Panther's Den Wilderness Area

Panther Den Loop is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Makanda, Illinois.

Located off Regent Lane/Cedar Grove Road near Goreville, Illinois, Bork's Falls is a beautiful waterfall with little visitor traffic. The bottom of the falls is accessible from either side of the ravine with a very short hike. This waterfall generally flows year round, unlike most other waterfalls in Shawnee National Forest. Spend a day or spend an hour and enjoy one of the most beautiful place...

Rocky Bluff Trail in Southern Illinois is part of the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge near Carbondale. It's a relatively easy loop hike at 1.7 miles. This trail is not stroller or disability friendly. The parking lot is small and requires a $2.00 daily use tag you can obtain at the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 8588 Rt. 148, Marion, Illinois. Dogs can also enjoy this trail, but on a...

Giant City is a popular weekend retreat because it provides for all levels of camping. There are 85 campsites in the Class A Campground which provides water, electricity, showers and restroom facilities for tent and trailer camping. Some facilities such as showers are closed for the winter. A separate Class A equestrian campground is located off the horse trail in the southwest corner of the pa...

This wandering intermittent creek inside of Giant City State Park only flows in periods of heavy rain or after snow melts. Prior to a confluence with Drury Creek, the path comes to a mid sized shelter bluff wall. What this shelter lacks in sheer size, it made up for in importance to Native Americans who used the south facing wall for shelter. By facing this way, the bluff would get morning sun,...

Like the rest of the park, the Giant City Lodge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's. The lodge's architecture will remind someone of great lodges of the West with its hardwood timber and sandstone blend that has a two story fireplace and rotunda to enjoy one of the best meals in Southern Illinois. The rustic beauty of the building is found no where else in Illinois....