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Canal Towns

Canal Towns

A mid-1800’s architectural wonder helped make Chicago the city it is today.  The 96-mile Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M Canal) connected the Great Lakes in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru, and amazingly unique towns sprung up that maintain their authentic charm to this date. 

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Canal Towns News Plan Your Season of Road Trips by Getting the Free Travel I&M Canal Towns Guide
Route 66

Route 66

Freedom. The Open Road. The American Dream. All are still alive on The Mother Road. The nostalgia of diners, museums, tourist stops and neon lights are there for you to visit as you make the drive from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA. You can still get your Kicks on Route 66!

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Route 66 News Meet Jennifer Bronk from Bronkberry Farms in Plainfield, IL
Starved Rock

Starved Rock

A visit to Starved Rock State Park consists of many sights to behold, including breathtaking views of its many canyons and awe-inspiring scenes of eagles flying during the winter month.

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Starved Rock News Starved Rock Country Welcome Center & Illinois Made Gift Shoppe
Events

Events

The Heritage Corridor is filled with events that are waiting just for you.  Live music, fun festivals, learning programs, and active adventures await.

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Events News Fireworks at the Joliet Slammers Stadium
I Want To...

I Want To ...

Are you looking for a specific type of place to visit in the I&M Canal Heritage Corridor?  If you're a craft beer fan, you will love the Heritage Corridor Ale Trail?  Seeing a thrilling journey or just an escape, check out Adventure Outside Chicago.  We've got all the info to unlock your next trip right here.

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Read the Blog Flock to the Rock Grab a Beer Shop Small Find Adventure Sip Some Wine Plan My Wedding Plan a Meeting
I Want To... News 10 Picturesque Winter Images from Around the Heritage Corridor
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Starved Rock State Park selected as a 2023 Leave No Trace Spotlight

  

1 of 20 Sites, Nationwide, Chosen for Community Conservation Initiative

The Leave No Trace organization has selected Starved Rock State Park as a 2023 Spotlight site. As outdoor areas all over the country are being impacted by record use, this new initiative from Leave No Trace shines a light on communities rising to meet this challenge with multi-day, onsite education, and stewardship programs.

From June 3-4, a Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team will be in Utica, IL with Starved Rock State Park to work with the community and local land agencies to deliver Leave No Trace education as well as to partner on restoration and stewardship projects.

Sites are nominated for the Leave No Trace Spotlight initiative by local land agencies or community groups. The diverse sites chosen in 2023 span the country, each with unique environmental challenges. The goal of the initiative is to equip each Spotlight area with relevant Leave No Trace tools that address the impacts the site is facing and ultimately, to foster healthy lands and people.

Leave No Trace will be joining park staff, park volunteers, and area businesses and organizations such as the IDNR, Conservation Police, Starved Rock Lodge, Kayak Starved Rock, Illinois Waterway/U.S. Corps of Engineers, Starved Rock Foundation, Starved Rock Hikers, Illinois Horsemen’s Association, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie/U.S. Forest Service, and more for a fun filled National Trails Day event Saturday morning from 10-noon outside behind the Visitor Center.

The event is open to all ages and groups can help by enjoying the trails and borrowing a picker and bag to help us keep the park green and clean for all to enjoy.  Park staff ask that those wishing to help with the Leave No Trace programming through the clean up bring their own gloves. There will be a limited supply of pickers available for loan with a drivers license and plenty of garbage bags. There will be an IDNR table with supplies to help clean up graffiti and litter amongst the booths at the event. 

The following events are free and open to the public and we encourage people of all ages to attend. For more information visit Starved Rock State Park on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website at www.dnr.Illinois.gov.

National Trails Day, June 3, 2023, from 10-12 

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