Matthiessen State Park Falls

About Matthiessen State Park Falls

Matthiessen State Park is a 1,938-acre IDNR park in LaSalle County, about 4 miles south of Utica and 3 miles east of Oglesby. Its main feature is a canyon about a mile long. It runs from Deer Park Lake down to the Vermilion River.

IDNR splits the canyon into two parts. The Upper Dell runs from the lake to Cascade Falls, 'where the canyon drops 45 feet and the Lower Dell begins'. So Cascade Falls is the falls at the head of the Lower Dells. IDNR's trail map places it by a bridge near the Wishing Well.

Lake Falls is the park's other named falls. The trail map shows it at the bridge and dam below Matthiessen Lake. Giant's Bathtub is another named feature, and IDNR gives no height for it or for Lake Falls.

We group Cascade Falls, Lake Falls and Giant's Bathtub under one name, Matthiessen State Park Falls. You may also see them listed as Cascade Falls, Lake Falls or simply the Matthiessen Dells.

The park began as private land. IDNR says F. W. Matthiessen ran it as 'Deer Park' and employed about 50 people to build trails, bridges, stairs and dams. The state renamed the park for him in 1943.

Matthiessen State Park has grown from 176 acres to 1,938 acres, according to IDNR. The department adds that mineral-rich groundwater colors the sandstone walls, and that mosses, liverworts and ferns grow on them.

Getting there and parking

Matthiessen has two parking areas, and both sit off Illinois Route 178. For the canyon and Cascade Falls, use the Matthiessen Dells Area lots, which IDNR says have 4 accessible spaces. The Vermilion River Area lots are just to the south.

IDNR charges no entrance or parking fee here, so there are no tickets to buy.

Large groups have one extra step. IDNR requires an Activity Permit for groups of 20 or more. It costs $25 and is issued at the Starved Rock Visitor Center.

Weekend parking is the main pinch. Shaw Local reported the lots reaching capacity on a May 2023 weekend and a June 2024 Sunday. An IDNR page, seen only as a search excerpt, says weekend lots can fill and close from about 11am to 3pm, May to October. Arrive early or pick a weekday.

Enjoy Illinois, the state tourism site, puts the park 'about 95 miles west of Chicago.' The map pin is IDNR's point for the park, not for either falls. The park office is at Box 509, Utica, IL 61373, and its phone is (815) 667-4726.

Overnight options are limited. The only campground is an equestrian camp with 14 first-come sites at $8 a night, open May 1 to the second weekend of November. Matthiessen has no cabins, but nearby Starved Rock Lodge does.

Map and nearby falls

The walk

IDNR says 'the main trail to Cascade Falls starts at the Dells picnic area'. The park has 5 miles of hiking trails, which IDNR describes as 'well-marked, well-surfaced'. Its trail map puts the Dells Area trails at 3.2 miles in total and the Vermilion River Area trails at 1.9 miles. A 1-mile horse trail links the two areas.

The map gives no distance to either falls, but it explains the trail markers. Bluff Trail posts are brown, River Trail posts are red, and Interior or Connecting Trail posts are green. White dots point back to the Fort or parking, and yellow dots point away from them.

Expect two kinds of walking. IDNR says the bluff-top trails are easy, while the interior dells 'may be difficult to negotiate, particularly during spring and early summer.'

The Lake Falls side is closed for now. IDNR's park page says 'The Lake Falls bridge/trail is closed to all hiking traffic until further notice'. Its Current Closures page (Region 1, updated October 2, 2026) lists the bridge over Lake Falls as closed. A detour is posted, and Cascade Falls is not listed as closed.

IDNR lists a quarter-mile accessible trail at the Lake Shelter area. It follows a wooden ramp to the Lake Falls bridge, then turns to concrete. With that bridge closed, we could not confirm how much of the route you can use. The canyon floor is not accessible.

Bikes are not allowed on the Dells trails; IDNR permits them only in the Vermilion River Area. The park also has 9 miles of bike and horse trails and 6 miles of ski trails. Horse trails are open from May 1 to the second weekend of November.

Dogs can come along. IDNR's rule is short: 'All pets must be on a leash'. A search excerpt of the state rule, 17 IAC 110.30, caps the leash at 10 feet, but we could not read the rule itself.

When to visit

IDNR lists park hours of 7am to sunset and says 'all users must be off the trails by/before dark'. The park is open year-round, apart from the hunting closures below.

Enjoy Illinois says the falls are best during or after rain. Weigh that against IDNR's warning that the interior dells may be difficult to negotiate, particularly in spring and early summer.

Hunting season changes access. For 2026-27, IDNR says the park is closed to everyone except hunters on November 20 to 22, December 3 to 6 and December 11 to 13, 2026.

On December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and on January 15 to 17, 2027, the trails stay open. The Nature Preserve is closed except to hunters on those dates, IDNR says.

Interior trails can also close after storms or flooding, according to summer 2026 reports we saw only as search excerpts. Check IDNR's Current Closures page on the morning of your visit.

Starved Rock State Park is a few miles away on IL-178. Waterfall Glen Falls near Darien and Burden Falls in the Shawnee National Forest are the state's other falls on this site. Our Illinois waterfalls guide compares all three.

Safety and swimming

Photos

Matthiessen State Park Falls FAQ

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