Starved Rock, Illinois

I went there over the weekend and it is amazing. I was camping with my family for one night. Our campsite was really pretty. I woke up at 5:20 am to the dawn chorus of hundreds of birds chirping and singing. I even heard a chickadee! And at night we made the mistake of leaving our trash bag out- a racoon(we think) ripped our bags open and licked the meat container clean. One night of camping was only 25 dollars! Seriously little. Leashed pets are allowed. Entry to the park is free. Only 2 hours away from Chicago(94 miles). Beautiful sandstone canyons. I went to St. Louis Canyon where there were 3 murders in 1959! I was a bit freaked but it was amazing: the waterfall, and the little stream I crossed on a log. There were barely any people, unlike the Starved Rock hike(which was not even close to being as pretty as St. Louis). Next time(I'm going again next week!) we will hike the 6 mile hike to LaSalle Canyon(a gorgeous but challenging hike). I'd also like to go to Matthieson(did I spell that right?) State Park which is nearby as well as Buffalo Rock and Illini State Parks.