Afternoon at Rock Cut State Park in Illinois

During our visit to Rockford, Illinois, we spent a couple hours of our lovely Sunday afternoon exploring Rock Cut State Park. The preserve is quite large and incorporates 40 miles of trails. So, we knew that our visit would only be a taste. We were immediately captivated by the park and I know that we will be back again. Rock Cut does include two lakes and we were able to see both. Views of the lakes were incredible.

Lake view at Rock Cut State Park

The preserve is dotted with various picnic areas, boat launches, campgrounds, a dog training area, and an equestrian camp. There is a concession area that is open seasonally and where you can rent canoes and kayaks. There is also a seasonal swimming beach. However, we were there for the trails. So, we headed to one over by Pierce Lake.

Stunning Pierce Lake

Before heading out, we did savor the view. Stunning! The trail was in a wooded areas with a slightly rolling terrain. The rolling terrain contributed to the lovely scenery.

Rolling terrain

We could not have had a better day for our hike -- 60 and sunny!

Trees create a unique landscape at Rock Cut

The preserve was pretty quiet which allowed us to see quite a few birds including nuthatches and woodpeckers.

At the head of the trail, we found a cluster of pines. Still green, pines are quite stunning in winter.

We did have one spectacular surprise during our visit. We spotted a bald eagle near the swimming beach area. Such an incredible sight!

With so many trails, we know that Rock Cut State Park holds many more discoveries. We look forward to exploring more in the future!

Thank you to Go Rockford for hosting our visit to Rockford, Illinois for Stroll on State!