Hiking Trails in Illinois

Shawnee National Forest - There are many trails in this park and the combined loop I suggest is between 2.5 and 3 miles. You start out at the Garden of the Gods parking area and do the Observation Trail which affords great views and spectacular outcrops, but also has a lot of people. You return to the parking lot then go down the hill on the road for about 1/4 miles until you reach the intersection with the River to River trail. Take the trail on the right .25 miles to the Backpacker's parking lot. From here you take the Indian Point trail. You take this path and it passes a wildlife pond to the left. It continues up the hill and goes through a dense pine forest. It eventually reaches Indian Point, which has great views even better than Garden of the Gods, but without the people. After you are done taking in the views, proceed back to the Backpacker's parking lot. Across the road is a mulch trail, this will take you back to the River to River trail. Take a right on this, and it goes around the bluff which affords no views, but the rocks are neat to look at. You round a corner and the trail heads away from the road. Proceed about 1/3 of a mile more and make sure you watch to the right for a spur trail that goes up to the Picnic Area, which is .25 miles. Once here, I suggest you take the road up to the campground and take in the view behind campsite 11, which is the picture on this page. Then simply take the road back to the parking lot.
Cache State Natural Area - Two trails on the southside of the nature area are the Marshall Ridge Trail and the Todd-Fink Heron Pond Trail. These two trails combined are about 5.5 to 6 miles. It follows a gravel road and is uneventful for 2 or so miles. Then smack dab in the middle of the woods is a giant Cherrybark Oak Tree, the biggest in Illinois. It is by far the most massive tree I have ever seen (I haven't been to California). After this, you continue to a junction where you can take a right and the trail will circle around to Heron Pond, an eerie swamp complete with baldcypress and water tupelo trees. I would watch out though, in the middle of the trail was a huge poisonous cottonmouth snake. I got some good pictures, and will eventually put this on the website. Anyways, the trail continues to the boardwalk that takes you onto the pond. While we were there, we interrupted a Blue Heron's evening meal and watched as it flew away. Afterwards, you follow the trail back to the access area passing interpretive signs along the way. When finished, return the way you came.
Another trail is called the Boss Island Trail (at least I think that is the name). It is located on the north side of the preserve and the trailhead is located on Wildcat Bluff. This six mile long starts off near an overlook of the swamp below. It then continues down a slight incline and crosses a creek at the bottom of the hill. Apparently, in high water the creek is very hard to cross but there are cement slabs that stick out of the creek to allow you to cross. The trail eventually reaches Boss Island located in the middle of a baldcypress swamp. But be sure to stay on the trail because there has not been a time that I haven't seen a Cottonmouth lurking near the water.