons and spectacular views. And Starved Rock offers activities for your whole family!
- Forest and canyon hiking
- Boating on the Illinois River
- Horseback riding
- Historic stone lodge accommodations
- Cozy cabins
- Indoor swimming complex
- World-class dining
Call (815)667-4726 for more information.
Kickapoo State Park & Middlefork State Fish & Wildlife Area
Vermillion County's Kickapoo and adjacent Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area total 5,500 acres, stretching a dozen miles along the banks of the Middle Fork Vermillion River. The Middle Fork, one of the nicest canoe routes in central Illinois, is a designated Wild and Scenic River. Two dozen clearwater ponds and small lakes, a legacy to mining, are also sprinkled throughout the park.
Nearly 50 miles of trails (some designated bike, others hiking) wind through the park and wildlife areas.
Kickapoo's 14 miles of designated two-wheel singletrack range from easy to moderately difficult. The seven-mile Out And Back Trail takes you through forest, river bottomlands, and along the edge of abandoned croplands.
Prefer water travel? Put in at the Kinneys Ford at the north end of the Middle Fork Wildlife Area and take out near State Highway 150 at the south end of Kickapoo Park. You'll encounter easy Class I and II rapids, fast chutes and plenty of scenery. Diving in Sports Lake or Emerald Lake is the exception to the rule that good scuba water is limited in inland Illinois. Registering with park officials is required before hitting the water.
For more information call:
Call 217-442-4915 for more information.
Pere Marquette State Park
Right here, Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explored what is now Pere Marquette State Park. Today, the park is known for its breathtaking natural beauty, historic setting and the stone-and-timber Pere Marquette Lodge and Conference Center, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
- Bird-watching
- 80 campground sites
- Picnicking
- Boating and fishing
- 12 miles of marked hiking trails
- Horseback riding
- Sam Vadalabene bike trail
- Hunting
- Winter eagle-watching tours
Call 618-786-3323 for more information.
Ferne Clyffe State Park
With over 700 species of plants native to the park, Ferne Clyffe State Park is truly a paradise for nature lovers. Covering almost 2,500 acres of the majestic Shawnee Hills, Ferne Clyffe derives its name from the abundance of lush ferns that carpet the area. Ferne Clyffe State Park is also one of three Illinois State Parks to offer rock climbing.
- Rock climbing
- Hawks' Cave shelter bluff
- 100-foot waterfall on Big Rocky Hollow hiking trail
- 18 marked hiking trails
- Horseback riding
- Ferne Clyffe Lake
- Camping and backpacking
Visit Ferne Clyffe State Park year 'round and enjoy its spectacular woodland beauty. The 53-acre Round Bluff Nature Preserve is not to be missed.
Call 618-995-2411 for more information.
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