Illinois Waterway

About Illinois Waterway

Ever want to see the operation of a lock and dam? The Illinois Waterway Visitor Center offers you that as well as impressive towboats of mammoth proportions navigating through the Starved Rock Lock, which is one of eight on the Illinois Waterway. While there you can see all sorts of cool displays in the visitor center. Displays cover the waterway from the Illinois and Michigan Canal to today?s modern lock and dam structures. The visitor center is open 7 days a week with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

How to Get There

The Visitor Center is located at Starved Rock Lock and Dam on the Illinois River between Ottawa and Utica. From I-80 take exit 81 and follow the signs south through Utica. Turn left immediately prior to the bridge. Follow the road until you see the lock.

Plan Your Visit to Illinois Waterway

Heading to Illinois Waterway? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)