Starved Rock - Illinois

[mikemdd]

We are doing our first camping trip in our new motorhome next week for a shake down of all the systems. Since we live in Chicago, it is only about 2 hours to Starved Rock State Park. We have reservations for two nights. It seems there may not be many people there as almost every campsite was available. Just wondering if others have been there and any tips you can provide about staying there in an RV and things to do for the short amount of time we will be there. Just my wife and the dog. Thanks

[mikemdd]

Just completed our trip to Starved Rock. It is an amazing place. Soybean fields and farming all around it then......an unbelievable geological outcropping next to the river. The visitor center is very nice, as is the lodge a short distance away. We hiked probably 70% of the trails over 2 days. Very dog friendly and the trails were almost too civilized. Again, absolutely incredible rock formations and "canyons" with waterfalls (we saw one of the waterfalls referred to above...). As noted above, lots of day people and the RV park only had about 6 residents this time of year. The one downside is that the RV park is pretty far away from the actual state park. We do not tow a car so it was a real issue not being able to go to the park without packing everything up, which we did not want to do. Bottom line is if you visit the park and plan to camp in an RV, you will need alternate transportation to visit the park. All and all, a great first trip in our new motorhome. It took about 2 hours to figure out all the stuff we were missing and that the things we did have were all in the wrong place from a convenience standpoint. We made of list of things to change next time. Thanks to everyone for your responses.

[dewey02]

My experience at Starved Rock goes back about 50 years.
My brother, a few friends and I camped there.
We took a shower one night under the waterfall (illegal, I know, but we were unsupervised kids). We also got "adopted" by a family camping nearby, who invited us to their dinner, and more importantly introduced us to the wild game called "spoons."

We went on a Ranger-led hike, with the ranger pointing out all sorts of plants and trees. At one point the ranger said: "In all the hikes I've led, no one has ever been able to identify this tree. I'll bet $1 million dollars that nobody here knows what this tree is!" One of my buddies yells out "Hophornbeam!" We started making fun of him, as we had never heard this word before. The Ranger sheepishly admitted that yes, it was in fact a Hophornbeam tree, or Ostrya Virginiana its scientific name. Sadly, my friend didn't get to collect the $1 Million.

[justlou]

Plenty to keep you busy for two days, mostly hiking,sightseeing,and visitors center. The RV park is a short drive away. Illinois Waterway Visitors Center just across the river. May see an Eagle this time of year.

[zcookiemonstar]

I have never stayed at their campground but have driven through it. It looked nice and clean with some spots shady and others full sun. The campground is not actually in Starved Rock State Park it is separate. I don't think there are any trails that connect them you have to drive over. I have never tried it but I have heard good things about this restaurant if you want to try some Cajun food. http://www.ronscajunconnection.com/index.htm

[mikemdd]

Thanks. Appreciate the comments.

[doxiemom11]

Just exploring the park can keep you busy for 2 days. There are all kinds of trails, canyons, waterfalls etc. It is beautiful. Appreciate the few people as in the summer they turn people away because they have no additional parking. Keep in mind that many people are there for "day use" only, so there may still be a crowd, just not camping yet.