DEER PARK - LaSalle Co., Illinois
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 41° 17.680 W 089° 00.603
16T E 331702 N 4573417
Deer Park (now Matthiessen Illinois State Park) has remained much the same as it did in 1939.
Waymark Code: WM1ZRP
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/11/2007
Views: 36
Left on State 178 is DEER PARK (open May – Oct.; adm 25c; closed 1 hr. before sundown), 1 m., a 240-acre heavily wooded estate, with a deep gorge carved in the sandstone buy a tributary of the Vermilion River. The canyon is one and half miles in length. Under an arched bridge a waterfall drops 55 feet to a lower dell, Seepage of mineral waters has in places streaked the grotesquely carved walls with bright color. Tradition has it that the Indians used the park’s canyons as enclosures for deer, which furnished the winter’s meat supply. A herd of deer and a reproduction of a pioneer stockade and blockhouse attract visitors.
Page 560; Tour 14a. (US Route 6) – ILLINOIS: A Descriptive and Historical Guide, 1939.
Today, DEER PARK is now called
Matthiessen Illinois State Park. No longer is it a 240-acre private park with an admission fee and seasonal operation. It is now a free, 1,938-acre public facility open all year long (excluding certain hunting seasons). Not much else has changed over the years. The blockhouse fort, the waterfalls, the arched bridge, the colorful sandstone walls still remain.
The listed coordinates are for the Dells Entrance off of Illinois Route 178.
In order to visit and fully explore the dells area, you must be in good enough physical shape to walk stairs.
A lot of stairs. If you pace yourself, you will be fine.
Other notes for visiting:
- Bring plenty of water. It may feel cooler down in the dells area, but with all the stairs you will need some extra water.
- Wear clothing you think can get permanently stained. If you bump against a colorful sandstone wall, the color may not wash out of your clothing.
- Wear good hiking shoes that can get wet. Not only do you need good footwear for the stairs, but also for the creek crossings. Many creek crossings are stepping stones and not bridges, so if your foot slips it will get wet.
- Leave a change of clothes in the car. After long afternoon of hiking, our family usually needs to change out of our hiking clothes, whether or not we have fallen into the water. The bathroom facilities by the main parking lot (N41d17.757' W89d01.549') are large enough for you to clean up a little and change. Sorry, no showers.
- Is it hunting season? If your are visiting during the fall or winter, check the
IDNR website to see if the park is closed for hunting.