Cave-in-Rock State Park covers 204 acres mostly wooded property on the Ohio Riverfront just outside of the small town of Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois. The park is owned by the state and maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (INDR).When we were making plans to visit southern Illinois our first thought was to stay in one of the rental cabins at the park. However, it was February and the cabins and adjoining restaurant were closed for the season. Instead, we found lodging in the nearby town of Elizabethtown and made a day trip to the park. The main attraction is a large natural cave which is normally just above the river.
Unfortunately, on the day of our visit the river was flooding and the cave filled with water. We still enjoyed taking a short hike along the high bluffs in the park, taking in the scenic views across the Ohio River. Perhaps some day we'll visit the Cave-in-Rock State Park again at a more opportune season. Then again, maybe we won't. There are so many other places to go and there's so little time. Seeing places in the off season has its own charms.
Folks who come to Cave-in-Rock in summer will not experience as we saw it, nor will they have the place all to themselves as we did. In the photo I am sitting at a picnic area in the park, on a high bluff several feet above the flood.
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