Kid Friendly Shawnee National Forest Day Hiking Trails exist within the forest. The Shawnee National Forest is a great forest for people of all ages and hiking levels. There are many kid friendly Shawnee National Forest day hiking trails to help you make the most of the forest with the whole family.

Garden of the Gods Observation Trail

Garden of the Gods Observation Trail makes the Kid Friendly Shawnee National Forest day hiking trails list because of all the many features the area has to offer to visitors. This is said to be the most Instagramed area of the Shawnee National Forest and its rock formations have even made it on a United States National Parks & Forest quarter. Garden of the Gods Observation Trail features a mainly paved, decorated rock and wooden bridge walkway to various rock formations featuring clever names, signage explaining the formations and plenty of natural windows, arches, waterfalls, bluffs, formations and overlooks. This trail is very kid friendly because it will give the youngsters of all ages plenty of sights to enjoy. This area is often mildly to heavily populated by tourists throughout the year, is a day-use only site (parking is day-use only) and has trashcans and restrooms on site. There is a fee-based campground right next to the trail as well as several access trails to the Garden of the Gods Wilderness area and the River to River Trail also crosses this specific area of the forest. Overnight parking is free and allowed within the Backpackers Parking Lot for the Indian Point Trailhead.

The Observation Trail is about a 1/2 mile in length and is a loop trail.

Trail Rules

1. As a day-use site, there is no overnight parking allowed within the Observation Trail parking lot.
2. Disposable drink and food containers are not allowed on the trail. This area is often victim of severe garbage dumping – please help us keep our forests clean by packing out what you pack in.
3. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.
4. This area is open to the public from dawn to dusk. This area is closed after dusk has settled in.
5. Harassing wildlife, collections, harvesting and harming natural features in this area is against the law.

directions

Driving Directions:

• From Marion, Illinois – Click Here.
• From St. Louis, Missouri – Click Here.
• From Chicago, Illinois – Click Here.
• From Nashville, Tennessee – Click Here.

Local Amenities

SUPPLIES: Check out Garden of the Gods Outpost, on the corner of Karbers Ridge Road and Garden of the Gods Road. Get outdoor supplies, Shawnee National Forest merchandise, local area books, hot soup and chili, just about any type of ice cream you’d want and much more at affordable prices. There is also a real and working phone booth in front of the store.

Bell Smith Springs Recreational Area

Bell Smith Springs Recreational Area was chosen to be included on the Kid Friendly Shawnee National Forest day hiking trails list because of all its family-fun features. Bell Smith Springs really shows the craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era organization that built most parks and National Forest throughout the United States. The stairs and other man-made features were all hand carved and created by these young men during the 1930s and 1940s. Bell Smith Springs offers visitors of all hiking levels 4 different trail systems ranging from out and back trails to loop trails. The area features many rock formations including the largest Natural Arch in the Shawnee, Devil’s Backbone and various other bluffs, creeks and sights. The area is also popular in the warmer months for swimming as it has a spring that visitors like to jump into from a nearby cliff. There is a nearby fee-based campground, trash receptacles and restrooms as well as plenty of parking spots.

There are 8 miles of interconnected hiking trails with various loops and out and back features.

Trail Rules

1. As a day-use site, there is no overnight parking allowed within the Recreational Area parking lot.
2. Disposable drink and food containers are not allowed on the trail. This area is often victim of severe garbage dumping – please help us keep our forests clean by packing out what you pack in.
3. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.
4. This area is open to the public from dawn to dusk. This area is closed after dusk has settled in.
5. Harassing wildlife, collections, harvesting and harming natural features in this area is against the law.

directions

• From Marion, Illinois – Click Here.
• From St. Louis, Missouri – Click Here.
• From Chicago, Illinois – Click Here.
• From Nashville, Tennessee – Click Here.

Local Amenities

Want your local business listed here? Get a hold of me!

Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area

Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area offers a short-loop trail that can easily be added to the top 5 Kid Friendly Shawnee National Forest day hikes because it is a trail that will not only keep the youngsters interested but it will also teach them a needed history lesson about the people who inhabited the area long before European Settlers claimed the nation as their own. This area is widely known to be a Native American inhabited community. It is said that in 1350-1550 AD, the Mississippian People (Native Americans) thrived on this part of the forest as their homeland. There are visible Native American Rock Art areas, a real stone-fort, graves from the previous natives of this area and depressions throughout the hike showing where dwellings once were. This entire hike is signed with various educational informational signs explain to the visitors what they are seeing. Over the years, the graves have been robbed and the Rock Art is increasingly fading. You are asked to respect this area by staying on trail and not tampering with the archaeological areas provided on this trail – doing so is prohibited by federal law, a law that is strictly enforced. If you’d like to show the entire family one of the closest ways to show how life was once, long before we came here, then Millstone Bluff is the place to go.

This trail is a loop trail of about 3/4-mile in length. The beginning of the trail is uphill but benches are provided throughout the trail loop system.

Trail Rules

1. As a day-use site, there is no overnight parking allowed within the Observation Trail parking lot.
2. Disposable drink and food containers are not allowed on the trail. This area is often victim of severe garbage dumping – please help us keep our forests clean by packing out what you pack in.
3. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.
4. This area is open to the public from dawn to dusk. This area is closed after dusk has settled in.
5. Harassing wildlife, collections, harvesting and harming natural features in this area is against the law.

directions

• From Marion, Illinois – Click Here.
• From St. Louis, Missouri – Click Here.
• From Chicago, Illinois – Click Here.
• From Nashville, Tennessee – Click Here.

Local Amenities

Your business here, contact us to get listed!

Rim Rock and Pounds Hollow Beach

Rim Rock and Pounds Hollow are two area right besides one and other that make for an excellent collaboration when it comes to Kid Friendly Shawnee National Forest day hiking adventures. To make the hike a little long, start at Rim Rock, an area helped created by the Youth Conservation Corp where you can see an actual stone-fort, awesome bluffs and even a cave shelter once inhabited by Native American and settlers there after. There are numerous educational informational signs explaining more about the history of the area and the trailhead (on both sides) have plenty of parking availability, rest rooms, BBQ and picnic areas. There is no trash services at Rim Rock, so please, pack out what you pack in. After enjoying a nice hike on the Rim Rock trail, instead of heading back on the loop past the Cave Shelter, head on over to Pounds Hollow to enjoy the awesome public beach with shelters and restrooms available. There is also a campground here. Both the beach and campground areas are seasonal and closed/gated during the winter months. This place is truly a winner when it comes to Kid Friendly Shawnee National Forest activities.

Parking is available at both the Rim Rock area as well as Pounds Hollow Beach.

Trail Rules

1. As a day-use site, there is no overnight parking allowed within the Observation Trail parking lot.
2. Disposable drink and food containers are not allowed on the trail. This area is often victim of severe garbage dumping – please help us keep our forests clean by packing out what you pack in.
3. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.
4. This area is open to the public from dawn to dusk. This area is closed after dusk has settled in.
5. Harassing wildlife, collections, harvesting and harming natural features in this area is against the law.

directions

• From Marion, Illinois – Click Here.
• From St. Louis, Missouri – Click Here.
• From Chicago, Illinois – Click Here.
• From Nashville, Tennessee – Click Here.

Local Amenities

SUPPLIES: Check out Garden of the Gods Outpost, on the corner of Karbers Ridge Road and Garden of the Gods Road. Get outdoor supplies, Shawnee National Forest merchandise, local area books, hot soup and chili, just about any type of ice cream you’d want and much more at affordable prices. There is also a real and working phone booth in front of the store.

Giant City State Park

Giant City State Park is one of the locations in southern Illinois that truly shows its pride in the craftsmanship behind the works of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the brave young men who we owe to society of making most of America’s National Forest and Parks that we know today. Giant City State Park has it all, from numerous hiking trails to a lodge that serves some of the best Fried Chicken in the area, cabin rentals and even a water tower that you can easily climb to the top of. This park has tons of waterfalls during the wet season. It has a 12 mile loop trail for overnight backpacking. It has a campground. It is a great place to go for a road bike ride and it even offers many horseback riding activities. The park coordinator is very active in programming all sorts of fun activities throughout the entire year that are very kid friendly. Be sure to stop by the welcome center for more information and please tell them that Hiking with Shawn sent you because it would mean a lot to me as I grew up visiting the state park – it holds a very special place in my heart.

There are numerous hiking trails at this state park including a reconstructed stone-fort, interesting rock formations and various activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Trail Rules

1. As a day-use site, there is no overnight parking allowed within the Observation Trail parking lot.
2. Disposable drink and food containers are not allowed on the trail. This area is often victim of severe garbage dumping – please help us keep our forests clean by packing out what you pack in.
3. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.
4. This area is open to the public from dawn to dusk. This area is closed after dusk has settled in.
5. Harassing wildlife, collections, harvesting and harming natural features in this area is against the law.

directions

• From Marion, Illinois – Click Here.
• From St. Louis, Missouri – Click Here.
• From Chicago, Illinois – Click Here.
• From Nashville, Tennessee – Click Here.

Local Amenities

SUPPLIES: Check out Grassy General Store located about 11 1/2 miles from Giant City State Park. The Grassy General Store offers everything you’d need to stock up on from adult favorites to food, outdoor supplies and even fishing gears. There are many things that you might need during your visit to Giant City State Park and Grassy General Store will probably have it.

Want to hear more about good trail for children as well as great trails for adults, too? Check out this article which I am also featured in!