Located in Herod Illinois within the Shawnee National Forest,this is a must stop if in the area…read more The views and scenery are absolutely breathtaking. You can hike,camp,pinic or nature watch. The Observation Trail features unique rock formations and scenic views. Make sure you have gas and essentials as there is nothing available in the area.

I live in Milwaukee and the drive here is long but worth it! Having lived in Chicago, I recall this…read morewas on my Illinois Bucket List (along with Starved Rock), and it should be on everyone's Bucket List. The main hike is a short loop with incredible views! Pictures really don't do it justice. And pictures you'll want to take! It's an easy enough hike for all in the family, do wear hiking shoes, running shoes / sneakers, something more than shower slip ons and flip flops, as you'll want safety on the rocks. We were there in late July 2024, and construction had parking lots and trails closed or blocked, but we walked the road to another trail, which was just as beautiful and not popular at all. When we called down to make camping reservations I laughed at a lady who said their campsite closes after July 4th because "the bees take over the forest." Hiking that less popular trail, sure enough, millions of bees were humming in one of the rock structures, bee careful, bee safe! (We were perfectly fine, and crazy old lady wasn't so crazy afterall.) Garden of the Gods is similar to Wisconsin's Devil's Lake, but for those who have never been - put it on your Bucket List!

Loved the many places in the Shawnee National Forest! Of course we came down to this area for…read moreGarden of the Gods which is five stars, top three places in Illinois to visit! And we hiked there as well. The Shawnee is large and stretches east and west, so it's really like, two National forests in one! The town of Marion was lovely, and we camped at Cave in Rock on the Ohio River. I also visited Scratch Brewing in Ava, IL. There's so much to do on all sides of the Shawnee, I'd love to return to do more hiking!

Come for the Garden of the Gods, stay for the wondrous hiking…read more If you drive 4.5 hours to see the Garden of the Gods, you also have to spend time hiking the actual forest it's in. That's what Emily and I did after taking in the breathtaking views at the Gardens. We kind of went into this blindly with just a map of the area. We backtracked a bit to this area that may have been something called Backpacker's Hike or something like that. Pictures say it was the Indian Point Trail. Anyways, we parked next to a few other cars and headed out to hike. I don't need to explain hiking but I will go over a few fun things we saw. There were more cliffs to enjoy but the views were just a bit less than stellar compared to the Gardens. Still great though. We saw a lot of places where people must've camped or hung out at night cause there were fire pits everywhere. We deviated from the path cause we were looking to hike as much as possible and ended up getting dead-ended about 4 times. While we were limited to this area of Shawnee, I would say we got a pretty good taste of what it offers. We got to see so many beautiful viewpoints and took plenty of great photos. I know this is just scraping the surface of what Shawnee National Forest offers and maybe some day I can go back and see all the other landmarks that this place is known for. Enjoy nature. It's a thing of beauty.

The views in the cracks of the rock and around the rock were astonishing; however, the trail wasn't…read moretoo much fun and was full of bugs. The day we went was hot and humid, so we felt an obvious and lovely temperature drop while walking downstairs toward the bottom. However, there wasn't too much to see or do while hiking on the trails toward or leaving the scenic spot. Also, it was a little frustrating when our sweat was dripping to the ground and not knowing where we were as there was no sign updating the hikers about their location.

I actually came across this trail based off a recommendation from my hikers app and I am very…read morepleased I did this one. It's about a 15 minute drive from Garden of the Gods and is well worth the view. You do not get all the same views as the previous trail; however you do get some spectacular different ones. You will come across a stair case leading down into the ground besides the cliff and I highly recommend you take it. It feels much cooler down there and you can actually walk alongside the cliffs on a thin rock bridge and look out onto the forest. The paths are well kept in that area although I dont recommend taking small children along the rock bridge. You also get a few cliff views looking out over the forest and really good spots to set up a hammock to relax with.

In 2023, I toyed around with the idea of bridging the gap between 50km and the 50 mile distance. It…read morewas bothering me as I raced marathons and 50km that year until it happened. Maybe I have what I takes. I looked for a 50 mile distance race that had a very generous time limit on ultrasignup.com. I found Tunnel Hill 100 mile and 50 mile distance events in Vienna, IL. They offer 30 hours for both distances, so I would be able to complete the 50 miles with plenty of time to spare. I shared my findings on social media and they told me to go for it. And so, I did. Signing up online was easy, with prices under $100, you do get a bang for your running dollar. In the ensuing months before race day, it was on the back of my mind. Race day comes and I was not really nervous. Probably more excited than anything. My friend and I arrived in his rental car. We drove from Crystal Lake, IL. We lucked out on parking here and proceeded to packet pick up for our race bibs. Once secured, we milled around the mass group of participants that have joined that morning. After a brief race morning announcement, we were under way at 7am. The course was a figure 8, mostly trail with a lot of scenery and trees. The 50 mile course was a 13.1 mile out and back, then roughly 12 miles out and 11 miles on the return for the 50 miles. 100 miles repeat the 50 mile loop on the next set of 50 miles. It was literally that simple from a running standpoint. I started the race with mix emotions but every mile that checks off was me getting closer to the goal. The overall feeling of making it was electric and amazing at the same time. It was just after 2:30am when I crossed the finish line. No fanfare but just me and my thoughts. I figure that's how it is with these long distance running events, but I proved to myself that I can. There was a few aid stations on the course, but best thing was to carry your own aid if you need extra. But I carried my Starbucks cup, so I could carry water in between aid stations. Thank you to all the volunteers who make this event possible! When I made it to 35 miles, I knew I was in uncharted territory. I was tired and exhausted. I kept going and took breaks at the aid stations when necessary. It rain heavy that evening in 2024, which added an hour to my total time, but I didn't care at all. Just wanted to finish. Each step was a victory for me, especially after 40 miles and during the lonely stretches where it was just me and my thoughts. For the most part though, it was the greatest thing I've done since my 1st marathon in 2007. It was amazing to see other accomplished runners with me on the course that day / night. Happy that I finished and not doubted myself even just once. Happy for myself and that I believed in myself. Grateful and blessed. Tunnel Hill 100 mile ultra endurance event is staged at the Vienna City Park in Vienna, IL. They accept registrations annually at ultrasignup.com, which generally requires major credit cards as payment. As far as parking for race weekend, you just need to get here as soon as you can. Once other race participants arrive, it fills up pretty fast and they have another parking area for you to go to, but it is a half mile walk from the race venue. As far as public transportation, there is virtually none here. You would have to rent a car or have one of your own to get here. The closest airport will be in St. Louis, Missouri. Or Paducah, Kentucky. I happen to be driving from Chicago Illinois, because it was the cheapest I could find, flying into Chicago. For the most part though, it was a life changing experience for me and one that I won't ever forget forever. Definitely a place and race that can surely be the one you want to do your ultra distance in. Definitely a place where you can just let loose and enjoy the scenery while you crank the miles for your favorite distance or go race. If you don't have any yet or don't want to run Chicago, considered coming to this one since it's pretty awesome. Low-key and definitely a good vibe for all those involved. 5.0 stars for the overall experience Support local! A+

An excellent rail trail connecting 45 miles of truly rural spaces, this made for a great 2-day…read morebikepacking excursion. We cycled from Harrisburg to Karnak, stayed the night in a campground right at the end of the trail, and returned home the following day. If you were to start this exact trail from any population center, it would be teeming with visitors. But that's not the reality here. We didn't see more than two dozen other cyclists total in 2 weekend days in May -- we damn near had the place to ourselves. And we were the only campers at the campground on a Saturday night (although some people might have stayed away because of rain in the forecast). The path itself is in really good shape for such an old trail. It's well-maintained and well-marked, and best of all, it's shade the whole way. You're almost always surrounded by trees. The terrain is surprisingly interesting, and for a number of miles you follow wetlands. I also particularly liked the bridges, which employ used railroad ties beautifully. And of course, there is the namesake tunnel, which you hit around mile 22. If there is a downside, it's the relative lack of amenities. You're not going to have ample choices for groceries or restaurants. But at least water stations and dry good shops are still around every several miles. And you're not here for the restaurants anyway.

I know you're going to stop believing if I keep giving all of the hikes in the Shawnee National…read moreForest area five stars, but the Panther Den Wilderness Area is an amazing one. The trail is pretty easy, with a bunch of nice little stream crossings, and the painfully scenic combination of dappled tree cover, and rock bluffs off to your right hand side as you hike out. Then, about a mile out, as you walk along the bluffs you'll suddenly see a giant stone corridor, leading into a series of beautiful stone chambers, some dark, some sunny, all mossy, wet, cool. If our experience with our toddler is any indication you can poke around in here for a long time, looking for different ways under, over, and around. Just be sure to save a little bit of energy for the walk back. It's not the easiest place to access, down a long unpaved one lane road with a tiny parking lot, but it meant we had the whole place almost to ourselves. (Though more cars did fill in on Sunday afternoon.) It lacks the immediate splendor of some of the other more famous places around here, but all told it's not far from my platonic ideal of a hike.

Just a wonderful place to walk around and explore. Very well kept and great for the kids to let…read moretheir energy out. Enjoyed our time here while visiting Tennessee.

It is a beautiful spot with amazing views. There are roots from trees on or near paths so be…read morecareful walking. Lots of trees in rough shape and need to be cleared. It is nature so yeah rocks and roots are about. Just look where you are stepping and bring water.

Nice park w a large covered pavilion & tables underneath. Large grassy area w a playground w room…read moreenough to run & play. Has a porta potty. Dog friendly on a leash. Not recommended to swim. Can be dangerous

Love this place me and my dad always used to walk my dog here pretty bridge but the currents of the…read moreriver are not so great went floating a few months ago as we were coming down the river to get off at Billy Dunlap there was a sad drowning of someone who passed away they might be closed down I'm not sure I recommend always being very careful here if it opens back up

One of my favorite running paths in the world! When I was a…read morelittle girl this used to be railroad tracks. We would get off the school bus and walk down the tracks to get home. Now it's a clean, shaded walking, running biking path. The city of Clarksville turned the old railroad tracks into a walking path with a bathroom. I usually start at the Mary's Oak parking lot entrance and run to the bathroom. It's exactly 2 miles out. There are clear distance markers along the path. There's another parking lot at the bathroom area. They have bikes you can rent there. I have been down further past the bathrooms and it's absolutely gorgeous that way. A couple of steep hills keep me off that part of the path. Have seen deer, bobcats and tons of birds and squirrels, Sometimes I have found cute painted rocks here as well. Bravo Clarksville!

I enjoy my walks here. It's quiet. You'll find all sorts of people - walking, running, on bikes,…read morewith kids or walking dogs. I love seeing people out and about. + I saw a deer today!