The river has extensive scenic resources within and visible from the stream corridors - notably high cliffs and bluffs, but also streamside ledges and overhangs.

Spectacular cliffs of erosion-resistant rock exist along much of the Illinois, and to a lesser extent on Flint and Barren Fork Creeks. These cliffs were formed by cutting through sedimentary layers deposited between 500 million - 200 million years ago.
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