Garden of the Gods Wilderness (Northeast Corner)

I recently published a video that depicts the very northeast area of the Garden of the Gods Wilderness.

I was scrolling through my map app (OnX Hunt) one day and realized it was an area of Garden of the Gods Wilderness that I’d never been to. I’ve been all around it but never really explored this particular area.

So, I told my wife Michelle that we would visit the area on our next hiking day.

Directions and Trail Information

We parked at the Golden Circle Trailhead. Taking the first trail north of the trailhead sign, we hiked toward trail 010. From where we parked to where we got off the trail, it was about 1.5 miles of hiking with some hills. We also had to cross Shawnee Forest Road and enter the wilderness.

Once in the wilderness, we quickly found an old homesite before reaching our destination. We love finding those places. There is an uncovered well out there, so be careful when hiking off-trail. Some of the wells in the forest are big enough to fall in.

Once we made it down the hills to Little Eagle Creek, this is where we left the trail. We started bushwhacking to the north and explored the very northeast section of the wilderness boundary.

We essentially followed the creek all the way to the wilderness boundary, where it meets private property.

Points of Interest

There are many great things to see in this particular area.

There is quite a bit of bluff to explore. Some of the bluffs feature smaller natural shelters, rock formations, and banding. These bluffs are on steep inclines for the most part. It’s a bit more rugged than what you might be used to.

Little Eagle Creek is a very nice creek to follow. I recommend checking it out after we’ve had some rain and during leaf-off. It’s a very scenic creek with different natural cascades and turns in it that add to its beauty. I would imagine the area could get really wet during the flooding season, though.

My favorite point of interest out there was a knob which I nicknamed Knob of the Gods. I say knob because it was almost an isolated hill which is often called a knob. There is a small bluff on top which provides a pretty overlook of the forest below. It’s located at 37.62127, -88.37882.

There isn’t much to see, but if you’re looking for something new and you don’t mind hiking off the trail, then I definitely recommend it.

Safety First

This area definitely has its fair share of hazards to watch out for.

To avoid most of the hazards, I recommend visiting during the winter months when there isn’t any snow or ice. This way, you can see everything, and it will be easier to bushwhack.

During the warmer months, you can expect mosquitoes, ticks, and spider webs to be thick in this area, especially when the creek is present. Venomous copperhead and timber rattlesnakes also occur in this area and have been seen every year.

Please use caution when hiking around the bluffs. There are plenty of trip hazards, and if you’re on top, you could slip and fall.

Cell phone signals are scarce, and it could take a long time for emergency services to reach you in the event of an accident.

Try not to hike alone. Tell someone where you’re going before you visit. Put safety first and remember that bad choices can also impact the safety of those sent in to rescue you.

Bushwhacking and off-trail hiking take someone who knows how to conduct land navigation with ease. If you don’t know how to do that, you will likely become lost and possibly injured. Please know what you’re doing before you attempt it.

Other Stuff Around There

There are numerous other things to do around this particular area.

The Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area offers miles upon miles of horseback riding and hiking trails. In addition to the Observation Trail and Indian Point, there are other great hikes, including Big H and the Golden Circle area.

There is also plenty of lodging in the area. We recommend Shawnee Forest Cabins, Timber Ridge, and Rim Rock’s Dogwood Cabins. Garden of the Gods also offers a campground that is open all year round.

Be sure to stop by Garden of the Gods Outpost General Store for great food, ice cream, and Shawnee Forest merchandise.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun area to explore during the leaf off-season.

However, there weren’t any trails, and the area had a lot of steep slanted areas to walk on. It’s definitely very hilly in this particular area of the wilderness. If you enjoy hikes like that, then you’ll enjoy exploring this part of the wilderness.

Have you ever explored any of these areas? What’s your favorite part of the Garden of the Gods Wilderness to hike or ride horses in?

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Watch the videos for this trail!

Below is a recent video that we filmed while enjoying this area.

Check out the trail gallery!

Enjoy these photos taken around this area!

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