Bring the Family

A Surprising Spring Hike

Posted by Toni | Filed under Mini Adventures (Day Trips)

A couple of weekends ago, our family headed to Starved Rock State Park, a popular outdoor destination for people in the Chicago area and Northern Illinois. Of course, as many who visit well-loved parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Smoky Mountain National Parks know, “popular” often equals “crowded,” unless you know the secret to avoiding most of the crowds. The secret is so simple it seems to good to be true, but I’m astonished at how often it works: just hike a bit farther away from the Visitor Center, trail head, or other major point of access, and most wild places are yours to savor. Even if you are joined by other hikers, chances are they’ll be appreciate the more secluded natural wonders around them as much as you do.

This happened for us when we hiked into French Canyon at Starved Rock, which is ridiculously close to the Visitor Center. But due to recent rains, the trails were muddy and many were avoiding it. Being willing to get muddy or wet is another great way to ditch the crowds (just be sure to wear moisture-wicking garb to avoid hypothermia and general discomfort). A rainy (pre-kids) hike to Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park meant my friend and I had the trail to ourselves – unless you count the mama moose and newborn calf who quietly crossed the trail a few yards ahead of us. Somehow I doubt we’d have spotted them in better weather with more hikers on the trail.

Here’s the view looking out of French Canyon after hiking in:

If you’re not an Illinois native, you’re probably surprised to see rock formations like this here. Our kids were just as surprised, and excited to get a chance to see a waterfall up close and east of the Rockies. A friendly ranger at the Visitor Center suggested this hike, but didn’t clue us in as well as another hiking family on their way out of the canyon did. I know I’m going to sound contradictory here when I say that I love encountering other hikers on the trail; often those who are hiking out will let hikers on the way in know about trail conditions or wildlife they’ve spotted along the way, sort of like that kids’ game “telephone,” but usually more accurate. This family saw we were headed for the canyon and urged us to keep going past what looks like the end of the trail, but isn’t, promising we’d be rewarded with a spectacular view for pressing on. That got the kids excited – and adventure within an adventure: awesome!

Looking at the photo above, you can’t see the portion of the trail where you have to scramble uphill across a very narrow trickle of a creek on wet, flat rock. (You can see the water but not the incline at the bottom left). The only photo I took of that section of the trail featured a mom bending down to touch the water and I’m sure you’ll empathize when I say that she probably doesn’t want to be memorialized in quite that way on the Internet.

Here’s a second, much smaller waterfall flowing out of French Canyon. This was taken standing in about the same spot as the first photo, looking to the right as opposed to straight out and to the left:

Lending a hand while rock climbing in the canyon:

Next up: the star of the show, the big waterfall! My middle son (on the left) had complained of being “bored of hiking” as we drove to the park, but once we made it into the canyon, he proclaimed it the “best day of my whole life!”

It’s amazing what a little mud-stomping and scrambling over creeks can do for a kid’s attitude. I know it had a similar effect on mine, too.

But this image below? This really sums up the essence of not only what I strive to do here at Bring the Family, but for and with my family as we wander and explore. The awe, the sense of wonder, the pausing to simply look around and appreciate and be:

In an upcoming entry, I’ll cover healthier snacks that are built to take a bruisin’ in a day pack on the trail, inspired by my  disappointment upon finding a snack shop at the Visitor Center with nothing but sugary or fried foods. Share your suggestions for tried-and-true hiking snacks and pre-hike meals in the comments section.

Permalink | Comments (4) | May 5, 2009

4 Responses to “A Surprising Spring Hike”

1. Finding More Fun: Carnival of Family Travel, 05/08/2009 | Travels with Children Says:
   May 6th, 2009 at 10:33 am

   [...] A Surprising Spring Hike (Starved Rock State Park, IL) at Bring the Family. [...]

2. Lori Says:
   May 23rd, 2009 at 8:35 am

   such good advice — we see more raptors on foggy, misty walks, too, and sometimes even owls. we’ll go to great lengths to have the trail to ourselves!

3. Toni Says:
   May 27th, 2009 at 7:41 am

   Lori – Next time we’re hiking on a foggy/misty day, I’ll have the kids search the skies and treetops for raptors! Honestly, I’ve almost always found that hiking just a tiny bit farther than the crowds near any trail access point almost always works.

4. Andy Says:
   June 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm

   That’s awesome. Every day I go do something outdoors ends up being the “best day of my whole life!” I’m starting to blog about trying to instill that same spirit in my boy who is now only 15 months old. Your comments and tips are welcome at http://bigmountainboy.com/. Have fun!

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