Cabin Fever? Try Starved Rock State Park

Our family treks to Starved Rock all the time, but believe it or not, the time that we frequent there the most is in the winter.  

About twenty years ago, my husband and I stumbled across Starved Rock’s most celebrated Eagle Days in January.  As we turned down the drive that follows along the Illinois River, we spotted several eagles perched on the trees on an island in the middle of the river.  The eagles flock here because the lock and dam does not allow the river to freeze over in winter, so the eagles can fish open water.  It is awesome to see an eagle lift off from the tree branches with just a few beats of its massive wings and then it skim the river’s surface looking for a fish.  Really exciting when you see them catch a fish! We typically go to the lock and dam station located across from Starved Rock and the advantage in doing so is that you are closer to the eagles so when they soar the sunlight hits their white head and tail feathers, which really contrasts against the bluffs of Starved Rock.  It is absolutely beautiful.  Many people flock to the rock with their big telephoto lenses and binoculars to take pictures and catch a glimpse of these majestic birds.  At the Starved Rock Lodge they have lecturers come in to speak about the eagles and they have hands-on exhibits.

In the cold, frosty air of winter, nothing warms you like the smell of a fire from the fireplace at Starved Rock Lodge.  We will go to the lodge to warm up after hiking the frozen waterfalls.   That’s really fun to do on a sunshiny day in winter.  All you can hear when hiking in the woods is the muffled silence of winter and the snow crunching under your boots.  Little surprises pop up in the woods like wild turkey or deer.  It’s pretty cool.  Also near the welcome center, the Starved Rock staff keeps bird feeders full to take care of the songbirds in winter.  It’s fun to sit on a bench and watch the birds bustle about.  It’s a very busy place.  Inside the welcome center they have exhibits on the history of Starved Rock.

In March, over spring break, our family stayed a few nights in one of the cabins at Starved Rock.  It was really fun!  In the morning, when we woke up there was a fresh dusting of snow on the ground and cardinals were perched on snow-covered branches nearby.  We went for morning swims in the indoor pool and then ate a mid-morning breakfast at the restaurant.   During the late winter days, we would hike up to the top of Starved Rock and what a treat it was to see a flock of white American Pelicans soaring high above our heads and then dropping into the Illinois River.  Apparently, Starved Rock is part of the migratory path for the pelicans.  It was really weird to see pelicans in the Midwest in winter.  I had no idea they passed through there.  In the evening, because there was no T. V. in our cabin, our family had fun playing cards until 10:00 every night by the fireplace at the lodge.  Great family memories!!  They still remind me of my excellent card playing skills!!

We want to venture Starved Rock’s satellite parking lots which have unique bluff formations and cavern-like structures. Waterfalls and bluffs are easily accessible. Trust me we are not serious hikers, so the fact that I was able to get these beautiful photographs wasn't hard. That's the cool thing about Starved Rock. There are trails for die-hard hikers too. It's worth the hour and half drive from the Chicagoland area, especially when you need to get outside!! It just doesn't seem like you would find this geographical find in Illinois!!