Looking For Spring Amongst The Snow
- by Gary Marks Spring is Here, Enter Snow The calendar has finally rolled over to spring, the time for change in the Shawnee Hills. This is the season that trees come back to life and the cooler temps give way to warmer breezes. Yeah, right! I started off my last article Looking for Fall Amongst the Brown in a similar way, but even though the calendar says spring, we are still experiencing winter’s bitter chill. It’s odd to... Read More
Guest Writer – Steven Johnson – Giant City, Huge Possibilities!
Guest Writer – Steven Johnson – Giant City State Park: Giant City, Huge Possibilities - by Steven Johnson – stevenjphotoart.com Living Near a Marvel I live within 15 minutes of one of the best state parks in Illinois. It is known as Giant City. The park is large enough to have a thousand people in it and still have room to feel like you have space around you and allows you to relax and soak in this beautiful place. When... Read More
Devils Standtable – Giant City State Park
Devil’s Standtable Trail – Giant City State Park - by Gary Marks Look across a topo map of Southern Illinois and you might see a trend in the names of some of our best natural landmarks. It has always amazed me that places that seem strange and bizarre take on sinister names. Here we have two Devil’s Backbones (one in Grand Tower, one at Bell Smith Springs), one lake (Devil’s Kitchen), and a Devil’s Standtable that... Read More
3 Easy Ferns You Can Identify On Your Next Hike In Southern Illinois
3 Easy Ferns You Can Identify On Your Next Hike In Southern Illinois - by Gary Marks Imagine a fern. Not hard to do, right? Now try to write down exactly what that fern in your mind looks like or try to describe it in detail to a friend. Just got a little harder, didn’t it? The land of ferns tend to be a quiet bunch. No brilliant colors, no showy flowers, no edible fruit, just a lot of green foliage. If you look closer though you will... Read More
3 Great Places To Spend A 3 Day Weekend In Southern Illinois
3 Great Places To Spend A 3 Day Weekend In Southern Illinois Are you getting ready for 3-day weekend this week? If so, here are some great places in Southern Illinois to spend 3 days exploring the natural side of the Shawnee Hills. 1. Giant City State Park This 4,000 acre state park is one of the best places to visit in Southern Illinois. It boasts 7 hiking trails that explore varied areas of the park. Here’s a couple of my favorites: Trillium... Read More
7 Tips for Planning a Great Spring Hike in the Shawnee National Forest & Illinois State Parks
7 Tips for Planning a Great Spring Hike - by Gary Marks Ah! Can you feel it? Spring is here. Daffodils blooming, trees budding, and the deep greens of freshly sprouted grass brighten up the landscape. The warmer temps, demand that we venture outside of our winter caves and feel the tinge of brilliant rays of sun. Many peoples first thought is to get out and take a walk in the woods. The following 7 Tips will help you get the most out of your... Read More
Giant City State Park – Stonefort Trail
Giant City State Park Take a short hike to the top of a bluff that is the home to the remnants of an historic structure created by the Native Americans over 1,000 years ago. Quick Stats Difficulty: Climb at beginning, but levels out on top with rocky outcrops Length: 1/3 mile Highlights: Stone fort and high overlooks Overview If you are short on time and can only do two trails at Giant City State Park, my suggestions would be the Giant City... Read More
Failure to Fail
Failure to Fail - by Gary Marks Perfect Day? It was one of those perfect spring days. Not to hot, not to cold, but comfortable for t-shirts and shorts. Leaves were just beginning their canopy growth. The sun reflected through the yellowish-green of the unfurling leaves. The goal that day was to take a stress free stroll in the “newness of spring”. The park being explored was Giant City and the trail being strolled was the aptly named Giant... Read More
Top 3 Gottados – Easy to Get to – Wildflower Hikes
This is the second in a series called Top 3 Gottados (Got to do). This series will spotlight interesting and unique areas that everyone enjoying the Shawnee Hills should look into. Last week we looked at the Top 3 Gottados-Easy to Get to Waterfalls in Southern Illinois. This week with the warmer weather we will look at the Top 3 Gottados – Easy to Get to Wildflower Hikes. Each of these areas represent a varied and interesting collection... Read More
