Only One Illinois State Park Makes List Of America’s Top 10 Parks

Okay, without using Google or AI, how many state parks would you guess that Illinois has? Is it:

• 38
• 47
• 63
• 118

If you're like me on this one, your guess will be way off. I guessed 38.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Illinois has 63 state parks:

1. Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park
2. Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
3. Apple River Canyon State Park
4. Argyle Lake State Park
5. Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area
6. Beall Woods State Park
7. Beaver Dam State Park
8. Big Bend Big River State Forest
9. Buffalo Rock State Park
10. Castle Rock State Park
11. Delabar State Park
12. Donnelley/DePue State Fish and Wildlife Areas
13. Franklin Creek State Natural Area
14. Green River State Wildlife Area
15. Henderson County Conservation Area
16. Hennepin Canal State Trail
17. Hidden Springs State Forest
18. Horseshoe Lake (Alexander County)
19. Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County)
20. Illini State Park
21. Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail
22. Illinois Caverns State Natural Area
23. Iroquois County State Wildlife Area
24. Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area
25. Jubilee College State Park
26. Kankakee River State Park
27. Kaskaskia River State Park
28. Kickapoo State Recreation Area
29. Kidd Lake State Natural Area
30. Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
31. Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area
32. Lake Murphysboro State Park
33. LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
34. Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial
35. Lincoln Trail State Park
36. Little Grassy Fish Hatchery
37. Lowden State Park
38. Lowden-Miller State Forest
39. Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area
40. Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area (Upland Game/Furbearer)
41. Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area
42. Matthiessen State Park
43. Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area
44. Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
45. Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
46. Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area
47. Mississippi Palisades State Park
48. Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area
49. Moraine Hills State Park & McHenry Dam State Park
50. Moraine View State Park
51. Morrison-Rockwood State Park
52. Nauvoo State Park
53. Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
54. North Point Marina State Recreation Area
55. Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area
56. Pere Marquette State Park
57. Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area
58. Powerton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
59. Prophetstown State Park
60. Pyramid State Recreation Area
61. Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area
62. Randolph County State Recreation Area
63. Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area

However, only one of those 63 state parks just landed on a list of the 10 most popular state parks in the entire country. Any guesses?

Starved Rock State Park Is Illinois' Contribution To The List Of The Most Popular State Parks In The United States

(By the way, if you're interested in the horrifying and gory reason that Starved Rock State Park got it's name, click here)

Conde Nast Traveler, in their recent piece "These Are the Top State Parks of 2025, According to Google Maps Data," compiled a list of the 10 most popular state parks in the country in 2025 based on data from Google Maps. Their data is compiled from information on the state parks with the most Google Maps direction requests from January 1st, 2025, through early August 2025.

Coming in at #5 on the list, you've got Starved Rock State Park. Here's their take on Starved Rock:

From its scenic views over the Illinois River to its 18 canyons, this park is a unique spot to visit all year round. You'll be surrounded by water (although no swimming is allowed in the park) thanks to the many waterfalls and river, and it's a great spot for hiking, exploring, camping, and spotting wildlife; during the winter, you should be able to see the occasional bald eagle. The canyons with their towering sandstone walls are particularly worth viewing, and there are plenty of overlooks in the park for taking in the surrounding nature.

Here's The Other Nine State Parks Scattered Around The Country That Made The Top Ten List

A vacation planned around hitting the nation's most popular state parks would take you to these places:

• Watkins Glen State Park
• Valley of Fire State Park
• Liberty State Park
• Silver Falls State Park
• Blue Springs State Park
• Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
• Palo Duro Canyon State Park
• Letchworth State Park
• Crater of Diamonds State Park