Buffalo Rock State Park
Most people drive right past Buffalo Rock State Park in favor of it's more popular counterpart, Starved Rock State Park. While Starved Rock has a lot more miles of hiking trails, it's popularity comes with some downsides. It's constantly busy to the point where on some trails there's a line just to access the trailhead, it's loud, with people constantly yelling, running around and playing music on loudspeakers, and good luck finding parking if you come mid-day during the weekend. By contrast, Buffalo Rock, while it doesn't have as many hiking trails, is much lesser-known and quieter. Over half the times I've been there, I haven't seen a single other person out on the trails. And, this park isn't without impressive views of its own. There's two areas just off the trail that give you access to cliff areas -- one overlooks the Illinois River andthe other overlooks a valley with white sand at the bottom. Both cliffs are off-trail in restricted area...
