Outdoor Ceremony-Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center

Wedding Day

Wedding

Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center

Reception

Our Wedding

Our Story

Details

Kara Thompson

Jarett Munneke

Pat Munneke

Megan Garand

Kenzie Garand

Bob Middendorp

Maggie Garand

Ryan Richter

Wedding Party

Photos

Q + A

Registry

Call for Block of Rooms under Garand/Munneke

Treat yourself to a relaxing vacation and get away to Starved Rock this spring! Book your room at the only hotel located in the middle of Starved Rock State Park (Utica, Illinois). Stay in a rustic hotel room in the Lodge or one of our log cabins in the woods. We have a variety of rooms to choose from. Ask about our pet-friendly cabins, two-room cabins or cabins with a fireplace! Relax and unwind in our indoor pool, hot tub and sauna or stop by The Back Door Lounge to fuel up before a hike or cool off with a locally brewed craft beer. We offer year 'round trolley tours and guided hikes to see our beautiful canyons and seasonal waterfalls. Dine in our own restaurant, the Main Dining Room, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Be sure to try our Sunday Brunch, too! Need to plan a conference or meeting? We were voted the best Lodge in the Midwest for a meeting! We are also a dream wedding destination, especially for our outdoor venue! You won't find a view like this anywhere else. Make your reservation today at the best getaway in Illinois!

Call for Block of Rooms under Munneke 

Located in Oglesby, Days Inn Oglesby/Starved Rock is convenient to Dickinson House and Illinois Valley Community College. This hotel is within close proximity of Deer Park Country Club and Hegeler Carus Mansion.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 49 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have designer toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and complimentary newspapers, and you can also request cribs/infant beds (complimentary).Amenities Take advantage of recreation opportunities including an indoor pool and a fitness center.Dining A complimentary continental breakfast is served daily.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include a computer station, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Free self parking is available onsite.

Days Inn Oglesby/Starved Rock

The campground inside this popular state park dates back to the early 1900s. It has 133 Class-A premium sites, complete with electricity. The bath house has showers and flush toilets (and also serves as an emergency storm shelter).&nbsp;Aside from the scenic beauty and flourishing wildlife, people enjoy the way the park is laid out with open grassy areas that are conducive to pitching a tent.

Most camping slots are outfitted with standard 20-amp plugins, plus a 30-amp camper hookup. A limited number have 50-amp hookups for big travel trailers.

Weekend reservations for the Starved Rock campground fill up fast, so plan well in advance. Make online reservations at: <a href="http://www.reserveamerica.com/"></a><a href="http://www.reserveamerica.com">www.reserveamerica.com</a>.&nbsp; “If you want to camp Sunday through Thursday night, you can pretty much walk up any time,” Kerry Novak, Park Superintendent.



The park is located on shore of the Illinois River and provides an ideal setting for fishing, boating and hiking inside the park’s 18 canyons. The campground is located a short distance southeast of IL Route 71 & 178.





Visitors also enjoy some of the creature comforts found at the Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center, which is located inside the park. The 75-year-old log cabin-style Lodge has 69 cozy rooms and 21 cabin rooms, all of which come with modern conveniences. The Lodge hosts regular tours through the park and welcomes diners to its multiple restaurants. For more information on the Lodge, visit www.starvedrocklodge.com.





The nearby towns of Ottawa, Utica, Oglesby, LaSalle and Peru have many destination antique shops, restaurants and wineries.





“Our sister park, Matthiessen, is only a couple of miles away from us, and also has really spectacular sites, with picnicking and horse trails,” says Novak. “The whole area here has a lot of beautiful scenery.”





The GPS address of the campground is: 2570 East 950###sup/sup### Road, Ottawa, IL 61350

Starved Rock Campground

With a stay at Best Western Oglesby Inn in Oglesby, you'll be convenient to Dickinson House and Illinois Valley Community College.  This hotel is within close proximity of Deer Park Country Club and Hegeler Carus Mansion.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 68 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. 32-inch flat-screen televisions with cable programming provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards, as well as phones with free local calls.Amenities Enjoy a range of recreational amenities, including an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a 24-hour fitness center.Dining A complimentary full breakfast is served daily.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include a business center, express check-in, and express check-out. Free self parking is available onsite.

Best Western Oglesby Inn

Travel

If you are planning to hike, Starved Rock State Park is the place to be! With 13 miles of well marked hiking trails, you can plan your hiking based on your skill levels.

Visitor Center Guided Hikes&nbsp;The Starved Rock Visitor Center offers guided, weekend hikes at 10am and 1pm. These hikes are posted at the Visitor Center when available.

Starved Rock Lodge Guided Hikes&nbsp;Starved Rock Lodge offers guided hikes year ’round. Check out their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.starvedrocklodge.com/activity/lodge-events-calendar/">website</a>&nbsp;for upcoming guided hikes.

Hiking at Starved Rock

<h4>STARVED ROCK STATE PARK</h4>

We highly recommend you to come back to Starved Rock during different seasons of the year. The entire park, including the canyons and trails, look completely different in the fall and winter than in the spring and summer.



Not sure which trail to take? Click to view trail length, difficulty, photos, history & more:
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Aurora-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Aurora Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Illinois-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Illinois Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Kaskaskia-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Kaskaskia Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-LaSalle-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to LaSalle Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Lover-Leap.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Lover’s Leap Overlook</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Ottawa-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Ottawa Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-St.-Louis.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to St. Louis Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Starved-Rock.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Starved Rock</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Tonty-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Tonty Canyon</a>
<a href="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Trail-to-Wildcat-Canyon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail to Wildcat Canyon</a>



<h4><img src="http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/wp-content/uploads/jackijustcascadefalls-150x150.jpg" alt="jackijustcascadefalls" width="150" height="150" style="background: transparent; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; float: left;">MATTHIESSEN STATE PARK</h4>



The park has five miles of well-marked, well-surfaced hiking trails for a relaxing walk or a vigorous hike. Large trail maps are located at all major trail intersections so visitors can choose a variety of routes. The upper area and bluff tops are easy hiking paths for the novice, but the trails into the interiors of the two dells may be difficult to negotiate, particularly during spring and early summer. Hikers must stay on marked trails, as steep cliffs and deep canyons can be dangerous. Hikers will marvel at the plant and animal life along the trails, and have an unparalleled view of geological wonders as they travel through the park. Alcohol is prohibited on all trails.



On the north side of the Dells Area entrance is a parking lot with a hitching post, which marks the access to nine miles of horseback riding trails. Horse rental is located on Route 71 a half mile west of Route 178. It is open weekends in April and November and Wednesday through Sunday from May through October. There are also six miles of cross-country ski trails with ski rental available weekends from December through March.



PLEASE NOTE!&nbsp;It is a state offense to remove any archaeological or Native American material from any Illinois state park.



<a href="http://www.starvedrocklodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Matthiessen_TrailMap.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Matthiessen State Park Trail Map&nbsp;</a>

Trail Maps

New visitors to Starved Rock State Park are continually surprised and awed at the spectacular natural features found here. Surrounded by the flat, seemingly endless fields of Illinois farm country, a totally different topography is found within the park. Starved Rock was formed thousands of years ago by the melting of glaciers releasing torrents of water. As the water rushed downstream it eroded and stripped away everything in its path except the resistant St. Peter sandstone.&nbsp;It is that sandstone that formed the steep rock walls and the cool dark valleys of the eighteen canyons. When conditions are right cascades of falling water spill down into these gorges, creating the waterfalls so many come here to enjoy.

WATERFALLS
Although you can technically see waterfalls in 14 of the 18 canyons, some of the most scenic waterfalls are found in St. Louis, French, Wildcat, Tonty, Ottawa and Kaskaskia canyons. The best times to see waterfalls are in the spring when the snow and ice melt or after a heavy rainfall.

Canyons and Waterfalls

Locally produced wine and beer in friendly atmospheres! Check out all the local wineries and breweries near Starved Rock State Park.

Illinois River Winery and August Hill Winery are also both located in Utica, just minutes from Starved Rock. Tangled Roots Brewing Company is located in Downtown Ottawa, Illinois, just a short drive on the beautiful Route 71. Grab a bite to eat at their brew pub, The Lone Buffalo, while there!

Wineries and Breweries

Horseback Riding is available at Cedar Creek Ranch – located in Cedar Point, Illinois (about a 15 minute drive from the park). The best ride around–through hills, valleys and creeks (visit a Civil War era cemetery on-site). Call or visit their website to make reservations.&nbsp;Matthiessen State Park:&nbsp;An equestrian campground for horseback riders and their horses is located west of Route 178 between Route 71 and the Dells Area entrance. Alcohol is prohibited in all campgrounds. The horseback riders camping and multi-use trails are open from April 15 (weather permitting-determined by park staff) to October 31.&nbsp; Call 815-667-4726 to check conditions and status before coming to use these facilities. Visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Activity/Pages/Matthiessen.aspx">Illinois Department of Natural Resource</a>&nbsp;website to learn more.

Horseback Riding-Cedar Creek Ranch

Boats may be launched from the west end of the park. Also, paddlewheel boat rides are available. Boats are not allowed within 600 feet of the dam, as strong currents and powerful undertows can be dangerous. Catfish, bullhead, white bass, sauger, walleye, carp and crappie may be caught in the Illinois River. Under no circumstances should you attempt to wade or swim in the river, canyons or from any park shoreline.

Applebee’s Bait Shop&nbsp;Located just off I-80 at the corner of Routes 6 & 178.&nbsp;

Hours: Monday – Friday: 5am – 1pm Saturday & Sunday: 4:30am-1pm

Molly & Kellen

Molly & Kellen

Registry