Matthiessen State Park

Breathtaking. Amazing. I want to keep it to myself, but I have to say… this is better than Starved Rock, especially considering it’s only a couple of hours from the city. There are a lot more opportunities to get your feet wet (literally… if the waterfall are active) and my friend, who grew up in the mountains, said it is one of the prettiest places he’s been to. My favorite state park in the area, by far! Wear good hiking shoes you don’t mind getting wet… we went after a heavy rain and some people were wearing rain boots which was probably a good idea!

Great park with some beautiful views. We made the mistake of coming on Labor Day and it was really, really crowded. It’s crazy to think a place like this is in Illinois. I did get a little irritated with some people leaving trash behind them. If you’re going to appreciate nature you need to clean up after yourself! Also, what’s with all the vandalism? No one cares that Jake was here or that Tim loves Jessica. Nature is fine on it’s own and doesn’t need any of that!

This is a great state park to visit. Parking can be difficult on the weekends and this place can get crowded. But it’s a beautiful place to visit.
There are many stairs and trails to climb around on. Make sure you have beautiful weather and give yourself plenty of time to get here.
When you get off 80, the road to the state park gets backed up because it also takes you to Starved Rock. So don’t get frustrated with these things because it’s worth getting through the traffic.
Bathrooms are nice here and they have picnic groves near the parking lot.

I’ve been going to Matthiessen State Park my whole life. My son and I make a point of visiting MSP to hike and climb every year. Today wasn’t exactly ideal being that it was Memorial Day. but I was willing to deal with the masses. And given this morning’s rain, I figured we’d be in for a real treat.
Call me crazy but the best hikes and climbs of my life seem to be centered around rain. It poured yesterday and this morning so I knew the water flow through the canyons would make for enhanced conditions. I wasn’t wrong.
As per our tradition we hike around the upper rim of MSP first. Then we go down into each of the canyons. A good rule of thumb. when the upper trails are muddy, the canyon interiors are going to be a mess.
After hiking the upper rim we headed into the Giant’s Bathtub canyon first. The cement blocks to cross the stream are a favorite for my son but they really came in handy today. The trails were extremely muddy and the water was moving in various places. not to mention a few feet deep in spots. The further north we went up into Giant’s the less and less people there were, so we kept climbing. At one point my son asked where all the people went. I responded.“you mean the idiots with tennis shoes and sandals”. «Yeah.those people dad. hahaaa». :) It’s always good to know your limitations… and to watch the idiots find theirs! So we had a nice extended hike back into Giant’s with little disruption, given the fact that we were both wearing sturdy hiking boots.
The real treasure today was the Devil’s Paintbox canyon. I’ve always liked this side more given the shape of the canyon and its immense walls and waterfall. The rain really made this part a trip today. From the moment you step off the cement staircase you were putting your feet into 2 – 3 inches of mud in nearly the entire canyon. It was wonderful! We moved quickly back to the waterfall portion of the canyon where people were swimming in the muck.
Rain or shine MSP is a terrific park. It has just enough trail to satisfy a longer hike while giving you some amazing and unique views.
Happy hiking and climbing!

Adore this park. We enjoyed the scenery without obstruction, interruption, or distraction as it was less busy compared to other parks like Starved Rock. The caves near the lower waterfalls were my families favorite place to visit & explore. Trails were well-​marked. There were adequate trail maps and restroom facilities. Although it’s smaller, it’s well worth exploring & provided a fun & memorable experience.

After having been to Starved Rock a number of times (which I love btw), my friends and I decided to give Matthiessen a try and I’m glad we did.
This park is somewhat smaller than Starved Rock, but it’s every bit as scenic. It’s also a lot less crowded. Totally worth the visit! Trails are very well-​marked and there are maps at numerous points. There is a peaceful, zen-​like factor at Matthiessen that I really loved. Definitely will be back.

Love this place. It is Starved Rock’s smaller, less crowded twin, located just a few miles south. The locals call this Deer Park and there are two entrances. The main one is lined with trees and takes you into a wooded, picnic area with easy access to hiking trails. I say easy access but be forewarned, the hike back up can be tough! It easily consists of over a hundred stairs — so going down is easy. Up is more challenging. The second entrance farther south is an open grassy area the locals call Frisbeeland.
I grew up 3 miles from Matthiessen and have been here many, many times. It’s got the same dells hiking w/​canyons, waterfalls, etc. as Starved Rock but a bit smaller in scale and MUCH less crowded. In years past, they have maintained cross country ski trails here as well.

So awesome, we got married here. Our first trip was in 2006, where after hiking mostly Starved Rock’s crowded boardwalk which was disappointing, we loved the «natural» and remote part of Matthiessen. We have made a trip here every year, and it was so special to us that we decided to get married here in 2010. Love the falls, rocks to climb on, paths across water, and trails. Trails are pretty basic and it’s not too difficult to find your way. Love that it’s not as crowded.

I went here with family on the 4^th of July because most of Starved Rock’s trails were closed, and I am actually glad it turned out that way! We showed up here at around 930−10am, and it was not that crowded yet. It started to get crowded when we were leaving which was around 1pm. So get there earlier if you don’t want to be around many people.
The environment was beautiful. There were many trails that took you along the forest, and to waterfalls. The waterfalls (large and small) were awesome. It was so much fun around the waterfalls since there were streams, and you needed to rock-​hop to get from one point to another sometimes which was fun! I am definitely coming back here sometime soon!

They should change the name to mud state park (every year when I go it is muddy). Forested trails with many sturdy structurally sound wooden or concrete walkways, bridges, and stairways ending up in a canyon with beautiful little waterfalls. Slippery mud and wet rocks that are slick as the devils hair, with some bacon grease thrown in for good measure, occupy the lower portion of the park. Thankfully there are plenty of places to rest up. There is a nice picnic area with ample shade, drinking fountains, boot washes, water pumps, and thank the Lord. .. proper bathrooms. This place seems to be always wet and muddy so bring a sturdy walking stick, water-​proof boots, and a helicopter for egress. I am still removing the layers of mud and clay from places where mud and clay should not be. Parking is at a premium, so come early or be doomed to circle the trail of shame asking if people are leaving or just toying with you.

What to do to plan a trip for 6 siblings, their kids, a set of parents, and have them all have fun? Here is the extra tricky part: 1 pregnant lady, a two year old, and a lady with a broken foot… The answer was Matthiessen State Park!
We descended on Illinois from surrounding states ready for a long weekend of family bonding and hiking. We stayed in the Comfort Inn in Mendota, and headed to the park first thing in the morning. We loaded on the bug spray, and opted for flip flops (excellent choice…).
We took the path through the Upper Dells first. The path through the center was incredible! Even in a cast I was able to get through pretty well, I did have a piggy back ride from my husband for a short ways.
The lower dells were MUDDY! I couldn’t do it with my bum foot, but everyone else walked through the water and enjoyed the Wishing Well, even the toddler!
We took a bag each and brought back some trash, that was gross. The park is free and it was super sad to see abuse of such a treasure.
Overall, this park is a gem! If you are close, grab your bug spray and go!

I was incredibly excited for the first part of the hike. I pulled up at the trail for the River part. I couldn’t find a map, but I read the online website that the trails were clearly marked. I quickly discovered this could be further from the truth. There were no maps or guidance.
What started as a 3 mile hike, ended up with me spending 4 miles more trying to find my way out. It was raining and I was covered in mud. It would have been a great hike if there was indeed maps available or some sort of trail guidance.

So I was there this weekend & let me tell you people; the waterfalls are as lovely as ever but people PLEASE, PICK UP YOUR FUCKING TRASH!!! I brought back a bag load of empty water bottles & granola bar wrappers!

My GF’s family has a picnic reunion here every year (it’s been about 50 years!).
The picnic areas are ordinary but what makes this place spectacular is the canyon area («dell’s entrance» off the road) that you can walk in. There’s a nice waterfall down there if you’re there in the spring or when it hasn’t been dry.
The landscape in this area is so unlike the rest of northern Illinois and it’s within a 120 miles drive from Chicago.

Do you live within a few hours of Chicago & have never heard of Matthiessen Park, or for that matter it’s even bigger sister park just 5 minutes away, Starved Rock State Park??? Sadly, I’m not surprised. It depresses me to think the #1 tourist attraction in our great state is Navy Pier (/​shudder!), and so many people don’t know about these AMAZING parks we have to explore. And you could spend DAYS & DAYS exploring them, they are that big & wonderful. We actually like Matthiessen Park more during the peak season because there’s usually less people and this park has a cool old replica of a fort you can go inside. There are plenty of trails & some waterfalls — and steps! Yes, just like Starved Rock there are a couple sets of steep steps here — but don’t worry, they have a resting place with a bench every few flights for your trek back up to the parking lot.
Oh, and we are pretty sure the Keebler Elves live here. You know, the magical treehouse where they bake all those cookies? Well, we were hiking in the middle of this park one afternoon & suddenly we were surrounded by the delicious smell of chocolate chip cookies baking. I kid you not. It was bizarre. And wonderful. We never found their secret tree house, but we keep looking! ;D

Matthiessen while much smaller than starved rock is a true gem, you can easily hike all the trails in one day, and the trails allow a little bit more freedom than starved rock as you do the river trail the world is you oyster go where you want!
2 important notes I must add are to:
1: Take the dells trail entrance the other ½ the park is nothing much more than picnic areas and horse trails (thus stray away from the river trails unless you have a horse in tow or just want to have a party.
2. Matthiessen is not as regulated as Starved Rock so it is more dangerous if something happens to you here, odds are are high that help will be hours away, be smart, & have fun!

I feel like Matthiessen, because it’s so close to Starved Rock, should see a lot more traffic, but I’m almost glad it doesn’t. I love getting lost in these trails and exploring the basins and waterfalls, more than Starved Rock even. Matthiessen is beautiful and offers a break from the crowds of Starved Rock. Definitely worth investing an afternoon or two.

I found out about Matthiessen State Park the day before I was due to go to Starved Rock and I am so glad that I did. I had no idea that this place existed. It is definitely a great, hidden gem! The only thing I knew was to wear old shoes/​clothes and be prepared to get dirty (definitely great advice).
Matthiessen is located about a mile down the road from Starved Rock State Park. The only way I can think of describing Matthiessen in comparison to Starved Rock is that Matthiessen is more hands-​on and Starved Rock is more structured/​stay on the path type of trails. Matthiessen has tons of lower canyons that you can explore… it seemed every time you turned a corner there was a waterfall… they are everywhere. There are stepping stones that will assist you when walking over streams but a lot of people freely walk in the water as well. The photo opportunities are great as well so be sure to bring your camera. We covered a majority of the park in about 3 hours and I think a lot of that was due to the fact that there weren’t a lot of people (we were there early afternoon on a Saturday).
No visitor center but there was an area with tables for eating/​grilling and there are a few pop/​water machines (no change machine though so be sure to have singles or change).
I highly recommend Matthiessen trails over the Starved Rock trails (if you only had time to do one or the other).

Did you ever have a special place when you were a kid where you could go to for a little fun adventure that would leave lasting memories that still hold strong decades later?
For me, this is the place. Astonishingly to this day, the masses continue to flock to Starved Rock (a very beautiful place, no doubt) and its simple, paved or decked trails, nice lookouts of the river, and a well-​kept visitors center. Astonishing because all of that could be bypassed for a smaller State Park only about a mile and a half away, with really no visitors center, moderate to sometimes difficult trails (especially after a rain they can be downright dangerous), but almost definitely more solitude, peace, and dare I say– more beauty and fun around every corner.
It’s true– Matthiessen is the neglected step-​brother to Starved Rock, but in a way, that makes this place even more charming and interesting. A simple gravel parking lot is flanked by plenty of picnic tables and even public grills if you dare. A replica old log cabin and a modern day bathroom facility are all that stands in the way of a pretty steep decline into a canyon that has a couple different trails to explore through.
If you are used to the amazingly well-​kept trails of Starved Rock, then you might be in for a surprise here. Take them at your own pace and without risking too much you will get to see some picturesque waterfalls, beautiful natural erosion designs on the sandstone walls, and plenty of gorgeous surroundings throughout this park.
The adventure is up to you, because though swimming and off-​path exploring are technically not allowed, it is done all the time. Self-​awareness and good reason being your guides, you too– no matter what your age– can find a bit of adventure and fun here.
As a boy I used to love coming here after a bit of rain and sliding down the natural water slides that occur around some of the water falls/​spills along the sand stone. Splashing in the natural pools and climbing up the walls to look into caves was really any kids idea of a good time.
Now I go back with those memories, might try to scale a very short wall every now and then, and just enjoy the scenery. I still get as much enjoyment out of this almost hidden gem as I did a quarter of a century ago. Not much has changed here, and it thrills me to realize that sameness every time I come back.

Similar to Starved Rock State Park, Matthiessen Park has a huge canyon with millions of stairs reaching from the parking lot to the lower dells. The difference is that this park is WAY smaller than Starved Rock.
Winding down some country roads, the entrance to the park creeps up out of nowhere. With a large parking lot and a decent-​sized covered picnic area, this would be a great place to have a family party. There are also random picnic tables around the parking lot for smaller groups and areas to dump hot coals when you’re done grilling. The bathroom was alright, running water, soap and toilet paper available (I’m not picky as long as I don’t have to wipe with my hand).
Not designed for those with mobility issues, right next to the picnic area and recreated fort, there is a set of stairs down to the first ring of hiking trails. After a big rain, it was really muddy, so bring some boots and/​or extra shoes and socks. More stairs and mud later and you’ve reached the lower dells. Though we were there hiking and taking pictures, there were a considerable amount of people fishing.
In sum:
–mosquitoes…bring bug spray
–large picnic area
–lots of steps
–gorgeous geography
–minus one star for small size and lack of options for those not able to truck up and down a zillion stairs