The new year will bring long-overdue upgrades at Illinois’ most popular state park and one of its top tourist destinations outside Chicago.

Preliminary work already is underway at Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County for an $18 million project that will include the first major improvements in three decades to a 13-mile trail system that winds through sandstone canyons and bluffs along the Illinois River.

Starved Rock, roughly a 100-mile drive southwest from the Loop, sees more than 2 million visitors per year, many of whom spend their time trekking along the park’s wooden boardwalks, bridges and stairways.

“As you might imagine, with that much foot traffic, a lot of deterioration can occur to the trails, to the paths, to the bridges, stairways, boardwalks, retaining walls, all those things that support the trail system,” Todd Strole, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said at a news conference this fall announcing the work. “The last major trail system upgrade to this park was in the 1990s, and a lot of features have seen a lot of wear and tear since that time.”

That wear and tear has led to closures of portions of the trail system, which in turn leads some hikers to venture off designated paths, putting themselves at risk, Strole said.

Last year, a 38-year-old man from southwest suburban Oswego fell to his death at the park, and in April, a 37-year-old Tinley Park woman and her 7-year-old son had to be rescued after falling into one of the park’s 18 canyons.

Aside from reopening closed sections of the trails and making the system safer and more accessible, the project, much of which is slated for completion in 2026, will help preserve the natural habitat and prevent erosion, officials said.

The park, marking its 115th anniversary in 2026, can protect an ecosystem that supports diverse wildlife and accommodate its millions of annual visitors, “if they’re staying on trails,” Strole said.

DNR officials and locals who rely on tourism hope the ongoing upgrades don’t deter visitors, even if they may encounter dead ends or detours while hiking.

Abby Farrell, area operations manager for ExplorUS, which operates the Starved Rock Lodge in the heart of the park, said the company is “thrilled to see this investment in the park’s future, ensuring safer, more accessible trails and the continued preservation of the natural wonders that draw visitors from Illinois and beyond.”

“We want to reassure our guests that Starved Rock Lodge, its hotel, restaurant, gift shop and event spaces will remain fully open through the entirety of this project,” Farrell said. “We will continue to host weddings, conferences, family getaways and seasonal events just as planned. We can encourage everyone to continue visiting, supporting local tourism and checking trail conditions online before planning your visit.”

Cynthia Zavala, of Berwyn, from left, and sisters Mariela Del Toro and Diana Izaguirre walk through Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby on Dec. 19, 2025. (Troy Stolt/for the Chicago Tribune)

Underscoring that the park will remain open and accessible to hikers and other visitors, Starved Rock is one of more than a dozen DNR sites across the state participating in the national First Day Hike program on New Year’s Day.

Organized by the America’s State Parks Foundation, the program encourages people to start the new year outdoors and this year will help kick off commemorations of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary.

Starved Rock is also scheduled to host its annual Eagle Watch Weekend on Jan. 24-25, an opportunity to view the bald eagles that take up residence in the area during the winter months.

According to state officials, planned trail upgrades in the coming year include:

Renovating or replacing 10 trail bridges and installing three new timber stairways and a new timber boardwalk with a fence on the Tonti Canyon and LaSalle Canyon trail system.
Replacing three existing bridges and several timber stairways and installing new timber stairways and fencing on the Lower French Canyon Trail, and expanding the boardwalk from the bridge to the existing stairway at Jacob’s Ladder.
Replacing the trail bridge, timber stairway and fence at Pontiac Canyon.
Replacing several existing bridges and installing new timber boardwalks with fencing on the River Trail.
Replacing the existing decking on the Lodge Bridge to St. Louis Canyon.

Work in some of the more remote parts of the park will require materials to be brought in by barges on the Illinois River or by helicopter, Strole said.

Construction will be staggered to avoid too many simultaneous trail closures, officials said.

The trail upgrades are part of $37.2 million in total improvements at Starved Rock, which also includes $19.2 million to construct a new sanitary sewer system, upgrade the water filtration system and replace vault toilets.

“That’s kind of like the foundation in your house,” Strole said. “It’s not all that glamorous, but it’s really important.”

Calling Starved Rock “one of the most beautiful and beloved places on Earth, my favorite,” Republican state Sen. Sue Rezin of Morris, whose district includes the park, said she was excited to see the work get going after years of advocating for the funding.

“Together, we are ensuring that Starved Rock will continue to be a world-class destination, a place where nature, community and history come together to showcase the very best of Illinois,” Rezin said at the news conference in the fall.

In 2019, Rezin introduced a Senate proposal to fund upgrades at Starved Rock by charging visitors a parking fee, but the measure fell one vote short of passing.

The General Assembly has included $10 million for trail upgrades at Starved Rock in each year’s state budget since 2021 as part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois construction program, but up until now, little of the money has been spent. The trail improvement project is also funded with $8 million from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The state also is paying for the sewer construction project through Rebuild Illinois, which was launched in 2019 and is funded through a mix of borrowing, increased taxes and fees, and a massive expansion of legal gambling.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/starved-rock-state-park-trail-upgrades/