Visiting French Canyon in winter can be challenging. The path to this blind canyon is at times a stream, and in winter, it's ice cascading over slippery rock; ice cleats are a must. Several years back, I overheard a park ranger advising some other visitors to stay out of French Canyon in winter, "It's treacherous, nobody should even try." At times, I agree, and if I'm wearing ice cleats I disagree. There are no steep areas where safety is an issue, and if you straddle the narrow creek on your way up to the falls, you'll be safe.
On this visit, to my surprise, the canyon was icy, but slushy overflow ran on top of the ice, making the hike into the canyon very wet, but not a slippery as usual - a trade off.
Once inside, the 45 foot tall frozen waterfall came into view, and after a week of sub zero Fahrenheit weather, the falls were beautifully frozen. In these canyons, the clear ice often takes on the colors of the surrounding environment, browns, yellows, and greens. This particular icefall begs to be climbed, but ice climbing is only allowed by permit, and at specific canyons - French Canyon was not on the list this time.
Starved Rock State Park in Illinois is the second most popular visitor attraction in the state, following Navy Pier in Chicago. One visit to Starved Rock and you'll wonder why Navy Pier is even on the list.
In all seasons, this park is spectacular, but in winter, it's magical. In years past, I was often the only person in each canyon, only bumping into a person here and there, but lately, the word has gotten out about how beautiful this place is in winter, and it's unusual not to see anyone in the canyons.
Even in the 8 degree Fahrenheit weather, the sandstone and conifer trees bring warmth to the hike. And no matter how cold it is, the canyons are always warmer. Protected from the winds, the canyons bring a bit of relief after hiking along the exposed riverbank. Or perhaps when you enter the canyon, you forget about the weather.
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