Apple River Canyon State Park
Guide

We know, we know - birdwatching sounds like something you do when you’ve run out “cool” options, but hear us out: birding is basically a real-life scavenger hunt. Bring a pair of binoculars and allow yourself to actually notice the details of the birds you see in the trees and bushes. While before, they might have all seemed like one, brownish mass, you’ll quickly start to notice bright reds and blues, ones as tiny as a mouse and as large as a, well, turkey. Bonus points if you bring or download a guide and can start identifying them and checking them off. Here at the park, you’ll see some doozies like wild turkeys, pileated woodpecker, and eastern kingbird, and since you won’t have electricity to distract you anyway, why not take your nature appreciation to the next level?

Fishing at Apple River Canyon State Park offers an amazing way to connect with such impressive scenery. Imagine standing knee-deep in a slow-moving river at the bottom of a cool ravine with towering bluffs on either side while you cast your line without a care in the world. Smallmouth bass, sunfish, crappie, and carp happily thrive in this riparian paradise, just waiting for you and your waders to come find them. As an additional treat, when funds are available, the park will stock the river with brown trout which flourish until mid-summer when the water gets too warm.

The campground is home to several quick (under one mile) hikes through the enchanting forests. Check out the River Route Nature Trail - the most popular trail in the Apple River Canyon area. You’ll follow the river out and back, over charming bridges and alongside bluffs with scenery that will stun you. Also, the Primrose Nature Trail, the Sunset Nature Trail, or the Pine Ridge Nature Trail are excellent options for a nice afternoon jaunt through the forest.

If you’re using Apple River Canyon State Park as a home base to explore the greater Galena, IL area (named the best Main Street in the Midwest by the Chicago Tribune), then you simply can’t miss out on the great antiques scene. There really is something for everyone here. Browse collectible weathervanes and real sleighs in an old barn or visit a regal Victorian home to check out unique light fixtures and sassy classic wardrobes. Between all the shopping, look at some of the local honeys and handmade soaps.

From geology to human settlement, this area is brimming with stories you’ll love hearing and never forget. At the Galena History Museum, learn about how Apple River Canyon managed to avoid glaciers that flattened the rest of the nearby landscape millenia ago or about the Native Americans who dwelled in the area before European settlement. At one of the numerous historic sites, learn about the lead mines that spurred this region into popularity - even causing a financial crisis in far-away France when things didn’t pan out for investors.

The beauty of the bluffs and canyons of the river shines in any season and arguably might be highlighted by a coating of snow. For a fun winter adventure, rent a pair of snowshoes in the nearby town of Galena, Illinois and set out on the same trails you would explore any other season. With snowshoes, even several feet of snow can’t stop a good time as you fairly float on top of the surface on your journey for crisp winter fun.