Matthiessen State Park
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
1,637 acres16.4 mi of trail
Bluff TrailRed-River TrailCanyon TrailGreen-Connecting Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Starved Rock · Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Deer Park Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Deer Park Township
The biggest trail networks: Matthiessen State Park (16.4 mi), Starved Rock State Park (11 mi). 12% of Deer Park Township’s land is conserved, about 2,363 acres. 3,961 acres are parks and preserves, 9,042 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
12%
2,363 acres · of 31.3 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,961 ac
9,042 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
41%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.4 mi
0.4 mi paths
Highest peak
548 ft
Starved Rock
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Matthiessen State Park, with 16.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Starved Rock State Park
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
2,519 acres11 mi of trail
Campanula TrailKaskaskia Canyon TrailSaint Louis Canyon TrailParkman's Plain Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailhead
Who protects it
2,363 conserved acres
12% of Deer Park Township’s land. Water is left out: Deer Park Township has 31.3 square miles of land and 1.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Deer Park Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,574 ac
State conservation814 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits58 ac
State Park · 1,574 acConservation Easement · 814 acState Conservation Area · 58 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 730 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthiessen State Park State Park | State natural resources | 1,574 | Open |
| Plum Island Eagle Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 58 | Closed |
Things to do
166 places to go in Deer Park Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Deer Park Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Deer Park Township
FortIn Matthiessen State Park
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Deer Park Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Deer Park Township
Cascade FallsIn Matthiessen State Park
DirectionsLake FallsIn Matthiessen State Park
DirectionsOttawa Canyon WaterfallIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsSaint Louis Canyon WaterfallIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsWildcat Canyon WaterfallIn Starved Rock State Park
Directions121 waterfalls are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Scenic views in Deer Park Township
Aurora CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsBasswood CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsBeehive OverlookIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsCouncil OverhangIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsEagle Cliff OverlookIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsFrench CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsHennepin CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsHennepin Canyon OverlookIn Starved Rock State Park
Directions18 more scenic views
Illinois CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsKaskaskia CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsKickapoo CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsLaSalle CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsLonetree CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsLovers Leap OverlookIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsOttawa CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsOwl CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsOwl Canyon OverlookIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsParkman's PlainIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsPontiac CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsSac CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsSaint Louis CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsSandstone Point OverlookIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsTonty CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsWildcat CanyonIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsWildcat Canyon - east platformIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsWildcat Canyon - west platformIn Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Deer Park Township
Starved Rock548 ft elevation · In Starved Rock State Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Deer Park Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Deer Park Township
Horseback Campground @ Matthiessen State ParkIn Matthiessen State Park
DirectionsPleasant Creek CampgroundFee
DirectionsStarved Rock CampgroundStarved Rock State Park
DirectionsStarved Rock Youth Group Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 2.7 miUnpaved · 15.3 mi
Bluff Trail2.6 mi
Red-River Trail0.7 mi
Canyon Trail0.6 mi
Campanula Trail0.4 mi
Green-Connecting Trail0.4 mi
Kaskaskia Canyon Trail0.4 mi
Saint Louis Canyon Trail0.3 mi
Parkman's Plain Trail0.2 mi
Aurora Canyon Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Deer Park Township: April, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 48 | 62 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Deer Park Township →
Next door
Deer Park Township and its neighbors
Deer Park Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Deer Park Township31 miLaSalle Township4.1 miSouth Ottawa Township3.3 miUtica Township1.7 miFarm Ridge Township1.6 miVermillion Township1.5 miOglesby1.0 miEden Township0.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Park Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Vermillion Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| LaSalle Township | 1% | 0.2 | 7 | 91% | B− |
| Oglesby | 1% | 0.2 | 14 | 94% | B− |
| Utica Township | 2% | 0.1 | 59 | 46% | B− |
| Farm Ridge Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Eden Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 38% | D |
| South Ottawa Township | 1% | 0.2 | 17 | 84% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Deer Park Township
Where can I hike in Deer Park Township?
The longest trail networks: Matthiessen State Park, 16.4 miles; Starved Rock State Park, 11 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Deer Park Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Starved Rock State Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Deer Park Township?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Deer Park Township?
6,184 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Deer Park Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,961 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Deer Park Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →