The One Place In Illinois That Looks Like Something From Middle Earth
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Robin Jarvis
Author
If you live in Illinois then you don’t have to emerse yourself in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy to experience “Middle Earth.” Tolkien’s fantasy world is right here in the Prairie State at a well-known state park you really should visit, if you haven’t already.
Starved Rock State Park is a national treasure and among the most popular state parks in all of Illinois.
The neatly carved St. Peter Sandstone of the dramatically dropping wall of the canyons here will transport you into a place not unlike Middle Earth.
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From the lush green dressings of spring and summer ...
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...to the colorful signs of fall, this is one spot in Illinois that you will never forget.
Altogether, there are 18 super deep canyons at Starved Rock.
Many have a melodramatic waterfall that routinely demands all of the attention.
However, in "Middle Earth" there is just so much more to see and do than gawk at the waterfall all day, right?
For instance, there are shallow caves to explore.
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Ravines to pass through...
..and an abundance of Mother Nature's work to admire.
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And with 18 canyons it seems there would be plenty of space for everyone who might be curious about exploring Middle Earth for themselves.
You won't run out of things to do at Starved Rock. There are canyons to look up...
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...canyons to climb up...
..and canyons to swim in.
And it's not just the giant sandstone cliffs that make this place big. Everything is bigger at Starved Rock State Park. The trees shown above are massive, just look at how tall!
One thing is for certain about this state park: you don't have to be a die-hard fan of LOTR to be mesmerized by this Middle Earth.
The fantasy realm known as Starved Rock State Park is an unforgettable experience you'll remember for a lifetime.
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Starved Rock State Park is located about 90 miles southwest of Chicago. The address is: 2668 East 873 Road, Oglesby, IL 61348. More information can be found here.
Have you visited “Middle Earth” at Starved Rock State Park? We’d love to know and see your photos in our comments on Facebook!
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