Updated July 2026
Ottawa Canyon Falls
A seasonal waterfall (reported around 45 feet) in a box canyon at the eastern end of Starved Rock State Park, often combined with neighboring Kaskaskia and Illinois Canyons. A short hike of about one mile reaches the falls from nearby parking off Route 178.
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 Starved Rock State Park (Illinois DNR) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ottawa Canyon Falls drops about 45 feet. That makes it the 458th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 34% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Ottawa Canyon Trail reaches it about 1 miles (out-and-back), rated easy. The nearest town is Utica. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Starved Rock State Park (Illinois DNR) for closures and current conditions.
Spring (after rain or snowmelt). 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 (Big Rocky Hollow) · 100 ft
- Ferne Clyffe Falls · 100 ft
- French Canyon Falls · 45 ft
- Jackson Falls
- LaSalle Canyon Falls · 25 ft
- St. Louis Canyon Falls · 40 ft
Sources
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