13 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Illinois

 

Illinois, Land of Lincoln or The Prairie State, is popular and famous for many reasons. The state has some awesome natural wonders to be amazed by and also offers a lot to those who are into city trips or traveling around. Have a look at the most beautiful places to visit in Illinois.

Burden Falls

Burden Falls, illinoisSource: Oleksandr Koretskyi / shutterstock
Burden Falls

The Shawnee National Forest is one of America’s most famous natural locations and arguably the most beautiful sight it has to offer visitors is Burden Falls. Located in Pope County, Burden Falls is very small compared to some of the great waterfalls of the United States, but it is still one of the tallest in Illinois. Bird watching and photography are both very popular at the Burden Falls Wilderness, while hunting and fishing are both allowed in the grounds too. The main hiking trail through the forest is 3.5 miles long. Burden Falls itself is a 20-foot waterfall, but the water descends for a further 80 feet in cascades – watching the falls is a captivating experience.

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

Chicago Harbor LighthouseSource: Ralf Broskvar / shutterstock
Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is one of the most beautiful sights in Chicago. While it can be spotted from the city’s Navy Pier, a boat tour of the harbor might be the best way to get up close to the lighthouse for a perfect photo opportunity. No access is currently permitted to the lighthouse as it remains a navigational aid to this day. Nearby parks to the lighthouse include Milton Olive Park and Jane Addams Memorial Park and they are both worth exploring during a visit to Illinois too. Lighthouse viewing point Navy Pier itself is Chicago’s number one tourist attraction.

Matthiessen State Park

Matthiessen State Park, IllinoisSource: Nicola Patterson / shutterstock
Matthiessen State Park

Matthiessen State Park in central LaSalle County is located close to both Oglesby and Utica. The park is famous for its array of unusual and beautiful rock formations and it also combines forest, streams and prairies in a way few other parks in Illinois can. Matthiessen State Park is named after Frederick William Matthiessen, who was a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from LaSalle. An abundance of plant and animal life can be enjoyed in the park, which has a very large white-tail deer population. The park also boasts a number of stunning picnic spots, the best of which is perhaps at Dells Area, which has a children’s playground to keep the kids entertained. As Matthiessen State Park is located close to the Plum Island Eagle Sanctuary, bald eagles can also sometimes be spotted within the grounds of the park.

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