Hiking Shawnee National Forest - [Garden of the Gods Recreation Area]
Where is the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area? Garden of the Gods Recreation area is located in the Shawnee National Forest, in southern Illinois. It's about 2 hours from St. Louis, 3 hours from Louisville, 4 hours from Indianapolis, and 5.5 hours from Chicago. Why visit the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area? The sandstone formations and cliffs are the main attraction at Garden of the Gods Recreation Area. What should one expect on the trails in the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area? The Observation Trail is a 1/4 mile stone trail, with panoramic views of the surrounding area. It has a few steps and short, steep grades, but is generally rather easy. Benches are located throughout the trail. The other trails in the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area, which includes about 5 miles of the much longer River to River Trail, are mostly dirt paths and are generally a bit more challenging than the Observation Trail. With that said, I didn't find any of the trails to be particularly ...