If you are here with your girl / boy scout troop, church group or youth connection team, then you’ve just discovered a super amazing spot to lay down some tents and get busy with connecting with nature in a primitive camping experience that won’t soon be forgotten. All of this in arguably the absolute best state park in the whole of Illinois. Plus, as a bonus, Matthiessen SP is just a stone’s throw away, offering up even more additional trails to hike, streams to kayak and face cliffs to rappel. Located just 90 miles southwest of Chicago here in north central Illinois, what makes Starved Rock SP more like a 'needle in a hay stack' is that those coming from out of town or further afield in neighboring states, it's quite an EZ place to find and get to given that this landmark is just off two very highly trafficked highways – where Highway 39 / Interstate 90 meets Route 80 just due east of Oglesby – where no matter who you are or where you come from, you’ll be greeted by some pretty amazing Midwestern hospitality.
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 Campground, Starved Rock State Park East Loop Campground and Starved Rock State Park Youth Group Campground – 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 – Youth Group Campground. Upon entry, you’ll check-in at the Ranger Station, where you’ll confirm your group reservation and from there, continue heading due east / straight until you see the sign for Youth Group Campground.
Unlike Campground West Loop Campground or Campground East Loop Campground, there are no individual numbered sites at Youth Group Campground, so check with your troop or group leader about where to set up, but in general, the whole campground consists of two wide-open meadows encircled by thick treelines providing a number of choices as to where you want to pitch your tent for the night. And please note, that also unlike West and East Loop Campgrounds, here in Youth Group Campground, there is no opportunity for RVs or 5th wheels to park. Smack dab in the middle of the first open meadow that you will come to, there are dueling outhouses, one for the lads and another for the lasses. There’s also a drinking fountain nearby where you will cross a sidewalk to reach, and if you follow the sidewalk itself, you will reach the larger community bathroom / shower facility on your right before encountering both a covered pavilion as well as a playground. The second meadow in Youth Group Campground is slightly smaller than the first, but offers up more privacy – and with both open pastures, there are no trailheads to access, simply land to plant a tent and stare at the night stars with your friends.
To best take advantage of the time here with your group, you’ll need to head back north to enter Starved Rock SP in one of its upper or lower dells access points, where here, you’ll be able to hike any one of the 13+ miles of hiking trails that form snake-like patterns throughout, across and over the nearly 20 or so canyons, launch kayaks or canoes in the mighty Illinois River or go rappelling on any of the many limestone facades that you’ll be sure to encounter. Towards the latter part of Spring or early Summer, if you are lucky enough to arrange yourself to be here during either of these two seasons, you’ll be greeted by fresh, seasonal waterfalls that make for quite the refresher after a few good hours of hiking this fantastic spot that offers fishing, dining, boating, picnicking and no shortage of extraordinary views of Illinois’ finest natural outcrop.
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
Just down the stretch from whence you came, you’ll note that there’s a campground store, complete with a wood bundle dispensing ATM (no kidding, just look at the photo!) offering up wood for sale 24 / 7 as well as ice, batteries, chips, sodas, marshmallows, rain gear and various other sundries. Whatever the campground store doesn’t have or whenever it might not be open, head on down Highway 71 to Jack’s where you’ll also be able to purchase many of these same things. In all of Starved Rock SP, there’s 8 covered shelters that are offered up on a first-come, first-served basis with some offering wood-burning chimneys, which is perfect in the fall or winter, and if you bring your own cooking forks, you can roast marshmallows up against the backdrop that is perfect for telling enchanting stories or ghostly haunts.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a small handful: (1) As far as the best sites here go, you really can’t go wrong with anywhere you choose, although I do prefer the second, further open meadow, which offers up better privacy and a feeling like you have truly escaped to discover nature; (2) Wherever you choose to pitch your tents for the night, you will want to bear in mind the location of the community bathrooms, especially for the lasses, which may make for an uncomfortable walk in the middle of the night if you are located too far away; (3) 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 wherein I highly recommend landing on Plum Island where you can explore the terrain and even cast a line from to catch some blue gill; and (4) If you are thinking about taking the troop for a meal or quick snack, I would highly recommend checking out Utica for either a decent group meal at either Cajun Connection for some fried gator or Bear Island Outdoor Grill for some pretty decent BBQ or Two Girls and a Cupcake for some sweet desserts and treats.
Happy Camping!
