Oglesby, Illinois
Starved Rock French Canyon Loop
Sandstone canyons and seasonal waterfalls along the Illinois River.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Length
- 4 mi
- Elevation Gain
- 350 ft
- Duration
- 2–3
- Best Season
- Mar–May for waterfalls
- Permit
- Not required
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Features
- Canyons, Seasonal waterfalls
About the trail
Starved Rock State Park's 18 canyons cut into St. Peter Sandstone are an outlier of dramatic terrain in central Illinois. The French, LaSalle, and St. Louis canyon loop showcases the park's best falls in spring, when snowmelt and rains transform every box canyon into a waterfall amphitheater.
Trailhead map & directions
Trailhead: 41.3203, -88.9929Get directions →
Turn-by-turn route
- Enter Starved Rock State Park off IL-178 or IL-71.
- Park at the Visitor Center.
- Take the East Bluff Trail along the river.
- Detour into French Canyon, then LaSalle Canyon.
- Loop back via the inland trail to the Visitor Center.
Parking
Visitor Center lot. Free. Fills on spring weekends — arrive by 9 AM.
Tips from the trail
- Spring snowmelt and post-rain days produce the biggest falls.
- Stay on official trails — sandstone bluffs are unstable.
- Winter ice formations in LaSalle Canyon are a draw on cold years.