Updated July 2026
Ferne Clyffe Falls (Big Rocky Hollow)
A roughly 100-foot intermittent waterfall at the head of Big Rocky Hollow in Ferne Clyffe State Park, flowing only after substantial rain. The mostly flat Waterfall Trail is about 1.1 miles round-trip and family-friendly.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check Ferne Clyffe State Park (Illinois DNR) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ferne Clyffe Falls (Big Rocky Hollow) drops about 100 feet. That makes it the 206th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 73% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Big Rocky Hollow Trail (Waterfall Trail) reaches it about 1.1 miles (out-and-back), rated easy. The nearest town is Goreville. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Ferne Clyffe State Park (Illinois DNR) for closures and current conditions.
Spring (within a day of heavy rain). Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More Illinois waterfalls
- Burden Falls · 100 ft
- Cascade Falls (Matthiessen State Park) · 45 ft
- Ferne Clyffe Falls · 100 ft
- French Canyon Falls · 45 ft
- Jackson Falls
- LaSalle Canyon Falls · 25 ft
- Ottawa Canyon Falls · 45 ft
- St. Louis Canyon Falls · 40 ft
Sources
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