Garden of the gods "you are here" Shawnee National Forest
Posted by: 
kodiak_62
N 37° 36.250 W 088° 23.105
16S E 377739 N 4162799
DAYLIGHT HOURS ONLY! Located in southern Illinois in the Shawnee National Forest, sign is handicapped accessibility.
Waymark Code: WM4GGG
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/21/2008
Views: 85
A trip during the Fall will be a real treat; as the rock formations coming from the golden and brown highlights of the forested valley can be quite breath-taking.
This wilderness area covers over 3,300 acres of beautiful old growth forest. 320 million years ago, southern Illinois was covered by an open shallow sea, the sediment rock in this area is over 4 miles deep. This area was thrust upward out of the water and became a small mountain range, today known as the Shawnee Hills. When the great ice sheets covered the Midwest, they extended at their largest size, just north of the Shawnee Hills. The real magic that formed the geological oddities of The Garden of the Gods came when the glaciers melted into a cacophony of raging waterfalls, rivers, rivulets, and the like that carved some interesting rock formations that represent various objects.
Garden of the Gods has two main trail systems. The best known trail is the Observation Trail, which follows a 1/4 mile paved trail that leads to some spectacular overlooks of the Garden of the Gods Wilderness area and views of unusual rock formations. This is an interpretive trail that has some interesting history about the geology of this area. This system includes other paths that combine for about 5.5 miles and are interconnecting.
The second main trail is the River-to-River Trail which continues for 8 miles, entering the east end of the park from High Knob then proceeding west to the Observation Trail, south below the rock formations bearing west again to Herod.
Location Name: Garden of the gods, Shawnee National Forest, Illinios
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Visit Instructions:
A photo of either you or your GPS at the site is welcomed but not required.