Starved Rock Campground — Starved Rock State Park

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Starved Rock State Park, nestled on the Illinois River bluff in La Salle County, and it truly is one of Illinois' most breathtaking destinations. The park's unique geological formations, lush landscapes, and abundant recreational activities make it an ideal spot for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. Scenic Beauty and Trails The park is renowned for its 18 canyons, with their vertical walls of moss-covered stone, formed by glacial meltwater. These canyons slice dramatically through tree-covered sandstone bluffs, creating a stunning backdrop for exploration. I spent hours hiking the more than 13 miles of trails, which offer access to beautiful waterfalls, sandstone overhangs, and spectacular overlooks. The trails vary in difficulty, making them accessible for both casual walkers and avid hikers. My entire team of Student Life Saviour is planning to visit the part at: https://studentlifesaviour.com as they also loves outing.

While I find it hard to believe that Starved Rock SP was voted the #1 attraction in the state (I mean, come on, there’s Wrigley Field, there’s the Bean, there’s Jon Hancock tower, there’s Galena and so many other amazing attractions to choose from after all!), I will admit that this outdoor natural amusement park is one incredible destination. Located in north central Illinois, just a few miles south of Utica and 3 or so miles east of Oglesby, what makes Starved Rock SP more like a 'needle in a hay stack' is that those coming from out of town (er, dare I say Chicago), it's quite an EZ place to find and get to, unlike most natural wonders, which would have you spending hours driving down winding roads in the middle of nowhere – with this campground, just take I90 south to 80 E and BOOM! You’re here. 

PLEASE NOTE: Rather than just 1 campground here at Starved Rock State Park, there are actually 3 individual campgrounds to choose from – Starved Rock State Park West Loop, Starved Rock State Park East Loop and Starved Rock State Park Youth Group Area – each with their own configuration, # and type of sites, overall vibe and amenities. For the purposes of this review, I will focus my comments on Starved Rock State Park – West Loop Campground. Upon entry, you’ll check-in at the Ranger Station, where you’ll confirm your reservation and be given directions to the specific campground and site that you have booked. For this West Loop Campground, which is comprised of sites #1– 54, plus 4 campground host sites, after passing the Ranger’s Office, you will immediately hang a left, before reaching the Camp Store mind you, and from here, you will drive a simple football field-shaped, completely wide open and barren loop that is intersected with two individual lanes, intersecting the loop into 3 distinct areas: upper, middle and lower, with restroom facilities in the two upper loops and a children’s playground in the third and lower loop, before completing the loop and returning to the Ranger Station. Sites are numbered from low to high with numbers ascending in alternating fashion on either left or right side of the road beginning right after passing the community shower/ restroom facilities, where you will note that there is fresh water opposite of this facility. Exterior sites in the loop are more preferred as they offer up a nice tree line and some additional privacy, versus those on the interior of the loop. Upon exiting Starved Rock SP – West Loop Campground you will pass by the 3-4 campground hosts, all in their RV/ trailers and exiting the campground campus itself, just as you pass the Ranger Station, you will find the dump station. 

For a very detailed map, complete with what amenities and even which sites have full, partial or no shade, please check this out: https://dnr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnr/parks/camp/documents/starved-rock-state-park-campground.pdf

If you time your visit carefully, towards the latter part of Spring or early Summer, you’ll be greeted by fresh, seasonal waterfalls that make for quite the refresher after a good couple of hours of hiking this fantastic spot that offers fishing, dining, boating, picnicking and no shortage of extraordinary views of Illinois’ finest natural outcrop. Apart from quick and EZ access to the mighty Illinois River, I also love the 13+ miles of hiking trails that form snake-like patterns throughout, across and over the nearly 20 or so canyons that make up this SP. 

The best map of hiking trails at Starved Rock SP can be found here: https://www.starvedrocklodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Starved-Rock-Trail-Map.pdf 

Whether you are looking at Starved Rock SP East Loop or West Loop Campgrounds, combined, there’s some 133 Class-A Premium campsites complete with electricity as well as showers and bathroom facilities, while most of which are outdated and in need of a fresh coat of paint, they are generally fairly clean. Wherever you end up parking your RV or pitching your tent you’ll be able to access all of those activities like rappelling, hiking and kayaking that brought you to Starved Rock SP in the first place. All of these sites have standard 20 amp electric plug-ins, plus there’s also the option for a 30 amp electric car or camper hookup with just a few spots offering up 50 amp electric for the big rig RVs. On campus, there’s both a campground store as well as Jack’s which is just off Route 71, where both offer up wood for sale 24/7 as well as ice, batteries, chips, sodas, marshmallows, rain gear and various other sundries. Additionally, there’s 8 covered shelters here and are also offered on a first-come, first-served basis with some offering wood-burning chimneys, perfect in the fall or winter and great for roasting s’mores or just curling up next to your honey. 

Insider’s tips: (1) IMHO the best campsites in Starved Rock SP– West Loop Campground are those that fall against the treeline on the exterior of the loop, with sites #20, #22, #23, #24, #27, #43, #45 and #46 offering up the most privacy; (2) For those bringing their kayak, canoe or boat with them, you’re really going to enjoy the Illinois River as there’s no shortage of places to explore and while we attempted to land on Leopold Island, it was completely soaked, so we ventured onto Plum Island and had a very nice picnic on the beachhead there; and (3) The two nearest towns near Starved Rock State Park are Utica or Oglesby, wherein I would recommend a visit to either long-time favorite Garzanelli’s Supper Club, which has a pretty amazing Midwestern take on Italian food or Lodi Tap Room for some pretty amazing glorified bar food, otherwise, if you don’t want to drive anywhere, just stay put and enjoy the fare at Starved Rock Lodge; (4) Looking for a place to ‘whet your whistle’? Then head on over to Aces & Eights in Tonica for a cool biker bar with some decent Americana fare and cheap tall boys OR head into Utica to check out Obscurity Brewing Bier Garten for some unusual draft brews or August Hill Winery for some fairly mediocre wine from Illinois; (5) If hiking is your thing, and being here at Starved Rock (and don’t forget nearby Mathiessen SP), then you’ll want to take full advantage of all the great hiking trails, of which I highly recommend for a shorter hike, checking out the loop around Lover’s Leap, which is the most popular, but for those wanting a slightly longer and more challenging hike, look at either Wildcat Canyon or Lasalle Canyon; and (6) Finish off your entire camping experience by visiting Two Girls and a Cupcake for some sweet, albeit overpriced, desserts and treats. 

Happy Camping!

We arrived at Starved rock a little after 3pm, check in was a breeze and the host was very helpful with directions and information about where to get firewood and how late the camp store was open. We arrived on a Friday and enjoyed even the weekend tourists as no one was super loud or had bright lights on. The campground is set up very well and leaves a ton of space between sites and even the other side of the campground. The shower house was very clean and right as you enter the campground. There are small outhouses in the median between the rows of sites, easily accessible but not ada accessible. There are some trails that walk you around the campground but nothing that leads to the parks more popular trails. The park itself is beautiful and has very well kept trails and parking lots. However, the maps that were drawn up are terrible. Some of the parking lots weren't even on the map and some of the canyons were not marked on the trails. We started at the top and walked the ridgeline down to the main parking lot, glad we did because that lot was completely full.

The park is amazing as you can see in the photos.  Many hiking trails,  fishing possibilities and a visitor center with a museum. The campground is very tight.  The road i s very narrow and if someone is trying to move into their spot, you cannot get around them.    The only garbage drops are at the front of the park since trucks cannot navigate the road. There are two sections, sites 1 to 58 and 59 to 133.   Sites 1 to 58 include 7  handicap sites and this section has more space between sites.  In the other section, sites  84 to 109 are the largest.

There are 2 playgrounds and shower houses.  All sites  have electric and if you need to fill the water tank of your RV the only water fill is at the dump station at the front.

The campground is a good distance from the visitor center and the park is very large.  If you have young children a vehicle  to drive around would be good.

We have both A T & T and Verizon and both had limited connections.

Even taking all  these items into consideration, I will return, the natural beauty of the park is well worth it and there is enough to keep you busy for at least a week.