Kankakee River State Park, Illinois, United States

5KmomChicago 5:00 PM Jan 9, 2015

A beautiful park that still actually feels like a State Park
As a Kankakee native (minus 15 adult years in Florida before returning 10 years ago), I've always taken this place for granted. A disastrous visit to Starved Rock last summer really drove home why Kankakee River State Park is such a treasure: 1. Even at the busiest times, there are never throngs of people clogging the trails, playgrounds, or parking areas. 2. The walk along Rock Creek to the waterfall is easy, really a wide meadow path. The return path to the parking lot, away from the creek, is more wooded but still an easy and safe walk. ***WARNING*** - You will see many unofficial beaten paths leading down toward the creek, but these are potentially dangerous - DO NOT LET CHILDREN GET NEAR THEM; they are muddy, rocky, steep, and the only handholds are whatever rock or root you can grab hold of if you slip. The park does not maintain these in any way nor are there any railings or stairways. Of course, I have gone down some of them anyway, which is how I know all this. 3. Throughout the park, there are few signs prohibiting people from leaving the marked paths. After reading about everyone getting arrested at Starved Rock for veering off into nature, I realize how lucky we are not to be micromanaged like this. 4. The free shotgun range is quite nice and underused. Hardly anyone seems to even realize it's there. We run into savvy people from all over the state and suburbs who make a long drive to enjoy it without some of the hassles they describe at other parks. 5. Ooh, I'm going to get in trouble for this one: Morel Hunting. I'm not going to tell you where. But people successfully hunt morels in this park every year. 6. Bike path is well maintained - the ride east from the visitor center toward Potawatomi campground is easy and nearly level. 7. Like most state parks, with every step you get a new and different beautiful landscape view. 8. Excellent boating, fishing, and wildlife hunting (check website and posted signs for shooting hours and seasons).

4Scott231Simpson 5:00 PM Jul 21, 2014

Good camping spot for canoeing the Kankakee river
Most of the camping spots here are the drive-in type where you park in your campsite and put up your tent next to the car. The Potawatomi sites have electricity at each site and full bathrooms (toilets/urinals, sinks, & showers) which lessens complaints from the non-campers. It is an easy 20 minute drive over to Reed's canoes in Bourbonnais. My wife and I took two canoes with our two boys and made the 12 mile journey in 3 hours 30 minutes. Sites are on the small side but that was all we needed. It's a state park...not a Hilton ;)