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Lookout · Illinois River Road

Sandstone Point Overlook

OpenStreetMap
Looking north-west from Sandstone Point Overlook. Terrain at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Sandstone Point Overlook sits at 542 feet along the Illinois River Road, facing 300 degrees with the land dropping 84 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. Several other viewpoints are visible from this spot: Wildcat Canyon to the west at 0.3 miles and 581 feet, Beehive Overlook to the west-northwest at 0.4 miles and 530 feet, Pontiac Canyon to the west-northwest at 0.5 miles and 562 feet, and Eagle Cliff Overlook to the west-northwest at 0.6 miles and 561 feet. The facing direction points toward the sunset side of the sky, roughly 30 degrees off square. Sunset times vary through the year, from 19:08 at the March equinox and 20:33 at the June solstice to 18:55 at the September equinox and 16:30 at the December solstice. The nearest towns are Oswego, 41.1 miles to the northeast, Aurora at 45.9 miles, and Batavia at 50.4 miles. Along the byway, this overlook falls between Lonetree Canyon and Basswood Canyon.

Access
0.3 mi detour
Elevation
542 ft
View
Northwest · 300°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
84 ft drop
In view
4 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
Aerial view of Starved Rock Lock and Dam on Illinois Waterway , river mile 231. Utica, Illinois, USA.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domain · source
Old Kaskaskia Village, located on the north bank of the Illinois River east of North Utica, Illinois. The road at left is Dee Bennett Road. The river is out of the frame to the right, about 1,000 feet (300 m) south of the road. The building with three rows of windows to the right of the road is the
Ammodramus · CC0 · source
Dam on Illinois River from Starved Rock
Redstar3894 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Starved Rock Lock & Dam in Utica Township, IL (1933). The Illinois Waterway project was started in 1926 and finished seven years later. The lock and dam was completed with funds from the Rivers and Harbors Act. It drops the waters of the Illinois River from 245 to 231 feet.
Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Lasalles Canyon Falls - Starved Rock State Park
hakkun · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Starved Rock Dam on the Illinois River, from the south side
hakkun · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Wildcat Canyon581 ftwest · 0.3 mi
  • Beehive Overlook530 ftwest-northwest · 0.4 mi
  • Pontiac Canyon562 ftwest-northwest · 0.5 mi
  • Eagle Cliff Overlook561 ftwest-northwest · 0.6 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:0019:0818:32
June solstice05:2420:3319:52
September equinox06:4418:5518:18
December solstice07:1916:3015:46

Local time (America/Chicago). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Oswego41.1 mi northeast
  • Aurora45.9 mi northeast
  • Batavia50.4 mi northeast
← Before it: Lonetree CanyonAfter it: Basswood Canyon →
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Common questions

How high is Sandstone Point Overlook?

Sandstone Point Overlook sits at about 542 feet (165 m).

What can you see from Sandstone Point Overlook?

From Sandstone Point Overlook: Wildcat Canyon (W, 0.3 mi); Beehive Overlook (WNW, 0.4 mi); Pontiac Canyon (WNW, 0.5 mi); Eagle Cliff Overlook (WNW, 0.6 mi).

Is Sandstone Point Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Sandstone Point Overlook toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Sandstone Point Overlook?

Oswego, 41 miles NE of Sandstone Point Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Sandstone Point Overlook?

Basswood Canyon is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Sandstone Point Overlook.

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Community · From people who stood here

Locals make it Verified.

Sandstone Point Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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Field notes

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