Recreation

thumb|Wildcat Canyon Waterfall

There are over of hiking trails in Starved Rock State Park. The trail system received the National Recreation Trail designation in 1981. There are 18 deep canyons in the park; French, LaSalle, Ottawa and St. Louis Canyons feature the more long-lasting waterfalls at Starved Rock. Camping, boating and fishing are among the other activities offered in the park. 14 of 18 waterfalls transform into scenic ice falls, with those at LaSalle, French, St. Louis, Tonty, Wildcat, Hennepin, Ottawa and Kaskaskia Canyons being especially scenic. Ice climbing is another winter activity allowed in select canyons.

Lodge and cabins

thumb|Interior view of the lodge

thumb|Exterior view of the lodge

thumb|upright|Pelican wood carving in the remains of a tree near the lodge, one of many such on the lodge grounds.

History

Starved Rock Lodge and Cabins were built from 1933 to 1939 by the Depression-Era Civilian Conservation Corps. The Lodge and Cabins are operated as the Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center.

Architecture

The Starved Rock Lodge and Cabins were designed by Joseph F. Booton and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Historic significance

Starved Rock State Park's Lodge and Cabins were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1985, as part of the Illinois State Park Lodges and Cabins Thematic Resources Multiple Property Submission. By the National Register's criteria the Lodge and Cabins are considered significant in the areas of architecture and entertainment/recreation. It is part of the Illinois Waterway and was constructed between 1926 and 1933.

The ending scene of the 1989 fantasy drama movie Prancer was filmed inside the park at Devil's Nose, and Park Conservation later fined the movie company $1,800 for chopping down a 125-year-old tree. Due to the incident, no further motion picture production has been allowed in the park.

See also

  • Buffalo Rock State Park
  • Grand Village of the Illinois
  • Matthiessen State Park
  • Plum Island Bald Eagle Refuge
  • Starved Rock Entertainment

References

  • Barta, Nancy Hill. Starved Rock State Park (Google Books link), Arcadia Publishing, 2007, ().
  • Ferguson, Jacqueline A. and Henning, Dale R. "", National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form, NPS Focus – National Park Service, December 31, 1997, accessed June 15, 2011.
  • , National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form (PDF), National Register Information System Database, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, accessed June 15, 2011.
  • New York Legislative Documents, "Census of State Parks – Illinois", (Google Books link), Volume 19, 1922, pp. 127–30.
  • "State of Illinois Buys Starved Rock", (Google Books link), Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Volume 4, 1912, pp. 532–33.

Notes

  • Starved Rock State Park – official site
  • Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center, official site, accessed August 18, 2011.
  • , Starved Rock State Park via Illinois Department of Natural Resources, accessed July 20, 2018.
  • Starved Rock State Park and Surrounding Area", 1999, via Northern Illinois University, accessed June 15, 2011.
  • Video, Prairie Fire: Starved Rock (WILL-TV)
  • Kayaking at Starved Rock State Park