Apple River Canyon State Park is in the hilly northwest art of Illinois in Jo Daviess County near the Wisconsin border. This scenic canyon area was formed by the action of the winding waters of Apple River. Limestone bluffs, deep ravines, springs, streams and wildlife characterize this area which was ........more >

Buffalo Rock State Park is located on a bluff which was once an island in the Illinois River. Now standing majestically on the north bank, this promontory affords a magnificent sweeping view of the Illinois River. Located approximately three miles west of Ottawa in LaSalle County, this 298 acre park ........more >

Castle Rock State Park is located three miles south of Oregon, Illinois on Highway 2. The park is centrally located in the Rock River Hills region of Illinois, and its rolling topography is drained by the Rock River. The park is located along the west bank of the Rock River in Ogle County. The park ........more >

Grab your kayak. You will want to get out on the water early if you plan on beating the weekend crowds coming down from Chicago. The Fox River delivers. Paddlers come here specifically to tackle the gentle currents, while anglers spend hours casting for smallmouth bass and massive channel catfish along ........more >

Franklin Creek State Natural Area is located in Lee County, one mile northwest of the village of Franklin Grove and eight miles east of Dixon just north of Illinois Route 38. The beautiful Franklin Creek flows throughout the 664-acre park. Several large natural springs, hardwood forests, bedrock outcroppings, ........more >

Gebhard Woods State Park is a scenic 30-acre state park located in Morris, Illinois. It was dedicated as an Illinois state park in 1934, offering visitors a tranquil retreat into nature with its lush woodlands and the picturesque Nettle Creek flowing through it. The main feature of Gebhard Woods ........more >

Look, if you're looking for a giant, flashy amusement park vibe, skip this spot. Gebhard Woods is tiny. It sits right in Morris along Nettle Creek, taking up just thirty acres. But honestly, that's why it works so well for a quick weekend getaway. You can't park your car right next to your tent here. ........more >

Early settlers to Illinois, in an attempt to describe the unfamiliar terrain they were encountering, referred to it as a sea of grass with pretty flowers. Today, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area serves as testimony to the prairies that once covered nearly 60 percent of the state. Located in ........more >

Located southeast of Morris, Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is managed by the Department of Natural Resources for fishing and hunting. DNR has leased Heidecke Lake since 1978, when it was built as a cooling lake for the Collins power plant, which is now owned and operated by Midwest Generation. ........more >

Illini State Park is the kind of park you think of when you think of big picnics and family gatherings. With its rustic Civilian Conservation Corps buildings and riverside picnic areas, Illini State Park offers beautiful views and a sense of history not found in many other parks. Named for the native ........more >

LaSalle Lake, a manmade, 2,058-acre lake 8 miles southeast of Marseilles, is popular among anglers. Serving as a cooling lake for Commonwealth Edison's LaSalle Power Station, the lake is formed by levees that rise above the surrounding land. While this perched construction helps the lake catch the wind ........more >

Whether you visit for an afternoon or stay a few days, you will leave Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area with many happy memories. Located in Stephenson County just west of Route 73 on Lake Road, the park is six miles south of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line and three miles north of Lena. Highlighted ........more >

One of the most picturesque sites along the Rock River is just north of Oregon in Ogle County. Legend has it that Chief Black Hawk, as he left the area after the Black Hawk War, talked of the beauty of the area and admonished his captors to care for the land as he and his people had. Lowden State Park ........more >

Canyons, streams, prairie and forest combine to delight visitors at Matthiessen State Park. Located in central LaSalle County, approximately four miles south of Utica and three miles east of Oglesby, Matthiessen is a paradise for those interested in geology as well as recreation. Visitors can expect ........more >

Braidwood Lake, owned by Commonwealth Edison, is a partially perched, cooling lake. Braidwood Lake was constructed in the late 1970s and impounded in 1980-81 with water pumped from the Kankakee River. Several surface mined pits were flooded within the lake, so fisheries management actually began in ........more >

The Native American pathfinders along the rock palisades of the Mississippi River did as present-day hikers do - in coursing the bluffs, they took the paths of least resistance. The trails at the Mississippi Palisades, especially the park's southern routes, puts you in touch with the past. Walk them ........more >

From angling to hiking, from viewing rare plants to observing migratory waterfowl, Moraine Hills State Park offers you a recreational bounty. Located in the northeast corner of Illinois, the park is 3 miles south of McHenry. McHenry Dam, on the Fox River, is on the park's western border. Roughly half ........more >

A trip to picturesque Morrison-Rockwood State Park offers many memorable experiences. A large sign in the shape of Illinois, fashioned from angle iron by a blacksmith, greets visitors at the entrance. Once inside, choose from a variety of recreational opportunities. Beautiful Lake Carlton, a stream-fed ........more >

Prophetstown State Park, on the northeast edge of the city along the south bank of the Rock River in Whiteside County, is a scenic and historic area offering a variety of recreational facilities. Once the site of an American Indian village, the 53-acre park derives its name from the Native American ........more >

Chiseled out of the states far northern region is Rock Cut State Park in Winnebego County. Nearby are other rocky landmarks - the mighty Rock River and the place where wagons once forded it, Rockford. Its an area of rolling plains, interesting history and recreational variety. Two lakes set off the ........more >

A pool of clear bubbling water which sparkles like silver on sunny days provides the basis for the name of Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area. Even on extremely cold days, this pool does not freeze, and visitors marvel at the bordering beds of watercress. Majestic oaks and prairie grasslands ........more >

Starved Rock State Park is best known for its fascinating rock formations, primarily St. Peter sandstone, laid down in a huge shallow inland sea more than 425 million years ago and later brought to the surface. While the areas along the river and its tributaries still are predominantly forested, ........more >

Located in the heart of the Rock River valley, this charming 385-acre park is the south boundary of the old Chicago-Iowa Trail. History tells us that this was for years the principal route east and west across the northern part of the state. Today the park provides the perfect recipe for family getaways. ........more >

William G. Stratton State Park sits right along the Illinois River in downtown Morris. It features four concrete launch ramps. So, you won't spend half your afternoon stuck idling in line just to launch. Anglers hit the water early. They pull catfish, largemouth bass, and crappie straight out of the ........more >