The Most Remote State Park In Illinois Is The Perfect Place To Escape
By Linze Rice|Published August 23, 2023
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Linze Rice
Author
Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
Sometimes it’s nice just to unplug and get away. While a walk around the block can do plenty to help clear my head, nothing quite compares to hitting the road and seeking some serenity in a far-flung place. Fortunately, Illinois is filled with incredible state parks — some of which are just far enough off the beaten path that they offer the space and quiet needed for a full reset. And the most remote state park in Illinois makes it easy to relax and simplify without ever having to leave its boundaries.
Walnut Point State Park is located in rural East Central Illinois just outside the small town of Oakland, which has a local population of under 800 residents. With no major cities surrounding the 671-acre property, Walnut Point is one of the most remote state parks in Illinois.
The closest large city is the college town of Charleston, which is about 20 miles away. Nearby highways include I-57, U.S. 36, and Illinois Route 133.
The park was named after the county's first pioneer settlement, which was established about two miles from the park in the 1830s. Its main draw is the 59-acre Walnut Point Lake, where fishers have the chance to angle for bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, crappie, sunfish, and catfish.
Motorboats and swimming aren't allowed in the lake, but there are numerous floating docks, piers, and feet of shoreline that are perfect for posting up. Visitors can also kayak and canoe in the lake, as well as in the Embarras River.
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The park's simple beauty is unparalleled, and two scenic drives wind throughout the woods surrounded by hickory, oak, sassafras, locust, walnut, and maple trees.
Parkgoers don't even need to leave the park for a home-cooked meal. The Lazy Day Cafe, formerly known as the Walnut Point Restaurant, offers classics like fish and chips, sandwiches and paninis, burgers, salads, French fries, appetizers, and desserts. Firewood can also be purchased there, and kayaks are available for rent.
So, would you escape for a getaway at the most remote state park in Illinois? Have another favorite underrated outdoor spot? Tell us in the comments! Start planning your trip by visiting the Walnut Point State Park website — and make sure you’re equipped with all the hiking essentials. Driving across the state for your nature escape? Check out our list of the ultimate road trip must-haves.
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