Matthiessen on pace to set an attendance record

Visitors flocked to one of the Utica-area state parks in 2024, filling the parking lots and smashing attendance records along the way. It wasn’t Starved Rock State Park, however.

Matthiessen State Park is on the cusp of a yearly attendance record. Through Nov. 30, Matthiessen welcomed a running total of nearly 530,000 visitors – already Matthiessen’s second-best year on record.

Now, tourist officials are watching to see whether Matthiessen draws a good December crowd. If Matthiessen outdraws its December average 12,244 then New Year’s glasses will be raised to Matthiessen’s best-ever year.

La Salle County Board member Jill Bernal, D-Peru, a member of the board’s tourism committee, said she was “not surprised at all” to hear Matthiessen is within striking distance of the record 544,715 visitors who stormed the park in 2017.

“The tourism committee has worked hard in making sure visitors know about our other state parks,” Bernal said, noting Matthiessen graces the cover of a county-sponsored tourism brochure.

Bernal further said Matthiessen’s growth was a long time in the making. The U.S. National Park Service celebrated its centennial in 2016 and the crush of visitors resulted in a spillover effect onto state parks. Starved Rock’s popularity soared and, as the parking lots filled to capacity, visitors migrated to Starved Rock’s sister park.

“The overflow from Starved Rock has caused the numbers at Matthiessen to grow year by year,” Bernal said.

Capital improvements have not hurt. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources made sidewalk improvements and resurfaced the parking lot, which facilitated traffic and parking generally and specifically on days when Starved Rock was filled to capacity.

“The park’s accessibility features, such as ADA-compliant restrooms, parking and trails, also make it an attractive option for a wider range of visitors,” said Bob Navarro, president and CEO of Heritage Corridor Destinations.

Matthew Kosch also attributes Matthiessen’s popularity to social media. Kosch is vice president of the Sonnenschein Groupe, which operates Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock, and he’s observed that Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have played “a pivotal role” in showcasing Matthiessen.

“Previously, many sightseers and hikers would not venture beyond the more well-known Starved Rock State Park,” Kosch said. “Now, the stunning scenery and unique geological features of Matthiessen are reaching a broader audience, enticing more visitors to explore its trails and waterfalls.”

This year’s total was further padded by good weather, sunflowers and fall foliage. Matthiessen broke monthly records in May, June, October and very nearly in March, which saw a 100% increase over the monthly average. Only in July did Matthiessen attendance slip below its monthly average.

Navarro attributed the monthly spikes to good weather, fall colors and seasonal waterfalls. Mother Nature may have boosted Matthiessen’s numbers, but Navarro said the park also got a boost from events and festivals across the Illinois Valley in Ottawa, La Salle, Princeton, Streator and the Burgoo Festival in Utica.

“We’re thrilled to see more and more people discovering Matthiessen State Park and enjoying all that it has to offer,” Kosch said. “It’s exciting to hear that the park is on the verge of setting a new visitor record this year.”

Matthiessen’s popularity isn’t necessarily happening at Starved Rock’s expense.

Starved Rock hasn’t toppled any attendance records lately – the last monthly mark to fall was August of 2022 – but the park still is poised to pass 2.4 million by year’s end. Current projections show Starved Rock to enjoy its seventh-best year on record.

Nevertheless, summer at Starved Rock wasn’t as busy as in recent years. The park posted below-average attendance from June through September.