Illinois

Beyond Chicago, Illinois offers hiking the bluffs and canyons of the south, paddling rivers, prairie and lakeshore birding, and cycling extensive rail-trails. Starved Rock State Park's sandstone canyons and waterfalls, the Shawnee National Forest and Garden of the Gods, and Illinois Beach State Park anchor it.

Spring (April–May) brings waterfalls and wildflowers at Starved Rock; fall delivers excellent color in the Shawnee. Summer is warm and humid, good for the lakeshore; winters are cold.

White-tailed deer, coyotes, bald eagles (which winter along the rivers in large numbers), and waterfowl inhabit the state, with restored prairie supporting grassland birds.

Once dominated by tallgrass prairie (now largely farmland), Illinois retains forested southern hills, river floodplain forest, Lake Michigan dune-and-beach habitat, and restored prairie at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

Largely flat, glacially shaped plains cover most of Illinois, but the unglaciated south holds the rugged sandstone canyons, bluffs, and rock formations of the Shawnee Hills (Garden of the Gods), and the Mississippi and Illinois rivers cut scenic valleys. Charles Mound (1,235 ft) is the high point.

The Illinois Confederation, Potawatomi, and other peoples lived here. Once tallgrass prairie, the land became the nation's agricultural heartland. Illinois became the 21st state in 1818.

Chicago's lakefront recreation, a strong rail-trail and cycling network, and prairie-restoration efforts shape the state's outdoor life.

Tallgrass prairie restoration (Midewin is one of the largest such efforts), protecting the Shawnee's natural areas, and conserving Mississippi flyway habitat are key efforts.

Chicago (O'Hare and Midway) is the major gateway; the southern parks are reached from St. Louis or by car. Rail-trails and state parks are well distributed.

Summer heat and humidity, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, and slick canyon trails after rain at Starved Rock are the main concerns. Watch for ticks in summer.

State parks charge no general entrance fee, and the Illinois DNR administers licenses; the Shawnee is a free national forest.

Stay on canyon trails at Starved Rock, especially when icy or wet.

Visit Starved Rock's canyons in spring for flowing waterfalls (go early to beat crowds), explore the Shawnee's Garden of the Gods in fall, and watch for wintering bald eagles along the rivers.

Illinois borders Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, and Michigan (across the lake), linking the Great Lakes, the Mississippi, and the Ozark fringe.