Simpson, Illinois
Top Spots in and near Simpson
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Belknap, Illinois
Hike the Todd Fink-Heron Pond Trail
1.5 mi / 125 ft gainThis easy trail crosses a truss bridge over the Cache River and features a floating boardwalk in the middle of one of the most beautiful and accessible Cypress-Tupelo swamps in the Midwest. There are 10 interpretive panels located along the trail to guide your way. The floating boardwalk section ...Read more -
Goreville, Illinois
Hike Big Rocky Hollow Trail
0.5 mi / 63 ft gainA great short hike in Ferne Clyffe State Park with a big payoff that is nearly wheel chair accessible with compact crushed gravel as a path. The trail leads to a 100-foot tall intermittent waterfall. The trail is lined with huge boulders, meandering stream, and progressively narrowing canyon beco...Read more -
Goreville, Illinois
Hike or Rock Climb the Rebman Trail
0.5 mi / 27 ft gainThe Big Rocky Hollow Trail isn't the only trail that starts at the parking area. Cross the stepping stones over the creek to find a place where the trail forks in three. Look for the sign for the Rebman Trail at the right-most fork. This short walk leads to a small canyon punctuated by a pair of ...Read more -
Goreville, Illinois
Hike to Hawk's Cave
0.75 mi / 56 ft gainOne of the top trails within Fern Clyffe State Park, Hawk's Cave is an impressive 150 foot sandstone shelter bluff. When beginning the trail from the parking lot, there is a fork of three separate trail heads. Take the path to the left and follow the loop up to a rock wall of shelters, honeycomb ...Read more -
Smithland, Kentucky
Joy Falls (Mandy Falls)
Joy Falls (aka "Mandy Falls") is a great cascade and shelf that falls of about 10 feet await along the roadway a few miles from Mantle Rock Nature Preserve. Glades and barrens also provide for rare wildlife and countless wildflowers in the spring and summer. Spend an hour or five minutes enjoyin...Read more -
Herod, Illinois
Hike the Garden of the Gods Observation Trail
4.91 miIn the southernmost part of Illinois, Shawnee National Forest is a wonderful natural area that transports you far from the flat agricultural landscape typical of so much of the Midwest. Located in the central area of the forest, Garden of the Gods is a 3,318-acre wilderness area characterized by ...Read more -
Smithland, Kentucky
Hike the Mantle Rock Nature Preserve Loop
2.3 mi / 230 ft gainJust as its name implies, the centerpiece of The Nature Conservancy's Mantle Rock Nature Preserve is a 30-foot natural sandstone bridge spanning 188 feet and embellished by bluffs, shelters, honeycomb formations, fluorite deposits, and a rock-lined stream. The nature preserve also contains extrao...Read more -
Herod, Illinois
Garden of the Gods Trail
1.02.16 mi / 256 ft gainGarden of the Gods Trail is an out-and-back trail where you can see beautiful wildflowers located near Equality, Illinois.Read more -
Herod, Illinois
Explore the Arch of the Gods
0.25 mi / 50 ft gainHundreds of people will drive past this trail and arch on the weekends and never know they just drove past one of the best sights within the Garden of Gods Wilderness of the Shawnee National Forest. It is a few hundred feet off the road on the way to the more popular Garden of the Gods Observatio...Read more -
Elizabethtown, Illinois
Visit Iron Furnace Historic Site
Originally built in 1837, this thirty two foot tall structure was constructed on a limestone foundation and erected with limestone blocks quarried locally from the town of Cave-In-Rock. This iron furnace is the last remaining of its kind in Illinois. It is thought that some of the iron produced h...Read more -
Belknap, Illinois
Paddle Mermet Lake
Mermet Lake Conservation is an old Cypress and Tupelo Swamp that has been turned into a shallow lake by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It was developed in 1949 as a waterfowl hunting destination. Each October the lake is closed and only accessible by hunters, but the Spring and Sum...Read more -
Goreville, Illinois
Hike to Bork's Falls
0.5 mi / 227 ft gainLocated 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 waterfall...Read more -
Makanda, Illinois
Panther Den Loop
2.83 mi / 259 ft gainPanther Den Loop is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Makanda, Illinois.Read more -
Cypress, Illinois
Hike the Egret Slough Trail
0.5 mi / 12 ft gainFor a great introduction to the Cache River Basin of Southern Illinois make your way to the Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center. Here you will find a spur trail to the Tunnel Hill Bicycle Trail, information and exhibits, and ranger information about area trails and paddle put in's. Just outsid...Read more -
Junction, Illinois
Hike Rim Rock National Recreation Trail
1.7 mi / 360 ft gainRim Rock Trail follows the edge of the bluff top, hence its name, and features vistas of a slot canyon below, a stone fort used by prehistoric Native Americans, a cave used on the Underground Railroad, and diverse wildlife habitats. Located near very popular Garden of the Gods, Rim Rock is someti...Read more -
Junction, Illinois
Paddle or Swim at Pounds Hollow Recreation Area
This 25 acre lake within the Shawnee National Forest was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. There are several large picnic areas and shelters available along with a sand beach and swimming area. The hollow is surrounded by sandstone bluffs and sharp cliffs and provides an excellent day pa...Read more