Explorations of the gorgeous Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois may not technically apart of the Ozarks, but that hasn’t stopped the locals from advertising it as such. Honestly, it looks just like the Ozarks, just with less caves and natural springs. The area is made up of the Shawnee Hills, much of which is now part of the Shawnee National Forest. Within the national forest are several smaller recreation areas that are just fantastic with many hiking opportunities. The most famous of this are the Garden of the Gods and Rim Rock. I also really enjoyed Pounds Hollow.
I had first learned about the Garden of the Gods when I lived in Springfield, Illinois. It was too far away for a day trip, and I wasn’t into camping at the time, so I never visited. Now that I am located even closer (even though I live in Missouri), I thought it was worth a weekend away.
Garden of the Gods has several trails, the best being is the quarter mile Observation Trail. It’s just gorgeous.
Jana Irving Even the trail itself is gorgeous.
Jana Irving This was a bit of a squeeze.
Jana Irving The trail leads right through some of the rock formations.
Jana Irving The sun wasn’t even fully up when I started hiking.
Jana Irving The rock on top is harder than the rock below, leading to some interesting formations.
Jana Irving Looking like a bunch of mushrooms. It reminds of a bit of Nebraska’s Toadstool Park.
Jana Irving Very weird. The dark reddish-brown bits have been stained by iron when the rock was still underground. So, the rust is actually natural.
Jana Irving This rock kind of looks like corral.
Jana Irving Finally, some views.
Jana Irving The trail follows this awesome cliff.
Jana Irving This formation is called the Devil’s Smokestack.
Jana Irving Getting more and more sunlight.
Jana Irving A very lovely fall day.
Jana Irving Gorgeous area.
Jana Irving It’s surprising where trees can grow.
Jana Irving Another gorgeous view on the way back to the parking lot.
Jana Irving I also hiked the not as exciting Indian Point Trailhead, but still a lovely trail with some good views.
Jana Irving There was also some good color.
Jana Irving More rock formations.
Jana Irving Some more cool formations.
Moving on to Pounds Hollow, a recreation area in Shawnee National Forest.
Jana Irving Pounds Lake, a pretty man-made lake.
Jana Irving The Pounds Hollow Trail follows the lake into a gorgeous hollow.
Jana Irving Another gorgeous trail.
Jana Irving Wonderful forest. I really liked this trail.
Jana Irving There were small leaves floating down into the hollow like snowflakes. It was a bit magical.
Jana Irving The stairs lead up to a closed staircase that leads to the Rim Rock National Recreation Trail. It was a nice trail but it no longer has any views.
Jana Irving I love a good hollow.
Skipping my stops Rim Rock National Recreation Trail, the Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area and a random iron furnace, I’m moving on to my final stop of the day, Bell Smith Springs Scenic Area. I decided on doing the Hunting Branch Trail.
Jana Irving The trail loops around this dry creek bed. The creek has made a little canyon for itself, but it’s dry due to the lack of rain over the summer. It’s always fun taking pictures while blinded by the sun.
Jana Irving Little canyon.
Jana Irving Little pools.
Jana Irving Finishing this post with a bit of fall color.
The Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois is a fantastic forest with plenty of great trails to hike and other activities. I really enjoyed my stay, even though I totally decided to come last minute. Vey worth it.
Check out my next update where I explore Illinois’ Giant City State Park!
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