Click any thumbnail to view full-size images


  • No trash

    A big stop sign at the beginning of the Observation Trail: no trash beyond this point.

    The Observation Trail at the Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, has some of the most beautiful vistas in southern Illinois.  Towering rock formations and sheer bluffs look out over hundreds of thousands of forest acres.  As the sort of poster child of the Shawnee, Garden of the Gods gets more human traffic than any other state park in the region.

  • Rocks perfect for climbing

    Many of these rock formations are ideal for climbing.

  • Natural pyramids

    This rock tower is about 40 feet tall from where the photo was taken.

  • Wider view of rock formations

    The Observation Trail at Garden of the Gods winds through many rock formations like these.

  • A forest view

    All around is forest.

  • Trail through rocks

    The Observation Trail has a few narrow passages through the rocks.

  • Massive stone face

    This massive stone shows the effect of weathering in bands.  Complex shapes are created by softer minerals leached from stronger layers.

  • Towering rock towers

    These towering rock towers are 30 feet tall.

  • Trees growing in thin soil between rock towers

    Trees like these grow in thin soil between the rocks.

  • Rocks against a blue sky

    The colors of rocks against green trees and blue sky.

  • Trail continues

    The Observation Trail is the most accessible of all trails in the region but still contains many steps.

  • Rock colors

    Light plays different colors on the rocks depending on time of day and direction.

  • A look back the way we came

    A look back on the trail from some distance and height.

  • An early view of Camel Rock

    Camel Rock, the poster child of the Shawnee, begins to reveal itself as we curve along the trail.

Categories