Remembering that it’s National Parks Month (the National Park Service is celebrating it’s 100th birthday on August 25th), and that there aren’t too many national parks nearby, there are several wonderful state parks and trails that offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature with hiking, biking, and just being outdoors. Here are a few more wildlife and wildflower settings that are relatively close to us:
Starved Rock State Park is about an hour west of New Lenox. Starved Rock has an interesting history along with beautiful geological formations featured on the many hiking trails.
From the East (via Ottawa):
I-80 W to IL Rt. 23 S (exit 90) to IL Rt. 71 W
From the East (Bypassing IL Rt. 178 at Utica):
Continue on I-80 W to I-39 S (Exit 79A) to IL 71 E
Be sure to visit the Starved Rock Kids’ Corner for more information and fun activities to prep for your outing.
The historical I & M Canal is also in our area. The actual canal starts at the Chicago River and runs close to 100 miles, ending at LaSalle. Access near us would be in Rockdale, Channahon, or Morris. You can step back in time to see how travel along the towpath was conducted in the mid-1800’s. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources highlights some of the state parks and historical sites along the towpath trail.
As always, we have books for you to learn more about these sites and their history in the 977’s of our non-fiction section area:
J 917.3 FLY National Parks Guide U.S.A.
J 977.3 MAR What’s Great About Illinois? by Kristin Marciniak
Uniquely Illinois by AndrewSantella J 977.3 SAN
I & M Canal pioneers’ stories : bringing history to life in the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor LH 977.3 REC
977.3 CRE (Adult section) Starved Rock State Park: The Work of the CCC Along the I & M Canal by Dennis Cremin
Enjoy the great weather as you take a walk on the wild(flower & life) side and celebrate nature!