Best lookout points in Illinois

Visit any given lookout point near you on a Saturday afternoon, and you're likely to be joined by several other people angling to get a glimpse of the view. Humans have always been drawn to vista points, whether for practical reasons such as surveying a large swath for scouting or simply to enjoy the natural (or human-made) landscape.

This has led to local and federal governments investing in parking, platforms, and public binoculars to better manage crowds gathering at lookout points across the United States. Arizona's Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado River snakes around sandstone rock, gets 2 million visitors per year. The city of Page, Arizona, where Horseshoe Bend is located, has spent more than $5 million in parking and safety improvements due to the growing crowds.

More than 2 million people visit 30 Rockefeller Plaza to get a panoramic view of a landscape that's a little different than Horseshoe Bend: the concrete-laden skyline of New York City. Since visitors get an 850-foot-high-up view on the building's observation deck named Top of the Rock, it attracts everyone from out-of-town visitors to people ready to propose a wedding engagement.

There are thousands of lookout points across the United States that offer special views like these, which means there are beautiful vistas near you. Stacker compiled a list of the best lookout points in Illinois using April 2024 data from Tripadvisor to help you find your next great view.

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