Visit the Rock Falls area and escape America’s #1 anti-activity, sitting. Activate your mind with what nature has to offer. You body will follow without even realizing it!
Rock Falls, IL is the start of the magnificent Hennepin Canal. Lining the waterway is a paved walking and bike path, and hidden away in the trees you will find the Upper Trail that makes for a challenging hike. Walk the walking bridge over the Upper Dam between Rock Falls and Sterling, IL and view the hydroelectric plant up close. Geocaching and disk golfing are accessible from the canal’s walkway, making for a great outdoor adventure down the waterway.
The Hennepin Canal
Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike enjoy everything the Hennepin Canal and Trail has to offer. Enjoy a ride around town or down the Hennepin Canal!
The Hennepin Feeder Canal is open to the public every season of the year for your needed exposure to green time, and our hotels are conveniently located near the Canal entrances, with one hotel having its own bridge to the trail.
The waterway offers excellent fishing and kayaking or canoeing opportunities. Fishing and paddling along the soft current of the Hennepin Feeder Canal make for a relaxing trip! Tucked away from the noise of the town, the canal is the perfect relaxation after a long day. The Hennepin Canal draws in many water sport enthusiasts because of the clean water and soft current, making for an easy paddle. Boat ramps are accessible right off of Route 40 and East 2nd Street. Dip in at:
- Jim Arduini Boat Ramp, Rock Falls
- Harry Oppold Marina, Sterling
- Page Park, Dixon
Bike Share
Stroll or bike down the shaded trail that runs parallel to the city. Rock Falls Tourism offers a Bike Share Program. All the bikes are located at the RB&W Riverfront Park in Rock Falls, right next to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. These bikes are controlled by bluetooth technology and users must download the Movatic app on their smartphones. The application works with iPhone and Android phones, and instructions are posted on the bike racks, with steps to follow right on the bikes themselves. Bikes are mainly sized for teens and adults at this time. Bicycle rentals are available May through October each year.
The RB&W District
The RB&W District is open all year and welcomes bicycling, jogging, and is accessible to persons with disabilities. Dogs on leash are welcome and pick-up and disposal of droppings is mandatory. The RB&W (Run Bike and Walk Park) represents the industrial history and economic future for Rock Falls. The area has 7 vendor cement pads with electric hookup, a covered, lighted amphitheater with seating, and serves as the location for many events in the area. The green park runs parallel to the Rock River which engulfs the location in the perfect blend of city life and nature.
The Art in the Park Sculpture Walk is located at the RB&W District – 201 East 2nd Street, just west of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. There are 11 sculptures within the RB&W District, as well as one sculpture on 1st Avenue which is adjacent to the RB&W District and another sculpture located on the East side of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites parking lot. While at the park, be sure to download the otocast app to hear about the sculptures directly from the creators.
Come explore the Rock River and surrounding parks and canals. It’s all available at “our Urban Crossroads: Where City Life & Nature Meet”.
