Waterfalls in Illinois

Waterfalls in Illinois at a glance

Illinois has 37 named waterfalls on our map, 32nd among the states. Most are small drops on creeks and rivers, and many run best in spring or after rain.

For bigger falls, the nearest waterfall country is Missouri and Indiana. Missouri's best-known falls include Mina Sauk Falls, Grand Falls. Search your town on the map above and set the radius to 100 or 200 miles to see which are within a day trip; the map crosses state lines.

Small falls like these are at their best in spring and in the day or two after heavy rain, when the creeks feeding them run high; in dry spells many shrink to a trickle. See the best time to see waterfalls.

Illinois by the numbers

The map shows 37 named falls in Illinois. 6 of them are in the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the federal register of official place names, and 31 more are named falls mapped only in OpenStreetMap. 4 have a height recorded by OpenStreetMap mappers, which is what the height filter above uses. DuPageCounty has the most, with 2.

Tallest recorded waterfalls in Illinois

Heights as recorded in OpenStreetMap, converted to feet. Guidebooks may list different figures, usually because they count every tier of a fall or only the biggest drop. Why heights differ.

Counties with the most waterfalls

From the USGS record, which gives each fall's county.

Every named waterfall in Illinois

Alphabetical within each county. Tap a name to centre the map above on it.

Adams County (1)

Homan Falls

DuPage County (2)

Canyon Creek Cascade (3 ft), Canyon Creek Falls

Johnson County (1)

Cedar Falls

LaSalle County (1)

Great Falls of the Illinois River

Pope County (1)

Burden Falls (102 ft)

County not recorded (31)

Apple Canyon Waterfall, Arch of the Gods Cascade, Avery Hollow South Falls, Battery Rock Alcove Waterfall, Beaver Falls, Bjork's Falls (98 ft), Blue Blaze Cascade, Boulder Falls, Cascade Falls, Cedar/Pakentuck Falls, Colorful Bluffs Waterfall, Creek Trek Waterfall, Dixon Springs Waterfall, East Waterfall - O Taki, Falls-Shelter Bluff, Ghost Dance Canyon Boulder Falls, Jackson Falls, Kinkaid Lake Spillway Falls, Lake Falls, N37 24.465 W88 35.372, Ottawa Canyon Waterfall, Panther Falls, Ripple Canyon Falls, Rosemont Waterfall, Saint Louis Canyon Waterfall, Sawmill Creek Waterfall (10 ft), Sierra Falls, Spillway Falls, Thunder Bay Falls, Upper Burden Falls, Wildcat Canyon Waterfall

Before you go

The map shows where falls are, not whether they are open or safe to reach. Check the land manager, usually a state park or national forest, for closures, fees and permits, and stay on the trail near the water. Our waterfall safety guide covers the hazards, and waterfall hikes near me explains how to pick a trail.

Waterfalls near cities close to Illinois

Every named fall within driving range of the city, nearest first: waterfalls near Indianapolis, waterfalls near Louisville, waterfalls near Cincinnati.

Waterfalls in nearby states: Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin. Or see waterfalls in every state.