One of the most popular places to visit in Illinois is Starved Rock State Park. While most people visit in the warmer weather, or make a quick visit in February to view the large number of eagles on the Illinois River, I enjoy the cold winter months. Most of the canyons of Starved Rock have waterfalls at some point in the year, and most create stunning icefalls in the cold months.
The waterfalls range from ten feet tall to well over 70 feet tall, and some can even be climbed with the proper gear and permission. A small number of these frozen waterfalls allow for viewing on all sides, and the waterfall in LaSalle Canyon is one of the easiest to access.
While not the closest canyon to a parking area - it's a mile hike or more to the waterfall, the trail leads behind the waterfall, giving you a unique perspective of the frozen falls in relation to the canyon. The sun shines through the large towers of ice, illuminating the backside with beautifully eerie light.
The size of the rock overhang also makes it very easy to walk behind. Some other waterfalls are so close to the canyon wall you must crawl behind. The only tricky part can be the ice on the canyon floor. In some places the slanted rock is glazed with thick ice from the waterfall, so ice cleats are a necessity. Last year as I hiked behind a couple of people, one slipped and fell down the side of the path. She held onto a small tree trunk, which prevented her from falling down the 30 foot drop to the canyon floor. Her hiking partner and I quickly pulled her back to safety. I won't hike this area without ice cleats - not the little yak tracks with the springs or studs on the bottom, only chain and spike ice cleats that dig into the ice.
This canyon has two waterfalls, the main waterfall seen here, and a much smaller one draining into the creek which drains into the Illinois River a few thousand feet away. LaSalle Canyon is a must see in the winter. It also serves as the path the Tonti Canyon, which often has two tall waterfalls in the cold winter months.
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