My wife and I wanted to check this place out since it was on her bucket list and apparently it…read morebecame on my bucket list as well since I love to see some other worldly things in my own home state of illinois. Thankfully we lucked out and we didn't get rained on but this place was still pretty busy. Depending on when you show up parking can be a bit Limited. The trails to the top is not too long either but the interaction is so long and breathtaking. I've never been to a park since I've been to Matheson State Park where you are able to climb on every little thing. The views here and the experience is unlike any other. It felt like I was back in the Smoky Mountains but with less tourists. They have public restrooms here as well though if there's a line it could take a while. Me and my wife spent a good few hours here and if you follow the trail it will take you right back to the parking lot. We also enjoyed that this place is also dog friendly too!

Located in Herod Illinois within the Shawnee National Forest,this is a must stop if in the area…read more The views and scenery are absolutely breathtaking. You can hike,camp,pinic or nature watch. The Observation Trail features unique rock formations and scenic views. Make sure you have gas and essentials as there is nothing available in the area.

I know you're going to stop believing if I keep giving all of the hikes in the Shawnee National…read moreForest area five stars, but the Panther Den Wilderness Area is an amazing one. The trail is pretty easy, with a bunch of nice little stream crossings, and the painfully scenic combination of dappled tree cover, and rock bluffs off to your right hand side as you hike out. Then, about a mile out, as you walk along the bluffs you'll suddenly see a giant stone corridor, leading into a series of beautiful stone chambers, some dark, some sunny, all mossy, wet, cool. If our experience with our toddler is any indication you can poke around in here for a long time, looking for different ways under, over, and around. Just be sure to save a little bit of energy for the walk back. It's not the easiest place to access, down a long unpaved one lane road with a tiny parking lot, but it meant we had the whole place almost to ourselves. (Though more cars did fill in on Sunday afternoon.) It lacks the immediate splendor of some of the other more famous places around here, but all told it's not far from my platonic ideal of a hike.

Come for the Garden of the Gods, stay for the wondrous hiking…read more If you drive 4.5 hours to see the Garden of the Gods, you also have to spend time hiking the actual forest it's in. That's what Emily and I did after taking in the breathtaking views at the Gardens. We kind of went into this blindly with just a map of the area. We backtracked a bit to this area that may have been something called Backpacker's Hike or something like that. Pictures say it was the Indian Point Trail. Anyways, we parked next to a few other cars and headed out to hike. I don't need to explain hiking but I will go over a few fun things we saw. There were more cliffs to enjoy but the views were just a bit less than stellar compared to the Gardens. Still great though. We saw a lot of places where people must've camped or hung out at night cause there were fire pits everywhere. We deviated from the path cause we were looking to hike as much as possible and ended up getting dead-ended about 4 times. While we were limited to this area of Shawnee, I would say we got a pretty good taste of what it offers. We got to see so many beautiful viewpoints and took plenty of great photos. I know this is just scraping the surface of what Shawnee National Forest offers and maybe some day I can go back and see all the other landmarks that this place is known for. Enjoy nature. It's a thing of beauty.

People don't even realize how big the Shawnee National Forest is. It basically stands most of…read moresouthern Illinois. It would truly take you about a week or more to truly experience everything in this entirety or at least the most out of it. Most of your activities if you come to the show National Forest are on the west side. Many things I wish we could still check out where the Little Grand Canyon that were on my bucket list but unfortunately we couldn't make it. Due to time restraints. The east side of the Shawnee National Forest is basically home to the very popular Garden of the Gods and I recommend the Rimrock Trail as well. I have yet to visit the central part of the Shawnee national forest as well as a few other parts. This place was beautiful to check out it says I felt like I was not even in Illinois, it felt like I was back parts of the Smoky Mountains. I do recommend if you come out to bring plenty of bug and Sun spray because these bugs do bite out here and you should be prepared especially in the summer

I actually came across this trail based off a recommendation from my hikers app and I am very…read morepleased I did this one. It's about a 15 minute drive from Garden of the Gods and is well worth the view. You do not get all the same views as the previous trail; however you do get some spectacular different ones. You will come across a stair case leading down into the ground besides the cliff and I highly recommend you take it. It feels much cooler down there and you can actually walk alongside the cliffs on a thin rock bridge and look out onto the forest. The paths are well kept in that area although I dont recommend taking small children along the rock bridge. You also get a few cliff views looking out over the forest and really good spots to set up a hammock to relax with.

I recently stopped here with a wife after visiting the Garden of the Gods just because we needed a…read moretrail to go on and a Garden of the Gods was not really too much of a trail it was more just scenery. This is a good walk though it's not long but you get to climb various elevations and get to see some good views and you get to see some of the rock formations as well. Trail is not too busy as well either trail is fairly maintained as well! Expect a decent workout on your legs but if you walk the other way around it's much easier going counterclockwise

Mantle Rock is tucked away in Western Kentucky's Livingston County and is a small pocket of arches…read moreand rock shelters. This location has a sandstone bridge/arch that spans 188 feet that you will come across within just minutes of parking. But this place offers so much more. The total grounds are 367 acres and the total length of the loop trail is listed at only 1.8 miles, but when you hike off trail the world opens up. You can come across rare plants that are only native to this eco system, like cactus located on top on the arch. If you look long enough then you can find original indian carvings and I will not list the location for fear of people doing damage to something that is so seldom come across. Also, if you live in Louisville or southern Indiana like me, then this isn't a short drive, instead its a very, very long drive. Its worth saying that Mantle Rock isn't an area that you can camp but really is a place for an interesting day hike. Just don't find yourself contained to walking the marked path, venture off and then you will be so pleased that the long drive is forgotten. Relax and follow the stream that runs within the grounds.

Haven't been for a few yrs but visit made real impression on me thinking of Indians spending winter…read morethere.

Brush Hill is one of my favorite Green Earth preserves. Though only a mile, it's probably the most…read morechallenging of the Green Earth trails (though still pretty easy) due to the hills. The educational brochure taught me about the differences between upland and lowland forest and the effects of the 2009 derecho. One of my favorite things about Brush Hill, though, is that there's always a lot of bird activity; it's wonderful to sit on the bench overlooking a seasonal pond and listen to the many species of birds active throughout the preserve.

From the owner: Our mission is to preserve natural areas for the benefit of the people of Carbondale, IL. We…read morespecialize in providing unique opportunities for people to get outside and experience nature like never before.

A companion learned of this bridge and took us. I'm so glad she did. It's a beautiful red bridge…read moreand we needed to stretch our legs before a long car ride. You can see where people have carved their names, initials, and dates for over 100 years. If you go with someone, hold a little competition to see who can find the oldest, newest, or most interesting. Highly recommend!

A great beginner trail but beware of spider webs. The trails are also pretty narrow so don't expect…read moreto walk more than 2-3 wide. The story walk is also pretty nice if you have kids with lots of rest stops across the .2 mile trail. All in all a good nature walk.

Walked this trail many times. Make sure to stay clear when it has rained. The trails can get very…read moremuddy and be to much of a hassle. Watch for deer their are lots of them.