OGLESBY, Ill. – Effective today, Starved Rock State Park will reopen a number of trails that have been closed due to extensive damage done during severe weather Aug. 10. Some additional Starved Rock trails will remain closed while cleanup work continues.

Matthiessen State Park will remain closed until further notice due to expansive damage done during the Aug. 10 storm.

Starved Rock trails will reopen to the following canyons and overlooks Aug. 26: • Starved Rock • Lover’s Leap Overlook • Eagle Cliff Overlook • Beehive Overlook • Sandstone Point Overlook • French Canyon • Pontiac Canyon • Wildcat Canyon • Basswood Canyon • Lonetree Canyon • Aurora Canyon • Sac Canyon • Kickapoo Canyon • St. Louis Canyon • Illinois Canyon

Starved Rock trails will remain closed to the following: • Council Overhang • Hennepin Canyon/Hennepin Canyon Overlook • Kaskaskia Canyon • Ottawa Canyon • Owl Canyon and Overlook • Hidden Canyon • La Salle Canyon • Tonty Canyon

Visitors to Starved Rock State Park are reminded to take all necessary health precautions when visiting state sites, including bringing with them face coverings in case social distancing cannot be achieved as well as hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol. Additionally, visitors should: • Practice social distancing by keeping at least six feet of distance between themselves and others; • Stay home if they are sick or feeling any symptoms, such as fever, coughing, troubled breathing, and/or other flu-like symptoms; • Visit alone or with members of their household; • Stay local and visit parks that are closest to where they live; • Move to another area of the park or return another time/day to visit if crowds begin to form; and • Cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If they don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into their upper arm/elbow.

Visitors also are reminded to stay on designated trails, observe closure notices and no-entry signs, and that it is illegal to swim or wade at the park, or to climb or rappel on rock formations at the park.

Visitors are also reminded to arrive early as Starved Rock State Park is closed to additional visitors when parking lots reach capacity.