With summer nearing an end and fall on the horizon in Illinois, where can you go to take in the natural beauty of the state?
Three Illinois state parks claimed a spot in HomeToGo’s top 50 destinations and hidden gems to visit this season list.
Starved Rock State Park came in at the No. 7 overall destination to visit. Rock Cut State Park was named the No. 2 hidden gem state park and Pere Marquette was the No. 6 hidden gem state park.
The top destinations list is based off of the site’s “state park index." The index itself is formed using factors such as popularity score, size score, trail score, wildlife score and picturesqueness score.
The hidden gems list used the same criteria, in combination with search volume.
Starved Rock State Park, just outside Chicago, was found to have above average scores in wildlife, trails and natural beauty.
Rock Cut State Park is located in Caledonia, and Pere Marquette State Park is in Grafton.
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The two made the top 10 along with parks in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, California, North Carolina and Oregon.
The exclusive list includes several other beautiful and scenic destinations, both inside and outside of the Midwest.
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It features a variety of landscaping and terrain, from coral reefs to grassy land.
“With more and more travelers becoming interested in visiting state parks as well as national parks, this index serves as a guide for vacationers aiming to plan the perfect escape into nature, without venturing too far from home,” said Eleanor Moody, HomeToGo travel expert and spokesperson.
