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1300 North 27th Road Ottawa IL 61350

Buffalo Rock State Park is located on a bluff which once was an island in the Illinois River. Now standing majestically on the north bank, this promontory affords a magnificent, sweeping view of the Illinois River. Located approximately 3 miles west of Ottawa in LaSalle County, this 298-acre park has long been a favorite picnic area, as well as a nature lovers’ delight. The area of Buffalo Rock was the home of the Illinois Indians when Louis Jolliet, the French explorer, and the Jesuit missionary priest Father Jacques Marquette made their trip up the Illinois River in 1673. Later, the Illinois tribe was virtually annihilated in protracted warfare with the aggressive Iroquois.

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A lot of our state parks are often over run and neglected because of lack of funds to operate efficiently, they need the help of the community's and tourist to truly make the parks beautiful and keep them well maintained.

Any type of donation is greatly appreciated and will be given directly to the park!

2660 E 2350th Rd, Marseilles, IL 61341

Illini State Park is the type of park you think of when you think of big picnics and family gatherings. With its rustic Civilian Conservation Corps buildings and riverside picnic areas, Illini State Park offers beautiful views and a sense of history not found in many other parks.

Named for the native Americans who once inhabited the area, the 510-acre Illini State Park is located south of the Illinois River between Marseilles and U.S. Route 6. In the mid-1920s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a barge canal to bypass the rapids. The canal borders the park, and visitors can watch as large barges pass through the Marseilles Locks. Less than a mile north of the park is the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal, completed in 1848 when the section from Marseilles to Morris opened.

Illini was dedicated as a state park in 1935. Hickory, ash, walnut, elm, cottonwood, oak and maple trees provide shade in the summer and beautiful colors in the fall. Wildlife abound year round.

Picnic areas, shelters and playgrounds are found throughout the park. Several of the shelters also have working fireplaces. Both tent and trailer campsites, including electric and sanitation service, are offered and some of the sites offer outstanding views of the river. A youth camp area is available for youth groups. Make campsite reservations online at ExploreMoreIL.

River fishing is popular out of Illini State Park, where a boat ramp is available.​

Click here for more information!

A lot of our state parks are often over run and neglected because of lack of funds to operate efficiently, they need the help of the community's and tourist to truly make the parks beautiful and keep them well maintained.

Any type of donation is greatly appreciated and will be given directly to the park!

Adventur-E-Bike Rental LLC can pick up and drop off E-Bikes at any location along the I&M Canal Trail. Being backed by the IDNR I am the only preferred E-Bike rental company in Starved Rock Country allowing me to take all forms of payments in state parks and along the I&M Canal Trail at any location!

The Illinois and Michigan Canal (I&M Canal) is a 96-mile canal that was dug by hand and completed in 1848. It connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The canal crossed the Chicago Portage and helped establish Chicago as the transportation hub of the United States ⁴. By providing a link that completed a water route from the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico, it is considered a major contributor to the development of Chicago ¹. The I&M Canal reached its peak influence in the second half of the 19th century. In 1853, railroads began to parallel its path and new water highways were developed in the early 1900s. The canal was soon replaced by the bigger water highways and officially closed to commerce.

A lot of our state parks are often over run and neglected because of lack of funds to operate efficiently, they need the help of the community's and tourist to truly make the parks beautiful and keep them well maintained.

Any type of donation is greatly appreciated and will be given directly to the park!

401 Ottawa Street Morris IL 60450

Gebhard Woods State Park was originally purchased from Mrs. William Gebhard by the Grundy County Rod and Gun Club in 1934 for of $1,500. A game fish rearing pool was developed on the property by the club, who in turn donated the property to the state to be developed and maintained as Gebhard Woods State Park. Members of the Brandon-Morris Civilian Conservation Corps were employed by the U.S. Department of the Interior to clear and landscape this newly formed state park. The CCC developed two additional spawning pools for game fish, interior trails, a large shelter of hand-hewn beams with flagstone flooring, two small log shelters complete with fireplaces, a sheltered resting bench and a large stone fireplace.

Click here for more information

A lot of our state parks are often over run and neglected because of lack of funds to operate efficiently, they need the help of the community's and tourist to truly make the parks beautiful and keep them well maintained.

Any type of donation is greatly appreciated and will be given directly to the park!