Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Illinois / Shawnee National Forest

Garden of the Gods Wilderness Loop (River to River Trail)

Garden of the Gods Wilderness, Shawnee National Forest (near Herod)

Garden of the Gods is the best known corner of the Shawnee National Forest: sandstone hoodoos and bluffs on a ridge above the hills of far southern Illinois. Wikipedia calls the surrounding wilderness the most-visited wilderness area in the state. The River to River Trail and a web of wilderness trails also make an overnight loop from the backpackers’ parking lot.

The River to River Trail Society suggests a loop of about 15 miles, starting at that lot and hiking clockwise, as a two- to three-day trip.

The hike

The Forest Service describes the quarter-mile Observation Trail as a path among sandstone formations including Camel Rock, Table Rock, and Devil’s Smokestack, with wide views over the Shawnee Hills and high cliffs that call for care. Wikipedia explains the setting: a thick bed of gray sandstone laid down about 300 million years ago, later uplifted and never covered by glaciers, then eroded into hoodoos and overlooks. It notes that Camel Rock appeared on a U.S. quarter in 2016.

The loop starts at the Backpackers Parking Lot, which the Forest Service says doubles as the Indian Point Trailhead and is the only place overnight parking is allowed at the recreation area. The Outbound’s route from that lot takes Trail 108I up to the River to River Trail (Trail 001), follows signs to the Garden of the Gods, and continues on trails 108D, 108E, and 001A through Rocky Branch Hollow, where it describes overhanging rock and creekside camping. The Forest Service’s guide to the Indian Point Trail (108G), a 1.75-mile hiker-only loop, describes Indian Point as a rock bluff with views over the landscape below.

The loop’s other high point is Buzzard Point. A 2007 Sierra Club Shawnee Group write-up describes reaching it on the River to River Trail from Karbers Ridge Road, with slot canyons, a natural bridge, and overlooks along user-made spurs, and a “magnificent view” from the point itself. It also mentions Buzzard Roost, another overlook, and warns that horse traffic leaves mudholes on parts of the route.

The River to River Trail is the spine. Wikipedia describes it as about 160 miles from Elizabethtown on the Ohio River to Grand Tower on the Mississippi, with about half on off-road trail and sections forming part of the American Discovery Trail. Horses use it too.

Navigation is the main challenge. Hiking Project warns that trails in the wilderness are “poorly marked,” with signs that are worn, damaged, or “generally confusing.” The Outbound recommends buying a Friends of the Shawnee map.

The River to River Trail Society also suggests a High Knob and Pounds Hollow loop nearby. For another Shawnee wilderness trip, see the Lusk Creek Loop.

Tips

Camping

The Shawnee doesn’t require permits for dispersed camping, and The Outbound notes stays under 14 days need no registration. The Forest Service’s occupancy order limits camping to 14 days in a 28-day period (28 days a year) and bans camping within a quarter mile of developed campgrounds or picnic areas. Its 2023 recreation guide says primitive camping is prohibited within 150 feet of water and in natural areas, and the natural-areas order bans camping outside designated sites and any fires except gas stoves inside those areas. In the Garden of the Gods Wilderness, groups are limited to 10 people. The wilderness page asks campers to use established sites away from trails, water, and bluff tops, and to bury waste 200 feet from camp, trails, and water. Bicycles, carts, and drones aren’t allowed. Pharaoh Campground, at the recreation area, has 12 drive-in sites with drinking water.

Inside Intel: The Outbound’s Jessie Landau points to Rocky Branch Hollow for camping, calling out good spots along the creek beneath overhanging rock formations. Use the established sites there, and keep them at least 150 feet from the water.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Slick sandstone at Garden of the Gods:

The Forest Service warns of slick rock when wet, and Backpacker suggests fall to avoid summer humidity. Our shell comparison covers which jackets testers found warm or well-vented.

See what testers found →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.