Apple River Canyon State Park is a great little getaway near Galena

October 23, 9:59 AMChicago Adventure Travel ExaminerTed Nelson

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     Apple River Canyon State Park
     photo by Ted Nelson

Apple River Canyon State Park is a neat little park close to Galena in northwest Illinois.  The canyon is also not too far from Freeport just north of U.S. highway 20 and about 2.5 hours from Chicago.  Galena is big tourist destination for many in this part of Illinois, but there is not much to do in Galena in the adventure travel realm. If spending a couple of days in Galena and the tourism of the town begins to wear then head for Apple River Canyon for a little peace and some outdoor activities.  Now is a great time with fall colors in full swing.

Apple River Canyon State Park
photo by Ted Nelson

Apple River Canyon is a small little park with only a few natural trails not much longer than one mile in length, so the park can be experienced in less than a day. The highlight of the park is the River Route Nature Trail that is the first trail heading off to the left once entering the park near the first shelter. It immediately climbs a bluff and overlooks the canyon and affords some quality picture opportunities.

Another good trail on the other side of the river is the Primrose Nature Trail that follows the river and also provides for some quality picture opportunities. There are two other trails in the park and none are more than 1 mile in length, but the park has many open glades with picnic tables and shelters right near the scenic Apple River, so bring some food and cookout and stay awhile.

Apple River Canyon’s main attraction other than photographing the scenic canyon is fishing. The river is stocked with trout in the spring and smallmouth bass and crappie can also be caught. The smallmouth are catch and release only.  Boating and swimming are unfortunately prohibited. This is most likely due to the river being surrounded by private property. There is however a nice little campground that has certain sites that are right close to the river.

     Fishing at the Apple River Canyon State Park
     photo by Ted Nelson

The state park is also close to the Mississippi, so another option for a day or two is to combine visiting this park with the nearby Mississippi Palisades State Park.  If in Galena or Freeport and in need of a little getaway outside check out the Apple River Canyon State Park for some fishing, picnicking, hiking, and take some pictures of the scenic canyon.