The second semester brings a whole new host of stresses, especially for first-years. Between new classes, reworking your schedule and trying to find time for yourself, you can get lost.
The start of the new year moves fast, and if you don’t find ways to de-stress, you’ll just be worse off.
Instead of succumbing to the doom-scroll in your free time, plan a trip to Starved Rock State Park.
To give you some background on Starved Rock, its geological formation was a result of melting glaciers, creating the Kankakee torrent over 14,000 years ago. This torrent gave the park its signature canyons and waterfalls due to the erosion caused by the severe flooding.
As for the name, Starved Rock comes from a legend where the Illinois tribe starved under siege from the Ottawa people. Starved Rock is such a great destination because it offers many different seasonal
views and experiences.
There is beautiful colored foliage in the fall, sightings of bald eagles in the winter and the scenic waterfalls in the spring. It’s nice that there is always something new to see so that it doesn’t get too samey over time.
The smell of the morning dew carried on the wind through the trees fills the air with a rejuvenating aroma. The high canyons offer a feast for the eyes as they overlook miles of trees and the Illinois River.
These amazing qualities help make Starved Rock a picture-perfect happy place to nurture your spirit
with some time outdoors. Starved Rock has 20 trails ranging from less than a mile to over five miles and varying degrees of difficulty.
Most stick close to the Illinois River, except the canyon trails that explore the park’s rock formations. Most take around half an hour to two hours to complete.
For dedicated hikers, I would say Starved Rock offers a good balance of easygoing wooden walkways and more steep, rugged treks. The overlook trail, one of the park’s most popular, is just over four
miles and takes around an hour and a half to complete for most hikers.
The trail goes along the edge of the Illinois River, which gives you a great view of the water and the trees across the river. The park is pretty popular, which means it tends to get pretty crowded.
If you want to try and dodge the crowd, it’s best to leave in the early morning and visit on a weekday, but I went with my friends on a Saturday afternoon, and it wasn’t too crowded. That was my first hike with my group of friends, and it was a ton of fun.
Lots of silly pictures were taken, and fond memories were made. I couldn’t help but hear the “Lord of the Rings” theme playing in my head because it felt like we were recreating “The Fellowship of the Ring.”
That hiking trip was just the thing I needed to help me remember to slow down and enjoy the little things.
Sometimes you need alittle adventure to help escape the monotony of everyday life. If you need a place to recharge, Starved Rock is the perfect spot.
