Go For A Hike And Then Rock Climbing On An Old Ore Wall At Steelworkers Park In Illinois
By Melissa Mahoney|Published September 30, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Illinois has so many unique outdoor places for all to enjoy, even in the city. Located in a neighborhood of South Chicago, the property of an abandoned steel mill was transformed into a beautiful park in 2002. Featuring lake views, pathways, natural areas, remnants of the historic mill, and recreational activities, Steelworkers Park provides a wonderful place to escape from city life.
Set among the urban landscape, residents and visitors alike can enjoy a bit of nature here at the 16.5-acre Steelworkers Park in South Chicago. It's a beautiful area to go for a short hike along the walkways and marvel at some of the historical artifacts left behind from the days when the steel mill was in operation.
This site once belonged to South Works which was part of the U.S. Steel Complex. It provided steel used in Pullman train cars. South Works opened in the early 1880s by the Calumet River and Lake Michigan in an area that was becoming highly industrialized. Over the years, the mill had employed over 20,000 people, but it eventually closed down operations in 1992.
In the year 2002, 16.5 acres once belonging to the steel mill were acquired by the Chicago Park District. It was then transformed into a park complete with accessible trails, easy enough for most people to use. A visit to this park also gets you some gorgeous panoramic views of Lake Michigan.
Among the fascinating ruins of what was once part of the area's busy steel mill industry are these blast furnace bells which once helped decrease the loss of gasses from a blast furnace.
The Chicago Park District owns the 30-foot-tall iron ore walls that were once part of the steel mill. Some of them have been transformed into rock climbing walls. The walls have a climbing difficulty of 5.2-5.7 and are good for all skill levels.
All are welcome to come and use the ore wall for climbing and bouldering. It's "climb at your own risk" if you come on your own with your own equipment, or you can register for one of the community climbs sponsored by the Chicago Park District.
Community climbs are held on Saturdays from Memorial Day through Thanksgiving, as well as special days throughout the year. You can also book a private climbing party. These climbs include all equipment needed for a safe climb.
Will you come for a hike and go rock climbing at Steelworkers Park in Chicago? This park is certainly one of a kind!
Would you go rock climbing at this park? For more information, visit the Steelworkers Park webpage. If you have a favorite park that you’d like to see us write about, feel free to fill out our nomination form!
You should also check out Nike Park, another unique park in the Chicago area.
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