Following many days of closure because of recent heavy rains, all areas of Starved Rock State Park are open with the following exceptions: Trails remain closed east of Wildcat Canyon to Ottawa Canyon. The main park road will reopen Friday, May 9, providing access to the lower parking area and boat ramp. Trails may be muddy, and appropriate hiking attire should be worn. Park officials warn that anyone who encounters a trail that is not Read More

Starved Rock State Park’s Visitor Center is closed due to recent flooding. Interior Trails are also closed as well as Trail Access Parking Areas. Starved Rock Lodge is open and so are the Starved Rock Campground, St. Louis Canyon Trail and Access Parking Area and the Trail from the Lodge to Starved Rock. The ONLY trails open right now at Mathiessen State Park are the upper dells trails. We hope to open trails at some point Read More

What do you get when you have a box of random kitchen tools, cases of water, wooden rings, wristbands, birdseed, whistles, feathers, beads, magic markers, and a variety of other odd items and then add in few hours of organization and the help of a few volunteers? You get a Migratory Bird Festival! Starved Rock Lodge will host their Migratory Bird Festival on Saturday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Fox Ridge, the Lodge’s Read More

On May 17, 18, and 18, the Starved Rock Lodge in Utica will be offering an Outdoor Woman Workshop.   Ladies, this will be the perfect time to trade in your to-do list for a weekend for yourself and your friends. Have you ever wanted to pull back a bow and shoot an arrow?  How about the proper way to saddle a horse?  This is a 3-day fun-filled weekend where women from all over will gather and learn Read More

Singers are wanted for the 2013 Texaco Country Showdown on the Veranda at Starved Rock Lodge. The vocal competition kicks off on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 and runs every Tuesday night through July 16. Contestants will compete in one of the first four rounds. Up to two finalists will be selected from each of those rounds. Selected contestants will have a second chance to compete for a chance at a Wildcard Round (set for July Read More

See what’s new and planned for this spring and summer at Starved Rock Lodge! Find it all in our 2013 Spring POW WOW Newsletter!     CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 2013 Spring POW WOW    

Winners were chosen yesterday in the Starved Rock Lodge photography contest, which also included a photography exhibit featuring ten photographers. Over 125 photos were entered in the “In Touch with Your Natural Side” photography contest, which was held in the Great Hall of the Lodge. Ben Just, of McNabb, took first place in the youth category.  Coby Cooper, of Metamora, took first place in the general category. Jacki Pienta, of McNabb, took first place in the Starved Read More