Peak Fall Foliage Hiking at Matthiessen State Park, Illinois

Hiking one of the best kept secrets of Illinois

I suppose those years of living in New England really honed my taste for fall hikes. When I left, I though I was leaving all those glorious colors behind. Sure, I knew that New England is not the only place with deciduous trees but I figured everything would pale in comparison to Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Thankfully, I recently discovered Matthiessen State Park in North-Central Illinois which stands up to what I was previously used to hiking. This gem of a park receives 1/6th of the visitors that nearby Starved Rock receives though is every bit as magnificent. Even on a peak-color day in October, I was mostly alone.

Hiking through this park involves two different locations. The first is the "Dells" area which is where deep canyons carve their way through preconceived notions that Illinois is nothing but flatness and prairies. Certainly this is the highlight of the park but the other "River Area" is special in its own right. Hugging the Vermillion River, these trails are far less visited and tend to be more serene. I loved both areas for their uniqueness. 

The Dells are is becoming my new favorite place to hike in the state. Its only about 80 miles from where I live in Chicago and I've returned a few times now only to be as facicated with it as the first visit. The landscape does not evoke the idea that the Midwest is flat and full of cornfields (though that can be beautiful too). Instead, it follows the patterns of many riverside parks where steep bluffs and cliffs give way to waterfalls and streams below. Many of the trails in the Dells area follow along the canyon rim or they wind through the bottom of the canyon.

I'd highly suggest wearing a very sturdy pair of waterproof boots due to these trails. Sturdy books allowed me to keep my focus on the abundant scenery rather than be preoccupied with not getting my feet wet.

Another serendipitous part of my trip was going after a thunderstorm. Some of the leaves had been picked off by the high winds but the waterfalls were running with terrific force. Others are only seasonal or flow after heavy rains- it was a treat to observe those elusive falls. All in all, I saw at least seven waterfalls on my trip. 

The Dells area has less than five miles of hiking trails but I spent over 6 hours wandering about. Autumn is a season that seems to pass more quickly than others and I couldn't miss a single moment in this lovely place.

Moving on to the River Area, I found this part of the part to be abundant in solitude and hardly saw any other hikers. Naturally, most are drawn to this park because of the waterfalls. My preference is always to have some peace and quiet all to myself and the river area satisfied this desire perfectly. 

As the river area receives a fraction of the visitors that the Dells area receives, the trails are less maintained and tend to be a bit ambiguous. I was turned around when hiking them the first time. This was not unpleasant, however. I find the Vermillion River of Illinois to be one of the most underrated adventure destinations and I did not mind being a bit lost in this serene place. Meandering along the riverbank allowed for quiet reflection.

Though less dramatic than the cliffs of the Dells, the Vermillion river creates many impressive bluffs itself. They precipitously towered over that was running in full force after some heavier storms. I wished I could have taken a run down it in a raft- something that I've done before in the summer. 

Back towards the parking lot, I noted a number of trees in full autumn display. Funny to think that the most pedestrian part of the area had the best colors- 

Same place, 2 weeks later

Same tree, two weeks later

So there you have it- my new favorite hiking destination in the state. This isn't my only treasured hiking destination in Illinois but the proximity to Chicago makes it enticing. Starved Rock is gorgeous, to be sure, but I love the solitude that Matthiessen State Park offers. I'll be returning soon in the winter!