Event Category Archives: Educational Programs

Wilderness WednesdayWilderness Wednesdays

Wilderness Wednesdays are  environmental awareness workshops for guests of all ages that will take place in our outdoor education venue, Fox Ridge. These events will be held on Wednesdays at 3pm from June 5 to August 28, 2013.  A Wide range of topics will be highlighted including birds, butterflies, plant & geology. Included in each workshop will be many interactive experiences and most likely, a make-and-take project for participants. Admission: Voluntary donation 2013 Wilderness Wednesday Read More

DSC_0656Survival Workshop Skills II

Want to improve your survival skills? Learn advanced techniques natives used to be comfortable living in the wilderness. Discover tracking techniques that show why people get lost in the woods as well as learning how to lost-proof yourself. See how to read above-ground sign to follow trails. Practice primitive throwing stick hunting skills, make a figure-4 deadfall trap, and see how a rolling snare works. Understand how to naturally find, filter, and purify water in Read More

FALL FAWNSurvival Workshop Skills I

So you want to be a survivalist? This hands-on, experiential class will teach you the survival skills natives used to live in the wild. Learn awareness techniques to blend and flow with your environment. See how to read tracks in difficult soils and follow trails others simply cannot see! Discover how to make rope from natural materials. Try making a fire by the native bow drill friction method. Understand how to make a teepee fire Read More

SLED DOG FEATURED IMAGEHusky Seminar & Sled Demo

Park roads have been salted and the hill from the Visitor Center to the Lodge is open! We are pleased to welcome back Free Spirit Siberian Rescue  for two sled dog demos in 2013. Dogs will run in the grassy area by the parking lot located just west of the Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center. For more information on Husky Rescue, visit www.huskyrescue.org Sunday-January 13, 2013 AND Sunday-February 3, 2013 Outdoor Demos with Sled Dogs Read More

activiy-kidsKids Corner

Hey kids! Looking for fun and facts to help plan your visit to Starved Rock State Park? You have come to the right place. Explore our fun online resources & get to Starved Rock for endless activities & Educational Programs. The information below is provided thanks to the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. UPCOMING EVENTS Search for Read More

Lodge History

Early Years Daniel Hitt purchased the land that is today occupied by Starved Rock State Park from the United States Government in 1835 as compensation for his tenure in the U.S. Army. He sold the land in 1890 to Ferdinand Walther for $15,000. Recognizing the potential for developing the land as a resort, Walther constructed the Starved Rock Hotel and a natural pool near the base of Starved Rock, as well as a concession stand Read More