Matthiessen State Park is such a gem. The trails take you through gorgeous canyons, lush greenery,…read moreand peaceful streams that make you forget how close you are to the city. The waterfall views are the highlight and absolutely worth the hike in, especially when the sun hits the rocks and everything feels like a hidden escape. The trails are well marked and offer a good mix of easy walks and more adventurous climbs, so there is something for everyone. Even on a busier day you can still find quiet corners to enjoy the sound of the water and the view of the sandstone cliffs. If you enjoy hiking, photography, or just want a beautiful spot to reset in nature, this park is a must visit. Bring good shoes, some water, and be ready to take a ton of photos.

Beautiful park and very similar to Starved Rock as they are just down the road from each other. We…read moreliked our time here and our son did have fun on the little playground, but it was unfortunately looking very neglected.

Starved Rock State park leaves your rocks starving for more hiking…read more This park had plenty of trails that were well preserved. Easy to walk through. I had no trouble finding parking. There were bathrooms whether portable or the nice one at the visitor center. Excellent vista points. Great options for families or the adventurous hikers.

The park itself is beautiful, with scenic trails, waterfalls, and great views that make it easy to…read moresee why it's such a popular destination. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature and explore different areas of the park. However, the biggest downside during my visit was how crowded it was. It was very busy, and finding parking was difficult, which made the experience more stressful before even getting started. The crowds also made some of the trails and viewpoints feel less peaceful than expected. I think it would be a much better experience during a less busy time when you can take your time exploring and enjoy the scenery without the crowds. Overall: 3 stars. Beautiful scenery and a great outdoor destination, but the crowds and parking situation took away from the overall experience.

Located between Ottawa Illinois and Utica,this park is along the Illinois River across from Starved…read moreRock State Park. We didn't stay long but walked to the lookout where we saw many kayakers on the river. Picnic areas and kids play areas are throughout the park. Plenty of parking.

Small but big sometimes is best! We were here last weekend…read more Beautiful sunny cool pleasant day. Got there about 8:20. First time here. The views of the IL River were spectacular. We were about 30 minutes into our hike, when we started to hear gunshots. Well unbeknownst to us, we didn't know it was a gun range in the area. We sorta tried to just tune out those sounds and just get more into our hike. Saw several different species of birds. Then we finally saw an eagle . That was really cool! We met some friendly faces along the trail too! Plan to go back before winter sets in and see the two remaining buffalo . We heard that there was a recent loss. Hope they can introduce more buffalo to the park.

Good sized park in the middle of downtown Ottawa that has a lot of history about it. If you didn't…read moreknow Lincoln was here, you know now. Washington Park is actually pretty big for being in the middle of town. Has lots of benches to relax on. There's also lots of cool statues. A few important events have occurred here. It's the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, an important event in the history of politics. There's a mural along the wall of the building across the street. Check out the plaque at the northwest entrance to read more about this event. There's also a monument with statues of the two. Fun place for history buffs. It's been around a long time and was the site of several important events. This park also is nice just for hanging and walking.

Large park in what I imagine is downtown Ottawa. It's clear that it was once the center of the…read moretown; there are multiple churches across the street and the surrounding blocks; the Masonic Temple is also directly across the street. LaSalle County Courthouse is within a couple blocks, and kiddy-corner from the park is the Illinois appellate court. Across the street the other way is a home of a significant person in Ottawa's past. This park also appears to serve as a memorial to veterans of various wars. There are memorials on each side of the park. In the middle of the park is fountain featuring a statue of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas (boo). Ottawa was the site of the first of the Lincoln Douglas debates (which is something you won't be able to forget whilst you're in this town). Something that is quirky and quaint is that this town seems to be fairly fond of time capsules! There are two of them buried in the park (at least--I only really explored one half of the park). One is set to be opened in 2037, I believe, and another one to be opened in 2058. I'm curious what is in them, of course, though luckily I'll probably forget they exist in a matter of days.

The real rating is probably 2.5. It's not the worst campground you'll ever visit, but it leaves a…read morelot to be desired. We had campsite 32, which provided a decent amount of tree cover and wasn't too far to walk to the restrooms. Mosquitoes were out of control, so be sure to pack proper clothes and a metric ton of bug spray. There were two vault toilets available in our loop - no running water there. Also no light inside, which is an adventure. Our picnic table was covered in bird poop and other debris from nearby trees. I'm used to roughing it, but this table was as bad as I've seen in a park. Maybe a lack of rain left it in such bad condition. I recommend bringing your own chairs and table if you can. The restrooms with running water were pretty disgusting. Why does every camp bathroom reek of urine? Do we not have functional plumbing in these things? Are guys just hosing down the entire building with piss and refusing to flush? It's insane. There was one very empty soap dispenser available and only warm/hot water coming from the faucet. Of course, you can't control your neighbors at a campground. Most folks were keeping themselves under control, but one group was watching a basketball game or something and the sound of the ref's whistle echoed throughout the camp. I understand that's not the campground's fault. It was disappointing to hear traffic while at the campground. I go camping to get away from it all. This was unfortunate. I might return to Illini State Park if I need a place to crash, but there was nothing special about this place other than its relative proximity to Starved Rock (which had no available campsites the day I was headed there). If you need firewood, you can grab some at the Shell station not far away at 1441 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350.

Such a nice camping spot! I've been going here for a few years now, couldn't camp last summer due…read moreto covid. This place is great! 15$ a night (10$ with a 5$ service fee online) You just pull up to your spot when you get there. They offer very private sites along with some sites in the open. Sites 90-95 & 98-101 are all great spots if you want some privacy. There's a small town with some cafes and bars just over the bridge so less than a mile away. Such a great spot & very relaxing.

While traveling on a rural section of U.S. 52 (just north of Ottawa Illinois) if you keep your eyes…read moreon the south end of the road you will observe one of the great rural oddities in the Midwest, behold the shoe tree. No it does not grow shoes, but for some reason people like to pull off the road and whip their old shoes up into the tree. I have witnessed as many as 100 pairs in the tree at one time however rotting shoelaces and harsh rural Midwestern weather often sends them down to the ground like a bunch of bad apples. There are no benches no slides and signs and no fan fair to this little Gem in fact I have no idea why it is even here, none the less every once in a while I take the time to toss up an old worn out pair of sneakers (others have thrown dress shoes and even ice skates!) up in to this mysterious local treasure. I wouldn't drive a hour or more to check it out but if you had an old pair of shoes you would like to toss out and find yourself in the area why not contribute to the long lasting tradition.

Beautiful park land alongside the Illinois River. Campgrounds, picnic areas, lookout benches,…read moretrails, and boating in this lush forest by the river. There are places to launch your boat, $15.00 in one area and free by the Lock. Lots of things to do! A great place for the day or a few days!

This is an great business. They have a few different locations to rent from where you can take a…read moreshort or long ride. With the help of the E bike I was able to ride much longer than if I had to peddle the entire time. They think of everything helmets, bug spray, riding gloves even carriers for smaller kids or in my case special needs child. Joshua took the time to show us everything we needed to know to make our ride enjoyable. Can't wait to do another trail soon. Awesome experience! We loved it!! Would highly recommend.

From the owner: Independently owned & operated. I'm the official E-Bike rental company of Starved Rock Country…read morebacked by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Family friendly and kid approved!! Please check out my website and Facebook for more information and special events!

I learned so much today! The mansion history was very interesting and the history about Ottawa was…read morefascinating too. The tour was ten dollars and was well worth it. I was told Christmas is a really great time to visit. I didn't even know about this mansion until a few days ago. I searched for other things around Starved Rock and foind the mansion. It was the best part of the day.

Beautiful turn of the century home. The docent was very knowledgeable (maybe a bit too…read moreknowledgeable). She shared the history of the home, it's pervious uses and work being done to restore it to the time of the Reddick family's occupancy. We stopped as an activity during a road trip but had to leave a before the end of the tour to get back on the road. The home had beautiful plaster detail, original wood work, windows, doors, and fireplaces. Definitely worth visiting to appreciate the architecture of days gone by.