Joliet Quarries

So I was talking to my old man who did a lot of climbing in the 70's and early 80's and he said they used to climb in the unfilled Joliet quarries. After work for a few hours kinda thing just for fun but said it was pretty decent. Obviously access issues have changed, but anyone know about these possibilities?

I have heard a similar story from the 70s.

Looking on Google Maps looks like a decent cliff line off Mills Road & Rt 53. Lots of trees for anchors. IF LEGAL, would be fun to have a local SW suburbs spot for a few laps.

Im in Homer Glen - maybe take a drive over this weekend and scout around.

Theres a few cliff jumping videos I watched to do a little recon with. Ill drive by tomorrow morning or so.

New Lenox? Im just up at gouger & bruce. Let me know if your ever interested in climbing...always looking for partners.

youtube.com/watch?v=RcnwWts…

Have any of you been to Kankakee State Park? There was a guidebook (or part of a guidebook) in the 70s. There has been some interest in getting it reopened, and the Access Fund has approached the Superintendent, but none of us know what there is worth pursuing. Someone want to scout that?

I know Kankakee used to have decent climbing. I think mainly top rope only. The old Rock and Road Atlas has a description of it.

I called down there a year or so ago and it was an unequivocal no. If there was even the slightest chance of opening I'd happily drive over.

I'm interested in Buffalo Rock out by ottawa. It is still openot as far as I know but haven't been there and know nothing about it. Any word?

Last time I was at Buffalo Rock I got a ticket just for being off the trail, sitting on top of a cliff. I'm going to guess climbing is a no go. The ranger was not a nice guy either.

Hmm...might also have the same problem as Starved Rock, I.E. fragile sandstone. Although, if there used to be a guidebook, that could be promising...

Kankakee used to be relatively popular. The issue isnt rock quality, just access.

Scouted out the quarry on Mills Road & RT 53. Definitely big gate in front. Drove around back side and found some trails and busted down fence. Lower left corner of photo behind tree is not water filled, but sandy bottom.

Follow trail to the N/S train tracks and those would bring you right to the top of that cliff band. I had wife and dogs in car so didn't pursue any further.

Damn, those cliffs look tall! And only 1.5 hours from Chicago? Probably chossy as hell if they haven't been climbed on, though. Limestone?

It's dolomite limestone. Stuff used to build a lot of Chicago landmarks. I think water tower place. The history of it all is actually pretty cool in the role it played in growth of chicago. Looked pretty and was Actually looked pretty clean, minus the obvious band of choss.

Doug Hemken wrote:Have any of you been to Kankakee State Park? There was a guidebook (or part of a guidebook) in the 70s. There has been some interest in getting it reopened, and the Access Fund has approached the Superintendent, but none of us know what there is worth pursuing. Someone want to scout that?

There was an article on Kankakee in Climbing probably around 1983 (god I'm an old fart). I visited on my own once and found lots of dirty loose choss. Wish I had known the locals to point out the better routes.

Climbed at Kankakee in the late 70's ......once and that was enough. Lots of choss and dirt covered holds. No guide book at the time and it wasn't a state park. I believe Bob Horan lived near by and developed some of the climbs. Glencoe beach was miles better! Now Puke

BUMP

Anybody have interest in Kankakee? I climbed there with a friend a few times in the last few months. It is pretty dirty in spots, or a lot of overhanging loose stuff. There is one medium-size cave good for bouldering. Nothing like established climbing at Palisades or Devils Lake.

I got a ticket for "unlawful climbing / rapelling" and was urged by the park warden to post about this on wherever I found out about Kankakee. She also told me that "homosexuals have been meeting up at the park section north of here" (this part is closed rn). I also ensured her that that's not what my climbing partner and I were up to LOL. By the way the whole bridge over the river there has collapsed and is being reconstructed through possibly november '16 so I almost got a trespass for crossing the construction site. That's a lot of info in one small paragraph for ya!

Anyway I'm posting wondering if it would be worth pursuing trying to get this re-opened. Anyone interested? I was thinking of getting a petition going? Would have to wait at least until after the bridge is fixed. I prodded at the issue while talking to the ranger, something along the lines of, "its up to my boss, and her boss, etc. liability" Does anyone know if any efforts like this have been made to re-open? Anything with access funds.

In the meantime I urge people, stay away / make the trip to palisades or devil's lake.

I've passed this along to the AF.

Doug and Mikeyy: I used to climb there a lot, right up to the day in early June 1983 when they closed the park to climbing. Lots of appeals done. An interest about reopening through Access Fund help and Illinois climbers assoc. was indicated about 6 or more months ago, I sent them tons of paperwork and records, letters, appeals, etc. done back then for their records. I haven't heard back, and I haven't been back here to MP for many months until today either. There is something in the works...let's hope it does some good. Small 30 ft or less cliffs, but at least something fun to play on. Bouldering 'pad people' would like the place for sure, besides the usual trad climbers. No sport, not suggested at all with the low cliffs and soft limestone that does crumble off in pieces now and then.

Steve Sangdahl wrote:Climbed at Kankakee in the late 70's ......once and that was enough. Lots of choss and dirt covered holds. No guide book at the time and it wasn't a state park. I believe Bob Horan lived near by and developed some of the climbs. Glencoe beach was miles better! Now Puke

I never knew Bob lived down my way near the park,,just that he had done the first 5.11 route on that one blank wall. We did clean the routes with hard wire brushes a lot, pulled off loose rock, cleaned cracks, scraped away mosses and ferns...all the stuff that they want left in place these days on the rocks instead of climbers on the rocks. It's a dirt-fest for sure, the last I saw it. And yes, big costly tickets and gear confiscation was their threats to us right from the closure date in June of '83'.

bchristie wrote:Looking on Google Maps looks like a decent cliff line off Mills Road & Rt 53. Lots of trees for anchors. IF LEGAL, would be fun to have a local SW suburbs spot for a few laps. Im in Homer Glen - maybe take a drive over this weekend and scout around.

I lived out this way for my whole life. Joliet, Lemont area quarries are all NO climbing, most either private property or Material Service. Plenty of deaths in those ones on Rt. 53 too from swimmers, jumpers, and cars going over the edge. Quarry blasted rock is NOT climbable rock people. Especially rotten Niagara Limestone that you have here in Joliet, Lemont and even the rock in Kankakee area. It has to be naturally eroded canyon like down at Kankakee State Park section that is being checked out for a possible reopening by a study group from Ilinois climbers and the Access Fund. Hope to hear back from them later this summer on any success over last 8 +months of their efforts. But forget those quarries..not a good or safe place at all. Every few years somebody sees them and brings the idea up again here at MP