The First-Ever 360° Aerial View of Starved Rock State Park is Here

At Starved Rock Hikers, we’ve always believed the park has more to offer than what’s seen from the trails. And now, for the first time ever, we’ve brought that idea to life — from the sky.

This Jr. Ranger Day, we were honored to premiere a one-of-a-kind, 360° immersive experience, allowing visitors — especially Jr. Rangers — to explore Starved Rock State Park from an entirely new perspective. Through high-quality aerial imagery captured by co-founders Matthew Klein and Kyle Petersen over the course of all four seasons, attendees were able to view the park’s most remote and awe-inspiring locations in full panoramic detail.

Over 1,000 people attended Jr. Ranger Day, and many stepped into the headset to soar above frozen waterfalls, drift through spring canyons, and witness golden autumn bluffs — all without leaving the visitor center.

We’re proud to be the first organization to offer this kind of immersive, year-round aerial view of the park — and even prouder to share it with the next generation of explorers. For some, it was their first time experiencing the park from above. For others, it sparked a deeper curiosity for what’s waiting just around the bend of the next trail.

This is what Starved Rock Hikers is all about — not just hiking, but reimagining how we connect with nature. And this is only the beginning.

See you on the trail (or in the sky).