Some must sees are Garden of the Gods, Jackson Falls and Cedar Falls if there has been some rain. Shawnee is full of primitive camping. The river to river trail around garden of the gods has some nice places to camp with beautiful views.
Some must sees are Garden of the Gods, Jackson Falls and Cedar Falls if there has been some rain. Shawnee is full of primitive camping. The river to river trail around garden of the gods has some nice places to camp with beautiful views.
Since I am not heading down for the eclipse I will be more than happy to share my spot when I go down to Shawnee. MOST of the time i stay in Garden of the Gods. This is a great place for day hikes throughout the park. Indian point. and throughout. Great place for a 3 day 2 night adventure. As far as a camp site. Head West from the Backpacking parking lot down the River to River trail. About 3-4 miles in you will get to the "bluffs". This isnt somewhere you just walk right by either so you dont worry about walking right by it. You will have great views and in fact its open views for "cowboy style" camping on top of the rock. If this is taken you can go about a quarter of a mile further down the trail and have even larger campsite. So if your coming from Ohare or Midway your looking at a 6 hour drive. Stop at a Cracker Barrel restaurant for food as I dont know anyone that has gotten sick from there. Its a great way to start a trip. You can leave your rental car at the backpacker parking lot over night no need to register. I think thats about it. Any questions let .me know I will be glad to give you a hand.
-- dither aka lowlatency
More great stuff, thanks all! My trip is now officially ON, and it sounds like the Garden of the Gods should be the focal point. Seems like an appropriate spot from which to view a total eclipse too.
Although I have only scratched the surface on the trails there, Garden of the Gods is certainly one of the best places in the Midwest for vistas. Even if you set up a base camp anywhere you can, there will be ample beautiful places to view the eclipse. Cloud cover should be your only restriction -- I know it will be ours.
As far as bears and hunters, I know of no bears in the area. I'm not sure about the Illinois hunting seasons, but I have camped in the fall during deer season and had no issues. The only thing I can think to warn you about are Timber Rattlesnakes. I had two buddies almost step on a four footer on a warm October day as it sunned itself on a trail. They're supposed to be a fairly mild tempered snake that only bites when threatened, but I wouldn't want to push one too much. Coyotes are about the only other predator I can think of out there -- you may hear them, but I doubt you see one.
All in all, Garden of the Gods is a great location and was the first place I thought of when my family started talking about the eclipse. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll make it a hammock or camping trip. Maybe next time... haha.
I've camped in the dispersed/wilderness area of the Garden of the Gods in my Hammock. Saw only one group of travelers in 4 days there. It was beautiful there and I recommend It to everyone. Sounds like a fun trip and I wish I could join.
Get lost in the woods and find yourself again. A vacation,to me, is working with your hands and surviving because of the fruits of your labor. In the business world I teach;in the natural world I learn.
Don't spend too much or put in too much effort...you'll jinx it! 100% cloud cover and rain
Hmm, does flying 4,000 miles count?Originally Posted by markr6
Don't spend too much or put in too much effort...you'll jinx it! 100% cloud cover and rain
Hi, I live near St. Louis (Illinois side), just a couple of hours from Carbondale, and my dad is from that area down there. I love the Shawnee N.F. It sounds like you've received some pretty good advice on here so far. Garden of the Gods is a very beautiful area to experience anytime, and probably especially during the eclipse. The only negative is that it's clear on the far side of the forest from Carbondale, where your train will drop you off. It's about 60 miles away, just keep that in mind. Someone mentioned Bald Knob Wilderness, one of my favorite areas of the forest. It's about 25 miles from Carbondale and would also be an option. Overall though, I think I would recommend Garden of the Gods for your first visit to the Shawnee. Enjoy, and please post a trip report on here afterwards about how it went.
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Thanks, I will do that! I'm also going to spend a night somewhere between Memphis and St Louis, probably in the Mark Twain National Forest. The Bell Mountain loop shown on this map looked promising, does anybody know it?
http://www.ozarktrail.com/maps/detailed/TaumSauk1.jpg
TaumSauk1.jpg
I know it quite well. It's a gorgeous area with great hiking and fantastic views. It's a bit rugged but not awful. If it has rained in the previous day or two the trail can be something of a stream... the glades to the east and southeast are gorgeous places to bum around and take in the views, and from what I hear, there is a variety of scorpion that only lives there. I've never seen one though. If you park at the trailhead on highway A, the lead in trail is a real *** kicker, but if you park north at 32 and DD and hike the lead in southward it's definitely more than a leisurely stroll, but it avoids the long steep up. When I plan to break in newbie backpackers, this is the place I take them. The whole area is absolutely beautiful.
Cheers,
The Goat
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