About Cascade Falls
Cascade Falls was the lone waterfalling attraction that we were aware of in the state of Illinois.
Unfortunately, as you can see from the photo at the top of this page and immediately below, it wasn’t flowing.
Given the vast cornfields surrounding the Matthiessen State Park (where this waterfall sat within), we suspect that the already constrained waterflow of the creek responsible for the falls was being further robbed to feed the crops.
Moreover, a dam further upstream (resulting in the formation of Deer Park Lake) may have further choked off the flow of the creek.
As a result, I believe that this waterfall would only flow during the Spring months unless there were some out-of-season rains or thunderstorms that might temporarily replenish the flow.
Cascade Falls was said to be 45ft as it separated the Upper and Lower Dell.
The Gorge is the Show
Despite the lack of waterflow during our visit, the gorge containing the Cascade Falls was quite impressive.
Indeed, the gorge featured overhanging walls, alcoves, and even serene ponds where spontaneous splashes seemed to be caused by frogs or other wildlife that might have been allowed to thrive.
The gorge itself was protected under the watch of Matthiessen State Park so it was definitely a pocket of Nature in an otherwise vast sea of agriculture.
Some of the gorge walls even had some interesting colors to them (from reds to greens) as there were mineral-laced springs that would seep out of the sandstone canyon walls and leave behind the color-causing solutions on them.
Such scenery was reminiscent of the kind of slot canyons typically found in Southern Utah.
That characteristic in a place as unlikely as the plains of Illinois less than two hours drive from Chicago made it so unusual and unexpected that it was worthwhile and fun to check out.
Experiencing Cascade Falls and its Gorge
From the parking lot for Cascade Falls (see directions below), we followed a series of steps leading past some shelter and some other log house down to the bridge right above the waterfall (roughly 0.1 mile from the trailhead).
A sign on the far side of the bridge pointed right for the Upper Dell and pointed left for the Lower Dell.
Looking upstream from the bridge, we could see steps leading down into the gorge for the Upper Dell.
Apparently, the trail kept going all the way out to Deer Park Lake, where nearby was the Mathiessen Lake Falls (or just Lake Falls).
We didn’t bother going out that far since we could see that there would be no flowing water.
I looked for a way to get into the Lower Dell since I had already seen people down there.
So without crossing the bridge above the falls, I proceeded along the trail following the rim of the Lower Dell gorge in the direction of Strawberry Rock.
After about 0.3 miles downstream from the bridge above Cascade Falls (and shortly after a hairpin turn above a dry gully), I then encountered stairs leading down into the gorge.
After going down the stairs (not crossing another bridge spanning the Lower Dells Gorge), I was then inside the gorge itself, where I then walked back upstream in the direction of the Cascade Falls.
At this point, the trail was quite pleasant as I was surrounded by the impressive gorge walls with interesting formations, patterns, and even alcoves.
Most of the walking here was pretty straightforward as some boards were placed in some of the muddier stretches.
Meanwhile, a trail of use hugging the right side of the gorge on slightly higher ground further ensured that I would keep my feet dry.
There was one crossing of the creek though it was nothing more than a muddy patch during my visit and was quite easy to cross.
Shortly after this crossing, I then reached the head of the Lower Dell where there was the dry Cascade Falls fronted by a very calm but large plunge pool.
The acoustics of this area meant that the conversations from the people who were already down here would echo.
I could only imagine how alive this place would be had the creek been flowing.
Overall, I had spent about an hour and 15 minutes away from the car.
The hiking itself was probably a little over a mile round trip.
Some Basic Matthiessen State Park Heritage
Finally, the signs here indicated that the park was named after Frederick William Matthiessen (in 1943).
He employed people to construct the infrastructure that allowed access to Cascade Falls (among other sights in the park).
Prior to the dedication of the park to Matthiessen, apparently the area was known as Deer Park due to the large resident deer population back before the end of the 19th century.
Some of the features still retain place names referring to the deer heritage like “Deer Park Lake.”
Authorities
Cascade Falls resides in Matthiessen State Park near Oglesby and Utica in LaSalle County, Illinois. It is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.
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