castle rock state park

beautiful sunset on a sunny cold day at the park with view of the Rock River. Well worth the stop and the climb to the overlook.

Tired of going to Starved Rock? Definitely hit up this park. The beauty of this area is amazing, and the riverside road absolutely breathtaking. Great spot to fish!Also: pictures do not do this place justice. It truly needs to be seen in person. The one drawback is that the trails here aren't very long: the longest trail is probably 3/4 of a mile. Needless to say, the natural beauty of this area is reason enough to take the trip.

I go here often and always see something I haven't seen. If you are looking for beautiful nature scenic views, Castle Rock is a great place to go!

Castle Rock gives you a great view of the Rock River valley. In the spring you can get great views of eagles flying over the river and fishing. In the fall, the view of colors is great! You can also get some good exercise climbing to the top to the viewing platforms.

My husband and I took a day trip here-very nice park. We did a little hiking and a little fishing and enjoyed our drive along the river. Despite it being the first nice weekend of the year here in Illinois there were not very many other people here. Lots of places for a picnic and also passed a playground or two. Nice place to pass an afternoon.

I went there on Saturday September 21, 2013 and it was a sunny day and I walked the stairs and saw the Rock River and it was picturesque.

the climb up the stairs to the top of Castle Rock is a refreshing challenge and the view is extraordinary. The rock let you see north several miles to the islands in the Rock where the blue heron rockery comes alive every spring and the south view is several miles until the river curves to Dixon. Castle Rock park's trails are extensive and go through forest, meadows and a thriving wetland. Winter trails are great for cross-county skiing.

I go fishing here at the Rock River. Some of the places are quite nice. My family hikes and cross county skis there. I go fishing in the summer. Usually a very good time. It has a real nice outdoor bathroom on the boat launching area, and that is why I like to fish there. Too many times the parks don't keep it clean, but I will say this area is usually always clean.

This is a wonderful park to hike and picnic. The views are wonderful and the park itself is in great shape. They go to great trouble to keep it natural for all the sightseeing you can stand. Plenty of bird watching as well. There are some pavillions for covered picnics also. I think its one of the best kept secrets in the area. I also go out there for long trail runs. It just can't be beat. Be sure to visit the bluff views over the river. You will see eagles and many other birds of prey.

We were passing by and saw the wildlife sightings, So we decideTo try out our binocular's.. We saw many bird's and even a Eaglein action going for prey, But I could get the camera out in timethen it almost when near our car windshield..But a really nice place to vist.

Castle Rock Sate Park has a pull-off that is a scenic overview of the Rock River. The path is a short (no more than 5 mintues) hike up stairs to the beautiful view. This pull-off also leads to nice picnic areas with firepits/ grills along the river. The state park also includes "north trails" and "south trails" for hiking. We took the South Trails, and there were three trails between 1 to 1.5 miles long. The paths were well maintained but we sighted quite a bit of poison ivy- so be careful. The trails and some good inclines, but no views of the river. Overall it was a nice short day trip for hiking.

Castle Rock is a nice park for some day hiking. On the side of the park right by the Rock River, there are some stairs to climb for wonderful views of the Rock River. Down along the river is also a nice shady area with picnic tables. We didn't eat here, but I can imagine it would be a great spot.On the other side of the road and down a bit, we hiked on some of the trails. They were 1-2 miles each and took us through wood and open prairie areas. One con is that the trail maps seemed somewhat confusing. We ended up on a different trail than we started on and therefore didn't loop back to the parking area we started at. We came across another family on the same trail who were also confused and commented about the signs not being the best, so it wasn't just us. Regardless, it was a nice place to hike and we enjoyed our afternoon,

We stopped here to get a view of the river from up high and were glad we did. A boardwalk trail takes you up to the viewpoint since many years of feet had diminished the trail. Worth the walk. Just keep your pocketknife and permanent markers in your pocket so the graffiti stops.

The view from the top of Castle Rock is beautiful at any time of the year, but there are lots of steps involved! There are some shady spots along the river for picnicking. Be sure to check out the rest of the park on the other side of the highway as there are some nice hiking trails, restroom, shelter house and playground.

The climb is worth the view of the Rock River. You can also take a short hike away from the stairs. Pack a lunch and enjoy the afternoon with the kids! Find more info. at http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/R1/Castle.htm