With the beautiful spring weather today, we took a hike at Starved Rock State Park before lunch. We decided to take the trail to St. Louis Canyon. There aren’t too many stairs and it isn’t a very long hike to get to the waterfall at the end. At the beginning there are some steep cliffs without railings, so keeping little kids close is very important. There are a few bridges to cross the stream, and lots of bluffs to look at. Once at the end, there is a nice size waterfall, and a huge sand hill to climb. It’s a great short hike and easy for the whole family.

Today I took a hike at Buffalo Rock State Park with my family.  Its a great place to spend the afternoon exploring the trails.  You can start off your stay by admiring the two American Bison that reside there.  Then you can head off on the trails and enjoy the earth sculptures called “Effigy Tumuli” which depict a water strider, catfish, frog, turtle and snake.  There are also lots of bugs and birds to find along the way, as well as two overlooks where you can get a great view of the illinois river.  There are two picnic shelters and several picnic tables, so it is also a perfect place for a picnic or family gathering. 

My lunch break took me to Moraine Hills state park in the town of McHenry. Located off of River Road between routes 176 and 120, this state park is a beautiful place to spend the day. Unfortunately, I had only a half hour in which to explore the park, so I was pretty much limited to driving only.

About half of the park is wetlands and lakes, which makes for some excellent wildlife habitat and some great native plants can be found as well. Pike marsh contains one of the largest colonies of pitcher plants in Illinois. These plants trap insects and consume them in their picther-like structure. Red fox, mink, coyotes and other animals inhabit the park, along with over 100 species of birds like herons and assorted waterfowl. With all of the native plants located within the park there are many butterflies to be seen as well.

Hiking and biking are very popular at the Moraine Hills. With over 10 miles of trails within the park, you are sure to find a trail that is right up your alley. Lake Defiance trail is paved for ease of biking, while the other trails are crushed limestone. Each trail takes you through a unique ecosystem of the park and are color-coded to help keep you on track.

Boating and fishing are available on Lake Defiance and on the Fox River, only boat rentals are available on the lake and there is no bank fishing to protect the shoreline there. I have fished there once and the water on the lake is very clear with many places for large-mouth bass to hide. I caught several small-mouth bass on the Fox River that day. For lunch there are several picnick areas and a concession stand located at the Fox River side of the park.

While there, make sure to stop at the interpretive center to see the display about the park and its many natural features. The way the park was formed and weekly nature videos can be viewed here. The boat rental area is here as well. Check out their website for more information: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/parks/r2/MORHILLS.HTM