Shawnee National Forest is the best of Illinois

I must admit something. We have lived in Illinois for my entire life, not only that but more southern Illinois for my entire life and I have never once visited Shawnee National Forest. I can’t really explain why that is. I mean it is only a few hours away from us. We pass by it anytime that we travel south. It just always has been a place we drive though and say “one day we need to stop here”.

That all changed in the fall of 2022. We deicide that we were actually going to plan a long weekend to go and explore Shawnee National Forest and try to catch all of the colors of the leaves changing. So, we booked campsite and away we went.

 OK, so it really was not that much of a spur of the moment trip. Kaitlin’s brother lives in the area of Shawnee and we wanted to visit him and his wife while enjoying some awesome BBQ that he made for our visit. We also had to plan out the perfect campground that was centrally located. Shawnee National Forest is fairly large and spread out over a big footprint. Shawnee Forest Campground served as a perfect centralized location so we did not have to spend half our day driving in order to get to where we wanted to be. With full hookup sites and big rig friendly parking it would be hard to find a better place to spend your weekend.

Garden of the Gods Observation Trail

The Garden of the Gods observation trail is the gold standard trail in Shawnee National Forest. No other trail gives you the breathtaking awe-inspiring views of this beautiful forest. This half mile loop trail is considered an easy hike. It has an elevation gain of only 39 ft. and offers both a boardwalk and a well maintained trail to walk on.

Only real issue with the trail is it is crazy busy. You will encounter a lot of people (and dogs) walking and running on the trail. Even though the trail is very well maintained and has a lot of visitors it is still worth mentioning that you should keep a close eye on your children. One wrong step and they easily can take a tumble off the cliff edge. As long as you have that in mind, the Garden of the Gods Observation Trail is a must see and do anytime that you are in the area of Shawnee National Forest.

The kids and I both equally loved this trail. It was a very easy hike which meant that we could spend our energy climbing on the huge boulders and taking side trails that we had to squeeze ourselves through rock passages. Jumping from rock to rock reminded me that I am no longer a young man as landing one of my jumps ended up causing me to twist my ankle. That made the rest of the hike a little painful but worth all the effort.

Cave in Rock

My second favorite part of Shawnee National Forest area is Cave in Rock State Park. Just like the name suggest it is in fact a cave that is formed inside a rock. I know its super original, cleaver, and unique name for the park. Don’t let the lame name discourage you from checking this place out though. It is located right along the shores of the Ohio River. I would only recommend setting aside no more than a hour for exploration of this shallow cave. It is not a very deep cave but is unique and completely open to letting the kids go climb and explore as much as their hearts desire.

The 55ft opening is remarkable and unforgettable. Once you walk inside you will see where a small stream has carved out some of the rock heading out to the river and as long as it is dry out there is no reason that the cave cannot be explored with regular footwear.

The kids enjoyed climbing and exploring some of the dark parts of the cave but to be honest they preferred one of the many playgrounds located throughout the park. We spent twice as long letting them play on the swings than we did inside the cave.

If you are looking for a hotel to stay in there is one located at Cave in Rock State Park. There is also a southern style restaurant located on site that we did not try out but does have very good reviews.

Giant City Nature Trail

Third up on the must see while visiting Shawnee National Forest is the Giant City Nature Trail. This short 1-mile loop trail has a lot to offer in such a short distance. It is considered a rugged trail since the trail is off balance, rocky, and not as well maintained as some of the others in the area. What I liked about that is it makes this trail a lot less traveled. We came across others on this trail but it was the least crowded out of all the trails we visited in Shawnee National Forest.

The boys loved climbing on all the large boulders that was formed in this area from an ancient glacial stream. The trail reminded me a lot of “The Ledges” trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Large boulders with narrow walk ways nestled within thick vegetation is the best way to describe this trail. Along the trail there is also shallow caves carved into the rocks that kids and adults alike will get a kick out of exploring. As much as the kids loved to climb on the rocks and walk the rocky trail, I must give a warning that if you have a hard time keeping balance on uneven surfaces. This may not be the trail for you.

Ferne Clyffe State Park

One of my favorite State Parks in Shawnee Forest is Ferne Clyffe. There is a large pond that has exceptional fishing and a pond hike that goes all the way around the waterway and is an easy 1-mile loop. As nice as the lake trail is, I am not here to talk about that. I want to discuss a trail that is located at the back of the park. This trail is a flat, unpaved, easy trail that leads along a stream. If you follow this trail back you come to a magnificent waterfall that makes you feel like you are in the mountains of Tennessee, not southern Illinois.

If you want to take full advantage of this you must visit in the spring during the rainy season. We have been in mid-summer and the waterfall is dried up to just a trickle at that point. Coming in May or Early June is superb! The season make all the difference in the world! Once you reach the falls you can either sit and enjoy some time listening to the rushing falls, have a picnic, or jump in and enjoy the cold water.

Chocolate Factory

To be honest there just was not a lot of places that called to us to come in and eat while we were visiting Shawnee National Forest. That is not to say there is not good places to eat, but none that really grabbed our attention. That was until we drove past the chocolate factory located in Golconda, IL. My sweet tooth just could not stand with driving past here without stopping and seeing what treats I could get for……. the kids.

With a line out the front door and down the sidewalk it must be good, right? YES, it is that good. The aroma of silky-smooth chocolate and creamy ice cream fills the air as you walk inside this shop. Loads of options and flavors fly off the shelves and smack you in the face.

Finding just one thing to buy here is impossible. We loaded up on a few bags of treats and a dipped waffle cone and headed back to the camper. This chocolate was a staple on our trip and we will defiantly make it a tradition to stop here every time we visit the forest.   Check out their online store and see if you find something that floats your boat.