Illinois

Hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes and more: 10 most visited Illinois state parks

Published

1 year ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes and more: 10 most visited Illinois state parks

There’s plenty of beauty across Illinois, from the southern part to the northern part and everything in between.

Plenty of that beauty comes at state parks.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois has 135 state parks; 28 parks and areas are located in West Central Illinois. State Parks tend to be open from 7 a.m. to sunset unless listed as closed on their respective website on DNR.

Here’s a look at the 10 most visited state parks in 2023 according to IDNR. The estimates are based on a 12-month calendar year by visitation and guests per car.

More: Who are Illinois’ highest paid state workers? Here’s the top 10

10. Fort Massac in Massac County

Number of visitors: 953,000

What: Overlooking the mighty Ohio River from the southern tip of Illinois, this majestic location has been preserved and maintained since 1908, when it became Illinois’ first state park. The nearly 1,500-acre park is perfect for picnics, camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and seasonal hunting programs. The park also has an 18-hole disc golf course. The fort is a reminder of days gone by and a good place to take a step back in time to breathe in the natural surroundings as people did over a century ago. The park is also home to special events that bring to life Colonial and early American history, including the popular Fort Massac Encampment festival each October.

9. Frank Holten in St. Clair County

Number of visitors: 991,000

What: Within view of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Frank Holten State Park is an ideal destination for outdoor recreation in an urban setting in East St. Louis. The 1,080-acre St. Clair County park features the 18-hole Grand Marais Golf Course, two lakes for outstanding fishing, and plenty of open space for picnicking and other outdoor fun. The site is named for the late Frank Holten, who served the region in the Illinois General Assembly for 48 years.

8. Clinton Lake in DeWitt County

Number of visitors: At least 1 million

What: Clinton Lake State Recreation Area in east central Illinois can fit just about every outdoors activity into its 9,300-acre site. The 4,900-acre lake and outstanding fishing are the primary draws, with accessible boat launches at the Mascoutin and West Side Access Areas, a fishing pier at the Spillway Access Area, and bank fishing at Valley Mill. With over 3,600 usable acres for archery and deer hunting, hiking trails follow the long shoreline toward campgrounds with over 300 campsites.

7. Rock Cut State Park in Winnebago County

Number of visitors: 1.1 million

What: Rock Cut State Park is aptly named – being chiseled directly out of the rocky landmarks and hills of northern Illinois. Rock Cut’s 3,254 acres include two lakes: Pierce Lake with 162 acres, and Olson Lake with 50 acres. Both offer a retreat for people wanting to fish, ice fish or ice skate. The park’s hiking trails, horseback riding trails and cross-country skiing and wildlife watching, as well as seasonal hunting programs, make it a year-round recreation destination.

More: Looking for the most underrated small towns to visit in Illinois this summer? Here are 14

6. Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area in Franklin County

Number of visitors: 1.32 million

What: Overlooking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 19,000-acre Rend Lake Reservoir, Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreational Park is Southern Illinois’ biggest outdoor area with countless ways to outdoorsmen to enjoy nature’s pleasures. A large contributor to the visitations is the hunting season programs, which attract thousands annually. Rend Lake is well-known as an outstanding sport fishery for white and black crappie and a dog training field for dog sporting.

5. Kankakee River State Park in Kankakee County

Number of visitors: 1.3 million

What: On land first treasured by the Native tribes to the region, Kankakee River State Park offers visitors its proud heritage in an unspoiled setting. Anglers, canoeists, hunters, campers, hikers, bicyclers and other outdoor enthusiasts find the park’s recreational opportunities unsurpassed. The naturally channeled 11 miles of the Kankakee River is listed on the Federal Clean Streams Register and is the focus of the 4,000-acre park’s popularity.

More: A cockroach, flies, mold, expired food all found in Springfield-area kitchens in June

4. Kickapoo State Recreation Area in Vermilion County

Number of visitors: More than 1.3 million

What: Since the state’s purchase of the land in 1939, trees and vegetation have reclaimed the former mined land. Once a turn-of-the-century surface mining operation, Kickapoo State Recreation Area’s 2,842 acres now provide an outdoor playground with something to appeal to every member of the family. The park offers 22 deep-water ponds, ranging in size from 0.2 to 57 acres, provide a total of 221 acres of water for boaters, canoeists and anglers.

3. Hennepin Canal State Trail spanning five counties

Number of visitors: 1.9 million

What: There are plenty of picnic tables along the 104.5-mile linear Hennepin Canal State Trail spanning five Illinois counties from Rock Island to Whiteside. The trail was first constructed in 1892 for the historic Hennepin Canal, the first American canal built out of concrete without stone cut facings. The towpath provides 155 miles of hiking/biking fun from the Illinois River to the Rock River, with the feeder canal path to Rock Falls. Segments of the trails are open to horseback riding and for those looking to plan ahead – snowmobiling is a must in the winter.

2. Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County

Number of visitors: 2 million

What: It makes sense why Chicago is such a popular city; skyscraping city lines that touch the clouds down to the transit system which buzzes across the golden coast right past Illinois Beach State Park, a gem in northern Illinois. The park is the only remaining beach ridge shoreline left in the state, with dunes and swales, sprawling marshes, forests of oak and vast arrays of animal life on its 6.5-mile stretch along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. More than 650 species of plants have been recorded in the dunes area alone, including dozens of types of colorful wildflowers. The 4,160-acre park, consisting of two separate areas offers ample opportunities for swimming, boating, picnicking, hiking, fishing, camping and simply appreciating nature.

1. Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County

Number of visitors: More than 2.3 million

What: As Illinois’ second state park ever established in 1911, the park’s beautiful 18 canyons soar above heads with moss coverings on sandstone, formed by glaciers of bygone eras past.

Previously used by the Hopewellian, Woodland, and Mississippian Native Americans who thrived in the region, in 1673, French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette passed through the area on their way up the Illinois from the Mississippi River. In 1682 however, the French would return to build Fort St. Louis atop Starved Rock for its strategic position.

More than 13 miles of trails allow access to rain-fed waterfalls, sandstone overhangs, and spectacular overlooks.

The Starved Rock Visitor Center is open year-round, and the 1930s-era stone and log Starved Rock Lodge offers luxury lodging, cabin rooms, and fine dining.

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

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Illinois

Another Winter Storm Targets Central Illinois

Published

5 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Another Winter Storm Targets Central Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — After a brief lull in the weather on Friday, now another winter storm is setting its sights on central Illinois. Come Saturday, our next round of Winter is set to arrive. A new weather maker sweeps across the Upper Midwest, causing more snow to develop by mid-morning on Saturday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from 7AM Saturday through 8 PM Saturday evening. The snow will pick up intensity by late-morning and last through the afternoon into the early evening hours before ending. This new weather system will follow a path very similar to the previous storm system and spread a swath of moderate to locally heavy snow. Before the snow wraps up Saturday evening, expect another 2″-4″ for much of central Illinois, with afternoon high temperatures bitterly cold in the mid-teens.

But the worst blast of cold air comes in Saturday evening into Sunday. Frigid Arctic air surges down from Canada causing temperatures to really tumble, driving in the coldest weather we’ve had in a long time and certainly the coldest so far this season. A Cold Weather Advisory is issued from 8 PM Saturday through Noon on Sunday. Sunday morning will be dangerously cold with wind chills around 20 to 25 BELOW ZERO. With wind chills this extreme, it doesn’t take long to suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. Please stay inside to keep warm, but if you do need to venture out, limit the time you spend outdoors, and make sure to cover up all exposed skin by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves. Sunday afternoon features lots of sunshine, but despite the sunshine, temperatures will be brutally cold and frigid with high temperatures stuck in the low single numbers while wind chills remain well below zero.

Expect more extremely chilly weather on Monday with wind chills still ranging from 5 to 15 BELOW ZERO in the morning and afternoon highs only reaching into the 20s. Then temperatures will finally start to warm up, and we should climb out of the deep freeze with highs in the mid to upper 30s on Tuesday.

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Illinois

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill

Published

17 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill

Updated on: December 12, 2025 / 11:49 AM CST
/ CBS Chicago

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday making Illinois the newest state allowing medically assisted dying in terminally ill residents.

Known as “Deb’s Law,” it allows eligible terminally ill adults with a prognosis to live six months or less to request a prescription from their doctor that would allow them to die on their own terms.

The legislation was narrowly approved by the Illinois Senate in October after the Illinois House passed it in May.

People on both sides of the debate over the controversial legislation lobbied the governor up until the last minute. Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is already legal in 12 states. Eight more are considering similar legislation.

“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said in a news release after signing the bill.

Pritzker’s signature makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to allow medically assisted death.

Advocates for the law say it allows adults to die on their own terms when survival is already not an option. Opponents say the bill legalizes “state-sanctioned suicide.”

The law requires two doctors to determine a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. The medication provided would need to be requested both orally and in written documentation, and will have to be self-administered. The law also requires all patients opting into medical assistance in dying to have been full informed about all end-of-life care options, including comfort care, hospice, palliative care and pain control.

The law is named for Deb Robertson, a former social worker from Lombard who had an aggressive case of neuroendocrine carcinoma. She began advocating for medical aid in dying in 2022 and has been a central figure in the movement.

Please note: The above video is from a previous report

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Illinois

Advocates, opponents seek to sway Gov. JB Pritzker on medical aid in dying legislation passed by Illinois General Assembly

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Advocates, opponents seek to sway Gov. JB Pritzker on medical aid in dying legislation passed by Illinois General Assembly

Illinois could soon join a growing list of states where terminally ill patients would be allowed to take life-ending medication prescribed by a doctor.

The Illinois Senate narrowly approved the “medical aid in dying” legislation in October, after the Illinois House passed it in May, and the legislation is now sitting on Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk.

Pritzker has not said if he’ll sign it, and the controversial legislation has people on both sides trying to bend the governor’s ear.

Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is legal in 12 states, with eight others considering similar legislation.

If Pritzker allows the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” passed by the Illinois General Assembly to become law, Illinois could be the first state in the Midwest to allow medical aid in dying.

Suzy Flack, whose son Andrew died of cancer, is among the advocates urging the governor to sign the bill.

Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017 in his home state of Illinois, three years later Andrew moved to California, where medical aid in dying is legal, and chose to end his life in 2022.

“He died on his own terms, peacefully. We were all there to see it and embrace him at that moment, and it was really a beautiful thing,” Suzy said. “His last words were, ‘I’m happy. Please sign this. Allow people in Illinois this option.’”

Illinois is on the brink of joining a growing number of states that allow doctors to prescribe a mixture of lethal medication for terminally ill patients.

Outside the governor’s Chicago office on Thursday, many disability advocates, religious leaders, lawmakers, and doctors have called on Pritzker to veto the bill that would legalize what they call state-sanctioned suicide

“The question becomes where do you draw the line in the medical ethics dilemmas?” one physician who identified himself as Dr. Pete said. “We don’t need to go to this crossing of a red line of actually providing a means to directly end life.”

Republican Illinois state Sen. Chris Balkema said he “would really appreciate it if the governor would veto this bill.”

“My plea is that we veto this; come back with language that is constructive on both sides,” he said.

Pritzker has he is reviewing the legislation and is listening to advocates on both sides before deciding whether to sign it.

“It’s a hard issue, and I don’t want anybody to think making up your mind about this is very easy. It’s not. There’s a lot to consider, but most of all it’s about compassion,” he said. “There’s evidence and information on both sides that leads me to think seriously about what direction to go.”

The Illinois legislation would require two doctors to determine that a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. The medication provided to terminally ill patients would need to be requested both orally and in written form, and would have to be self-administered.

The bill was sent to Pritzker on Nov. 25, and he has 60 days from then to either sign it, amend it and send it back to lawmakers, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.