Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks are doing a booming business this holiday. The Conservation police’s Sgt. Phil Wire told “Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO” all parking was gone in the early afternoon, forcing Starved Rock to close their south and west entrances temporarily during the early afternoon. Wire said that this morning, cars were lined up through Utica to the fire station, then from the 4-way stop, up the overpass and out onto westbound i-80 for 2 miles (Milemarker 83). The eastbound lanes, not so much, says Wire. In the Matthiessen dells, visitors couldn’t get out. Cars were parked everywhere lining the entrance and down Route 178.
Wire says to expect traffic snarls Memorial Day from 10:30 to 3:30pm. The big draw, he said, are and will be the falls –until they dry up sometime in June.