Rocky Glen
Rocky Glen is a special place near Kickapoo Creek Road. It is a steep, box canyon with two small waterfalls that cascade over limestone walls 60 feet high. The walls are covered with carved names and dates-the oldest dates are nearly 150 years old. Rocky Glen has been a place for local Peoria residents to visit for a very long time. Its native plants, mostly ferns and mosses and other moisture loving plants, add to the unique atmosphere. The state of Illinois lists Rocky Glen on their Illinois Natural Area Inventory, a listing reserved for less than 0.1 percent of surviving high quality natural land in the entire state that has escaped development.
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In the 1940s, the Peoria Journal Star ran several guest columns about Rocky Glen, talking about its popularity as a hiking destination. The property has been much less visited since the 1960s, when it became private land and off-limits to hikers. The owner of the 60 acres, Jim Connoughton, would like to sell the land, although its potential for development is limited. Instead, a group of volunteers has established a non-profit group called "Friends of Rocky Glen", http://friendsofrockyglen.org, to fundraise and buy the land for permanent, public protection. Public access to Rocky Glen is now limited by the owner to hikes conducted once a month. Please see the Home page or Calendar for upcoming dates for scheduled hikes and more information.