by: Joel Villaraza

When people are looking for a wonderful place to hike on a sightseeing tour around nature, Matthiessen State Park is one of the best spots to visit.  There are canyons, streams, and forests to delight for foot traveling visitors.  The impressive canyons which consist of the Upper and Lower Dells, provide an interesting walking site.  Together with picnic facilities, Matthiessen State Park makes a popular choice for an outdoor outing.  The park is an ideal place to drop by who are looking for recreation as well as for people who are interested in geology.  In addition to rich vegetation and wildlife, visitors can expect to see incredible rock formations.  Below the Dells, hikers would walk in between narrow sandstone canyons.  The place is about 3 hours drive from Chicago, located in central LaSalle County, approximately four miles south of Utica.  Matthiessen State Park is just minutes away from the popular Starved Rock State Park which is also right off Illinois-178

1700 French Fort

Visitors going there will see a restored 1700 French fort at the entrance, directly near the wooden steps going down the Dells.  After walking at the last step of the wooden stairs, we crossed a concrete bridge and somewhere at the end, it forked going to the Lower Dell or Upper Dell.  We descended onto another set of wooden stairs going to the Upper Dell where the Lake Falls is located.

Below, we started walking up the unpaved side of the creek.  It was NOT a short distance walk and the trail was not easy to navigate.  Sometimes, we had to walk on muddy banks and had to cross the creek by walking on top of rocks or man-made concrete blocks.  Going towards the falls and walking up the banks was a bit tiring.  Leg exercise to avoid muscle cramps is recommended before taking the hike.  At the end of the trail, we were delighted to see Lake Falls with water cascading from Deer Park Lake.

A view from above the bridge

Our trip to Lower Dell was quite a challenge. We had to take a hike on a trail that led us to a another concrete bridge. After crossing, we walked down another flight of stairs that took us on a long trail to Cascade Falls.  Along the trail, we had to walk on muddy banks, crossed the stream on rocks or dead logs.  The path was slippery and one has to be careful when taking steps on the side of the creek. Along the way, hikers will notice the steep canyon walls that are made of sandstone. These canyons were formed when rushing and surging water was still flowing along with the river thousands of years ago which eroded and carved the walls of the canyon.  As we travel, we noticed traces of minerals with water were seeping out along parts of the canyon. As we were told, as the water evaporated and dried along the canyon, it contributed to beautiful coloring of the rocks.  At one point we also noticed a portion of the canyon with amounts of yellow-orange slimy substance was coming out and then accumulated to a small stream.  The sight was not pleasant to look at but then we were told that the accumulations were iron oxide.  The canyon wall has been oxidizing for years which is an indication that the place is rich in iron deposits.  Finally, at the end of a long trail, we arrived at Cascade Falls which is the most popular spot in the State Park. This is one spectacular view where the canyon drops to 45 feet with water falling and shimmering to the Lower Dell.