Updated July 2026
St. Louis Canyon Falls
St. Louis Canyon Falls drops roughly 40 feet over St. Peter sandstone at the back of a box canyon in Starved Rock State Park. From the dedicated St. Louis Canyon parking area off Route 178, a short trail leads to the falls.
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 Illinois DNR (Starved Rock State Park) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
St. Louis Canyon Falls drops about 40 feet. That makes it the 473rd-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 31% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The St. Louis Canyon Trail reaches it about 0.8 miles (out-and-back), rated easy. The nearest town is Oglesby. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Illinois DNR (Starved Rock State Park) for closures and current conditions.
Spring (snowmelt) or after rain; freezes into ice column in winter. 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
- Ottawa Canyon Falls · 45 ft
Sources
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