Wow, is this a treasure trove of Tolkien details! Come stay in a hobbit inspired cabin that is…read moreearth bermed with solar power. You won't regret it. We didn't. We were blessed to be on location for the 2017 great American eclipse where we had front row seating on top of our roof within a football field of the point of maximum totality. It was awesome! That being said, the cabins are rich in detail and comfort fit for the best of hobbits. It's hard to express how wonderful our visit was and how highly we recommend it so I created this poem. ODE to the Rocky Comfort Cabins 2017 Great American Eclipse We came from the north To this hobbit house Where we stayed half a week As snug as a mouse The home was so cozy And neat as a pin And we wondered in awe At what lay within Round windows galore Not to mention the door Adorned this cute cottage With a grand tiled floor The fireplace beckoned But the weather was hot So we agreed at this time Not to give it a shot The hot tub amazed us Such powerful jets Worked magical wonders On sore backs and necks Surrounded by nature And flowers pink and blue Hummingbirds fluttered And butterflies too A walk through the woods Past some spiders and skinks Soon led to a vineyard With multiple drinks With thanks to our hosts Nancy and Ed We slept very well In the comfortable bed The shuttle arrived It drove round the bend To follow the wine trail Beginning to end Another night passed And the great day arrived When we would see wonders Adorning the sky The pilgrims they gathered Not far from the Cove To see with their eyes These strange mysteries unfold What loud oohs and ahhs Filled our ears on that day As a perfect eclipse Began on its way The sun disappeared And it got very cool While it seemed pretty weird It was No April's Fool We were all glad we came To this place in the Hollow And agreed one more trip May just have to follow In 2 - 0 - 2 - 4 May we come back for more To stay in a cottage With a round happy door!!

We were looking for a place for a short vacation where we could unwind and relax, and this place is…read moreperfect. We stayed in the Creole cabin and it's absolutely perfect for a couple. Very cozy! We loved seeing all the butterflies, and the hot tub was great. The owners put a lot of effort into keeping the property beautiful and inviting. We look forward to booking another stay soon!

This getaway was a life saver. After some research and comparison on other options in the area, I…read moreset up a reservation online. The pictures of the interior (and exterior) looked amazing. We stayed in the Woodsong cabins. The accommodations were great, and everything was very clean and functional. It was very comfortable - the atmosphere, the furniture, and view. We were lucky to have nice weather in February and used the jacuzzi all weekend as well as sat outside. It was delightful to get full use of the layout and grounds. The location is close to Carbondale so very convenient for food/entertainment or grocery shopping. If you want a weekend getaway that's just close enough to resources and shopping but still rural - Woodland Cabins is the perfect place.

We didn't want to leave. I almost didn't - seriously. If I didn't have so much work to come home…read moreto, we would have spontaneously stayed an extra night. You'll feel like home here. We stayed in the Fern Glen cabin which is a little further away from the other 3 that are closer together and on a pond. We were just there this past weekend (in December), and they had a Christmas tree in the living room! It was a wonderful surprise that really rounded out the experience. The fireplace is awesome. There is a fire pit outside, but we didn't have the chance to use it. We DID have the chance to use the hot tub (twice), which was awesome! There's something about being able to soak in a hot tub outside in the middle of December. It was very clean and a nice hot tub. Inside the cabin, they have everything you need. Full kitchen, huge bathroom, plenty of pillows/blankets, plus a TV and DVD player if you feel like it. Oh, and a grill on the back deck! I grilled steaks our first night there. For ~$155/night, you get a ton of value here. I can't wait to go back! It's a great place to stay if you're heading down for the winery trail.

This was our first time staying here. We actually spotted these rentals about two years ago while…read moredriving by on our way to a hike and said, "We need to come back and stay there." So glad we finally did. We stayed in the White Oak Treehouse and it was solid. Such a cool experience being up in the trees but still completely comfortable. Clean, cozy, and everything worked the way it should. Peaceful without feeling rough or overly rustic. We made use of the fire pit and the grill, which really added to the stay. Sitting outside near the treehouse in the evening, surrounded by trees, felt incredibly private. Honestly, I think the White Oak is probably the most private rental on the property. It's in the middle of so many great trails. Garden of the Gods, Rim Rock, and Pounds Hollow are all close by. Just a note......Pounds Hollow is only accessible to foot traffic from December through mid-March. We spotted a bald eagle, heard coyotes at night, and I got to sit on the porch with coffee listening to a rooster crow somewhere in the distance (no roosters on site, which made it even funnier). The staff are great and very responsive. From booking to check-in, it's been a really pleasant experience. I received a gift card for my birthday...just a heads up, if you're using a gift card you'll need to call the office to make your reservation so they can apply it. Otherwise, you can book directly on their website. The outpost where you check in has tons of resources for hiking and trails, plus a lot of other helpful amenities. There were also a couple of sweet surprise kitty visitors during our stay, which just added to the charm. This has been a really great stay. Would absolutely come back.

This review is for Chestnut. Nice, clean place, close to Garden of the Gods. Kitchen is spartan but…read moreworkable. Not much for dining or groceries in the area; bring what you need. Also, bring hangers.

I had always wanted to visit the Garden of the Gods and I'm not sure how I came across SFC, but…read morewhen I saw hot tub, I was sold. I was not disappointed and would go back. I was in cabin 4 and would probably pick 1-2 if I'm the same area (2 bedroom cabin) because it's closer to wooded area whereas 4 is closest to road. Actually if I came back I would try for tree house, which is the most popular and was already booked for NYE in September, when I booked my cabin. It s hard to find if you come at night, but there's a gift shop just by the cabins so maybe put that in GPS. Cons- no on-site recycling- yes I took all my beer cans back to Chicago. Heater could be annoying if you're a light sleeper. (Larger bedroom it vibrated bed slightly, but I slept just fine.)

Great place to stay. We were in cabin four. It was clean, spacious, and had everything that we…read moreneeded. Communication with the host was very good. Beds were comfortable, shower was hot and had good water flow, nice fireplace in the living room and fire pit outdoors. Hot tub on the patio was wonderful. Great location. Bathtub could use a couple non-skid decals as it was a little bit slippery. Coffee machine needs replacing because somebody burned it. One of the frying pan needs replacing because it was burnt. Outside hooks next to the hot tub to hang towels would be helpful. All in all a great stay. Very reasonable price and beautiful place. Would definitely stay there again.

My family and I were looking for a safe and relatively close place to vacation for our first time…read moreleaving our area during the pandemic. My husband hasn't had a proper vacation since August 2019 and my kids and I since December 2019. Since my husband first started seeing Covid patients over a year ago, we've been concerned about his patients and ourselves, so we didn't want to be around many people. I found Rim Rock Dogwood Cabins after searching glamping in Illinois. When RRDC advertised that they've been practicing social distancing since the early 2000s, I was hooked. Shawnee National Forest seemed cool and different from our home outside Chicago, so we booked four nights and looked forward to our time away. Checking in is contact-free and the cabin we stayed in--Coyote Hollow--had everything we could want. Comfortable sleeping arrangements, a full kitchen, warm and spacious shower, a screened in porch and a fire pit outdoors. We didn't know we would be right in front of the farm, with llamas, chickens, ponies and donkeys and also next to an area with goats and rabbits. This was the real treat for my kids. They loved observing all the animals, especially the hens and a friendly rooster named Roosty, who wasn't shy about walking up to our cabin. Roosty and other roosters would call out to one another during the day and it was so cute. We all slept so well there, and the roosters never woke us up, but I think they didn't get up until after we did. The vegetable garden near the llamas, chickens, etc was abundant and we enjoyed picking thyme, rosemary and peppers for our dinners. We stocked up on groceries at a nearby Kroger and cooked all meals in the cabin. Somehow it didn't seem like work and rather just a part of our vacation we looked forward to each day. The hiking! It was like nothing we'd ever seen before and we're used to spending spring break in Sedona. The geology was spectacular and the hiking gave us a great workout. You wouldn't think you were in Illinois if you didn't know better! Rim Rock is a stone's throw from the cabins and our favorite trails. Bell Smith Springs are also nearby and could easily take up a day or two just on the closest trails. It's not for people afraid of heights or unable to climb stairs. But with a good pair of hiking boots, it's so well worth the drive from wherever you're coming from. Tara and Steve are fabulous hosts and made our stay that much more enjoyable. Whether it was coming to the rescue to unlock a locked bathroom or bringing by tin foil for banana boats or kindling for our campfires, they could not have been more hospitable. Their love of the area and the animals shines through in their property and service. Another nearby attraction is the iron furnace, which is really cool and unique. It's almost 200 years old and shows what early iron manufacturing was like. There was certainly more than enough to occupy four to five days if you're us and like to be out and about. But it's also perfect for just hanging out.

Tried calling for 3 weeks to ask a question and left messages with no callback. Also sent several…read moretexts. This isn't good business practice. I would ask why I wasn't getting a call back with no answer. We took our business elsewhere. This ruined our Christmas.

Very friendly owner, it was nice, clean quiet…read more It was as advertised. If I had to say anything negative it was that the shower door was a little tricky and allowed water to run onto the floor. That's a seriously small problem, it was worth the price and would stay there again without hesitation!

Beautiful cabins inside and out! Meticulously clean and very comfortable. I would highly recommend…read morea hike down Big Rock Creek as well. Not cheap but in this instance you get what you pay for. I will certainly be returning.

The owners are super they live right by the cabins very relaxing quiet spot caught 5 really nice…read moresize catfish and some turtle's it's catch and release which I'm ok with

A new house on a Lake with your own "private" hot tub. What more do you need? It is about 15…read moreminutes from Anna IL and right on the wine trail. The only thing we saw on our 4 days was fish, deer, and cattle. You are truly away from everything. You still get cell phone coverage and you have satellite TV and the houses have every convince you may need for a getaway. Truly peaceful. And at a good price.

We stayed there this past weekend. It was amazing. The family cottage was just what we needed. We…read morehave food issues in our family so having access to a full kitchen made our trip that much easier. It is located not too far from The Garden of the Gods, Marion, and Paducah. It is less than 1/2 mile from the beauty of Fern Cliff state park. It is now on our very short list of places we look forward to staying at again.

From the owner: Shawnee Trails, Lodging and Suites is dedicated to creating the perfect relaxing vacation…read moreexperience. Located just steps from Ferne Clyffe State Park in the Shawnee National Forest. If you are looking for an affordable getaway surrounded by the breathtaking Shawnee National Forest look no further.