Garden of the Gods: Shawnee National Forest, Illinois

Just minutes south of Carbondale, deep in the Shawnee National Forest is the Garden of the Gods, It is one of the most photographed locations in the Midwest. It's much steeper and rockier than in most of Illinois as the area features rock formations overlooking hills and valleys in the Garden of the Gods Wilderness area. It is located in the eastern part of the Shawnee National Forest, which in itself is a 277,000-acre gem.
Showing up after an ice storm, we were absolutely blown away by the hoodoos and other unusual sandstone formations, as well as scenic overlooks such as Buzzards Point, that had a half inch of ice coating the surface. Several of the hoodoos have very fitting names including Anvil Rock, Camel Rock, and Table Rock. Join us for a quick ramble around the The Observation Trail and see what this incredible place has to offer!