A quick stop over between sister Pat's and friends in Wisconsin. We stayed at a commercial campground, Hickory Hollow, which was really nice and a Passport half price park. It was 3 miles from Starved Rock State Park which was a great find. 12 miles of hiking trails, over 12 canyons, right on the Illinois River with a great Visitor Center. The history here started BC with the Illinois Indian tribe, in 1680 the first Europeans arrived with Father Marquette and Joliette the fur trader. There was a fort on top of Starved rock until it burned down in the 1700s. The name Starved Rock came from a legend of a war between two Indian tribes. The losing tribe took refuge at the top of a 125 foot sandstone rock. The siege lasted until they all starved, hence the name.
Later in the 1800s, this area became a resort area for Chicagoans (90 miles away). Tourists would ride the canal boats to the river, then ferry across to the park. It also has a rich Civilian Conversation Corp (CCC) history which is interesting to me as my Dad was in the CCCs in Nebraska. All in all a great short stop. Especially the 6 mile hike along the bluffs, canyons, and rivers.
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