Starved Rock State Park Cliffs and River Bank - Utica, IL
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 41° 19.202 W 088° 59.142
16T E 333805 N 4576186
From any one of the cliffs at Starved Rock State Park in the winter, you can observe bald eagles in the Illinois River and roosting on an island in the river.
Waymark Code: WMJCQ1
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 10/30/2013
Views: 9
In Utica, within Starved Rock State Park, you can climb up Eagle Cliff to see bald eagles.
Starved Rock State Park is located on the south side of the Illinois River, north of IL Route 71 and east of IL Route 178. One entrance is off Roue 178. Follow to the end at a parking lot.
From there, go to the visitor center or the nearest map of the park. There are plenty of maps, so it is relatively easy to find your way to Eagle Cliff. There are other cliffs, such as Lover's Leap and Starved Rock itself sith similar views. There is also the area right by the parking lot by the river that may also be a good viewing area and is handicap accessible. The cliffs are definitely NOT handicap accessible.
On Lover's Leap Cliff, there is a nice sign about the eagles that winter over here. They started to appear in 1997 and have since grown in numbers. There is an island in the middle of the river, visible from the cliffs, that is where the eagles roost. This island is now a bird sanctuary - closed to visitors.
One reason why the eagles like this spot is that near this location is the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. Here, the water rarely freezes over, allowing fishing through the winter.
I'm sure that there are other birds that can be seen in the river or in the woods, as well. We may have seen a comorant and heard various song birds. As it was summer, no eagles were seen.
Park Name: Starved Rock State Park
Sponsoring Organization: State of Illinois
Handicap Accessible?: Yes
Website: [Web Link]
Entrance Fee: 0.00 (listed in local currency)
List any Hides, Birding Towers, or other structures to assist in Birdwatching found at the location:
Observation areas along cliffs and near parking lot.
Parking Coordinates: Not Listed
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