Starved Rock State Park

Permit Information

Illinois DNR Special Event Permit required for weddings and ceremonies at Starved Rock State Park. The permit fee is $25 per event. Submit application at least 21 days in advance to the park office. Call 815 667 4726 to secure a date and location. Designated wedding ceremony sites include Lover's Leap Overlook, the Eagle Cliff Overlook, and the area near the Visitor Center. Many couples also book the Starved Rock Lodge (run by a private concessioner) for the reception. Canyon ceremonies are dis…

Planning Your Day at Starved Rock State Park

One-Spot Day

Starved Rock one spot days work best at Lover's Leap or the namesake Starved Rock overlook for the river valley view, or inside a canyon like LaSalle for the sheltered fern and waterfall setting. The canyons are intimate and shaded, the overlooks are open and sweeping. Pick based on whether you want enclosed or wide.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

The park is compact, the Starved Rock Lodge sits at the center and most canyons and overlooks are within 2 to 5 miles. A ceremony at an overlook in the morning and a portrait walk into a canyon in the afternoon is very realistic. Many couples book the Starved Rock Lodge for the reception and lodging so the whole day stays inside the park.

A Note on Light

Canyons are naturally dark and shaded, overcast days give the most even light inside and the fern walls read best without direct sun. Bring a fast lens or small off camera light. Overlooks face south and west across the Illinois River, so late afternoon into sunset is the golden window for the river valley. Spring waterfalls peak March through May after snowmelt. Fall foliage peaks mid to late October.

Ceremony Spots at Starved Rock State Park

• LaSalle Canyon — Intimate box canyon with a waterfall cascading over a sandstone overhang into a fern covered grotto
• Starved Rock Overlook — Dramatic sandstone bluff rising 125 feet above the Illinois River with sweeping valley views