Southern Illinois’ Garden Of The Gods: A Natural Wonder

If you find photo ops everywhere you look, you are not alone. Garden of the Gods is the most instagramed spot in the Shawnee National Forest. Nestled in the forest, about 30 minutes north is where you’ll find Boars’ Nest … Continue reading

Exploring Illinois’ Cache River State Natural Area

Carved out by glacial floodwater of the Ohio River, the Cache River State Natural Area in Southern Illinois meanders a path that encompasses 1,000 year-old cypress trees and vast wetlands. It’s not only a place of beauty, it’s an outdoor … Continue reading

Starved Rock State Park: Illinois’ Natural Wonder

Visitors know Illinois for many different things—a great city, Land of Lincoln, charming towns, towering cornfields, rivers and lakes. Few expect what they find at Starved Rock State Park. Take a break sometime soon and visit the remarkable park. Mission … Continue reading

Enjoy Hiking, Prairie At Illinois’ Nachusa Grasslands

The vast prairie that once covered Illinois is making a comeback of sorts at Nachusa Grasslands Preserve, 90 miles west of Chicago in Franklin Grove, Illinois. This town is also where you’ll find Lincoln Way Inn Bed & Breakfast, making … Continue reading

Pere Marquette Park: A Nature Lover’s Illinois Paradise

For anyone who enjoys being out in nature, Pere Marquette Park in West Central Illinois offers a year-round playground. The park is located near to Grafton, and visitors can find great lodging at Green Tree Inn or Maple Leafe Cottage … Continue reading

Johnson-Sauk Trail A Year-Round Illinois Playground

The rolling hill country in north-central Illinois is where you’ll find the Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area (SRA), and if you’re someone who likes to get outside and play, this is one place you’ll want to mark on your map. … Continue reading

Southern Illinois’ Scenic River To River Trail

Stretching 160 miles from Battery Rock on the Ohio River to Devil’s Backbone Park on the Mississippi is one of the prettiest stretches of trail in the Midwest, the Illinois River to River Trail. From now through autumn is a … Continue reading