A guided tour of southern Illinois’ natural wonder

It’s the only national forest in our predominantly agricultural/urban state, and it offers a great escape from our daily routines.

Located down in the southern tip of the state, the Shawnee National Forest (SNF) offers unlimited recreational possibilities, ranging from day hikes, camping, nature photography, horseback riding, backpacking, fishing, boating, bike riding, exploring, or just plain getting lost for the day or for a weekend.

Covering more than 270,000 acres across southern Illinois, this unglaciated region offers great hills to explore, rock formations to scramble up on, and streams to cross.

The SNF is also home to unique flora and fauna and there are seven designated wilderness areas to get out and explore. Named after the native American tribe, the Shawnee, the area was home to numerous native Americans, who once lived, farmed and hunted in the region and roamed throughout the beautiful rolling hills. Today, visitors can see and visit a few native American sites found in the forest.

The SNF headquarters is in Harrisburg and is a good spot to obtain trail maps and brochures for your trek out in the woods.

There are also two Ranger Districts where forest information may be obtained: Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District in Jonesboro (covering the western portion of the forest), and Hidden Springs Ranger District in Vienna (covering the eastern portion of the forest).

Let me take you on a short tour and highlight some of my favorite sites to visit in the SNF, starting from the east side of the Shawnee. These sites make a great weekend escape.

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