The bluffs and canyons have long been a draw to Starved Rock State Park. Outdoor enthusiasts can hike along 13 miles of trails that are open year-round allowing them to experience the changes in landscape throughout the year. Hiking Starved Rock in winter can lead to otherworldly discoveries like waterfalls suspended in ice. You will find many frozen waterfalls at Starved Rock, ranging in height from 15 to 80 feet, in several different canyons around the park. Let’s have a look at these wondrous waterfalls frozen over during the winter season and set out on the Starved Rock trails for some of the best hikes in Illinois.
Looking for some winter outdoor activities in Illinois? How about a winter hike to a frozen waterfall? Hiking in winter may not seem ideal to some. It’s cold and weather conditions may not always be the best with the ice and snow but there are some great benefits to getting out on a trail at Starved Rock in winter. This time of year brings more quiet and less traffic on the trails and the chance to see waterfalls that are seemingly frozen in time. So, get outside and discover a few beautiful Starved Rock frozen waterfalls.
For more information on the park and trails for the best winter hikes in Illinois, visit the Starved Rock website.
Take the French Canyon Trail for some of the best winter hiking in Illinois. Getting to this icy waterfall is perhaps one of the easiest at Starved Rock State Park.
The trailhead starts at the visitors center and leads directly to the falls in under a half-mile, making this a more accessible hike for most people.
The icy waterfalls here reside in LaSalle Canyon which has a moderate 2.6-mile out-and-back trail. The rock formations in this canyon make for an alluring display of snow and ice.
Frozen icicles drip down the rocky wall of St. Louis Canyon, accessible by a fairly easy out-and-back trail of 2.1 miles, round trip. What a gorgeous canyon for cold-weather hiking in Illinois!
Kaskaskia Canyon's cascade of frozen water is mesmerizing, to say the least. This is one of the favored canyons in the park with its 20-foot waterfall flowing down into a small pond and framed by tree limbs which create the ultimate icy work of art come wintertime.
In Ottowa Canyon, hikers can potentially walk behind this fall via the creek bed if conditions are safe. If you are able to do this, the view of the iced waterfall is absolutely incredible!
This is the one canyon where ice climbers are allowed to climb in the park. Also, keep in mind, if you are hiking, this is a more strenuous hike than some of the others.
Get up close and personal with the Ottawa Canyon frozen waterfall in this video:
A hike through Wildcat Canyon will treat visitors with an overlooking view of its otherworldly scenic waterfall that looks suspended in time. What an incredible scene!
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