State Parks in Illinois are anticlimactic (compared to Idaho)

Reasons to agree:

1. Illinois doesn't have any mountains. Without mountains you don't have good rapids, sking, waterfalls, canyons, views, climbing, etc.
2. Illinois doesn't have very many clean rivers or lakes.
3. Millions of people go to visit Starved Rock State Park each year.

Reasons to agree: 

Having come from Idaho, I can say that Idaho might be lacking in metropolitan attractions as much as Illinois lacks in scenic natural attractions.

We have been to the Zoos, and Major Museums. Fine dinning isn't a big attraction with little kids, we don't go to plays, musicals, or any of that stuff. We often are looking for places to take the kids, let them look at some natural thing that's cool. In Illinois a 100 foot cliff over a river qualifies as a natural tourist attraction. According to their website, millions of people go to visit Starved Rock every year. 

However there is nothing much better from the natural work to look at here, and so I guess this is all we have... So we have driven there twice: One week before Phil tried coming early, and once Memorial Day, 2012.

Images that agree:

Here are some photos from 2010. J was 5, and A was 2:

The look out from the top of a 100' cliff that looks over a river

Look hard James. This qualifies as a mountain view in this state

Here are some photos from 2012:

French "Canyon"

The Lodge

Back of the Lodge

Coming down from the Lodge to the visiting center

You can see "Starved Rock" in the back.
We climbed to the top of it last week. The view is to scenic overlooks
what Mt. Trashmore is to the Tetons. 

Related Links:

• Near Chicago Tourism