Garden of the Gods Recreation Area

Not the Colorado Garden of the Gods — this is the Illinois sandstone outcrop in the Shawnee NF's far southeast corner, 300-million-year-old Pennsylvanian-period bedforms exposed on a ridge above the Saline River basin. Pharaoh Campground sits a quarter mile from the trailhead and runs 12 sites at a 30-foot cap, dry-camp, with the on-site dump and the rare-for-Illinois pit-toilet-only sanitation that keeps the loop primitive. Camp Cadiz and Pine Ridge Recreation Area add capacity at similar rig limits. Dispersed camping is broadly legal along Forest Service roads under the Shawnee MVUM — popular spots are along FSR 402 below the Garden ridge. The Garden of the Gods Observation Trail is 0.25 miles of paved loop with full ADA access — one of the few wheelchair-grade scenic overlooks in any USFS unit in the central US.

Every fact on this page traces back to these primary sources.

• Shawnee National Forest — Forest recreation overviewfs.usda.gov
• Shawnee National Forest — Recreation area detailsfs.usda.gov
• Shawnee National Forest — Camping & cabins directoryfs.usda.gov