Buffalo Rock State Park

Welcome to Buffalo Rock State Park, once an island in the Illinois River, near Ottawa.

Park History: In the 17th century, when the priest Jacques Marquette and explorer Louis Jolliet came up the river, this land was home to the Illinois tribe. It is said that the French used Buffalo Rock as a military and trading post during their battles against the Iroquois. In later it was used as a religious meeting place and in 1912, the Crane Company of Chicago purchased the land, and managed it as an employee vacation destination and sanatorium for sick employees over a 15 year period. In 1927 the company chose another piece of land to be serve their needs and donated Buffalo Rock to the State of Illinois.

Today the park offers numerous recreational opportunities and serves as a home for bison. Please respect the bison's home. Come on out and have fun. The campites are primitive sites.