Zion, Illinois

Zion lies along Lake Michigan, near the Wisconsin border. The area was originally inhabited by Potawatomi Indians. Zion was founded in 1900 by John Alexander Dowie, an evangelist originally from Scotland, as the headquarters of his Christian Catholic Church. Dowie envisioned that the city, founded on principles of racial equality, would be run in accordance with Christian ethics. The massive 8,000-seat Shiloh Tabernacle was completed in 1900 and became Zion’s religious center until it burned in 1937. Settlement began in 1901, and from its origins, the city was theocratically governed, with the church controlling all business activities. With few exceptions, streets in the city were named for biblical figures. Financial difficulties eventually led to Dowie’s ouster as general overseer; his successor was Wilbur Glenn Voliva.

The town’s chief attraction is the stunning 4,000-acre Illinois Beach State Park where you can recharge by meandering along its vast shoreline, biking their north to south trails, or hiking beneath the savannah oak trees. The town itself has several humble local hotel accommodations, but this state park is best to experience as a camper, so dust off that tent, pick up a bundle of firewood, and get cozy beneath the summer night sky. After traversing the state park, there are also numerous nearby forest preserves and river trails to experience like Van Patten Wood, Des Plaines River Trail, and the Pine Dunes Forest Preserve. In 1907 the city and the church were forced into bankruptcy, but over the next 15 years, the church reacquired much of its prior holdings in the city. Voliva and the church remained in firm control of Zion until the mid-1930s when Voliva was removed from power, and the city subsequently welcomed new churches and industry. The Christian Catholic Church schools were closed in 1939, after which a modern educational system was developed.

Miles from Chicago: 46 miles north
Suggested round-trip time: 1.5-hour drive
Location: Lake County, Illinois, United States

Tripadvisor Rating: 4.5/5