Canyon Waterfalls & Illinois River Bluffs

The most remote of Starved Rock's 18 canyons requires a 3-mile round-trip walk along the Illinois River bluff — and earns it. LaSalle Canyon's 60-foot waterfall drops over a horseshoe of dripping sandstone that was carved by glacial meltwater draining proto-Lake Michigan approximately 14,000 years ago. The canyon maintains natural ice formations well into March. In spring, the north-facing walls support colonies of moss, fern, and liverwort that thrive in the perpetual shade.

A no-frills Utica tavern beloved by Starved Rock hikers for decades — cold beer, hearty sandwiches, and a friendly bar where trail maps cover the walls.

Immediately south of Starved Rock and far less visited, Matthiessen's Dells Canyon is a 0.7-mile loop through a sandstone gorge with two separate waterfall sections — Lake Falls drops 45 feet into a circular pool, and the lower Dells gorge narrows to 10 feet between vertical walls. The park's 1,938 acres connect to Starved Rock by trail; the upper Dells section includes a cedar grove growing directly from the canyon lip.

A 19th-century industrial canyon in downtown Utica, IL — a former stone quarry converted to an open-air living history and heritage attraction with log cabins, a working water-powered gristmill, and seasonal demonstrations. The canyon walls reveal the same St. Peter Sandstone geology underlying Starved Rock's canyon system. As a historical site rather than a strenuous activity, it makes a good wind-down stop before the drive back, with an attached gift shop and snack area.

A casual local restaurant and bar five minutes from Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL, serving sandwiches, burgers, and Illinois craft beer — the natural post-hike stop for canyon visitors who want a full meal before the drive back. The menu is straightforward Midwest bar food done reliably; the outdoor seating area suits the unhurried pace of a canyon day's end.