In this day and age, most entertainment among students often involves technology. Whether it be surfing the Internet, playing video games, or chatting with a friend via online or through the phone, some students have lost sight of other entertainment sources that are not only fun, but healthy at the same time.
Exercise is important to keep a healthy body, but there aren’t many ways to have fun while exercising. There are sports, but not everyone is interested and/or entertained by kicking a ball around or hitting a ball with a racket. But there are other solutions for having a fun workout. To those in Elk Grove, there is at least one option readily available for everyone.
About 95 minutes southwest of Elk Grove lies Starved Rock State Park, a nature reserve and resort nestled along the Illinois River. Made up of a series of canyons and bluffs, Starved Rock is a historic landmark and voted the #1 attraction in the state of Illinois, according to the Official Starved Rock State Park website.
One of the most popular activities to do at Starved Rock is to go hiking on one of the 10 different hiking trails, the longest being the Illinois Canyon at about five miles from the Visitor’s Center and the shortest being Aurora Canyon Trail at about less than one quarter of a mile from the Visitor’s Center, all trails being a total of about 13 miles.
The trails weave through the thick forest and climb up the sometimes steep bluffs, so a lot of climbing is involved, especially when tackling one of the steeper trails. However, strong willed hikers will be rewarded when they reach the top of one of the bluffs with a view of the Illinois River, the surrounding woodland and of boaters passing by below.
Starved Rock isn’t limited to being just hiking up the bluffs. The park allows people to fish along the banks of the Illinois River, go rafting, kayaking, canoeing and even supports hunting when it’s hunting season. There’s also a campground available to those who want to spend the night under the stars.
Starved Rock isn’t just a place for the family. It’s a place where friends can go to just hike or canoe for the day and go home or as mentioned before go camping for the night. They don’t even need to camp to spend the night; there’s a resort located within the park if someone isn’t that adventurous.
If someone is looking for an opportunity to exercise while enjoying nature or spending time with families, Starved Rock State Park is just within arms reach of Elk Grove.
By: Alex Ostrowski