There are a couple of frozen waterfalls in Starved Rock State Park that one can easily walk behind, and the most popular is the one in LaSalle Canyon.
A bit over a mile walk from the nearest parking area, and what seems like 300 stairs, the canyon is tucked deep in the rock formations, well off the river trail.
This canyon has gotten more and more popular in the winter over the past few years, and for good reason, it's fun to walk behind the ice.
Careful not to get too close to the ice formations, you can walk completely around them without any trouble. Other icefalls have smaller spaces behind and you'll need to crawl or squeeze to access them.
There are almost always cracks in the ice columns due to water movement and the weight of the ice. Seeing this, I always keep my distance; a person can be crushed if these let loose.
The approach to these icefalls can be slippery - of course, they're made by running water and the water has to flow away from the falls. Ice cleats are a must unless the weather makes the surface slushy.
In what I refer to as "Good years," the ice fills in the space between the ice columns creating a wide ice curtain that is relatively thin (maybe a foot thick) and the sunlight passes through the ice. This year was just a bit underwhelming when compared to the "Good years," but perhaps after this week's warm up, there will be a freeze and the curtain will once again be drawn across the overhang.
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