Surprise, Surprise …

Illinois is known to be pretty flat.
In the years we have lived here we got kind of used to it. Prairies, rivers, and sometimes forests are mostly the landscape around here. No mountains or even hills. In fact, the only hill in the area is a garbage hill, a huge landfill full of old trash, overgrown with grass. I mean, you wouldn’t guess it if you wouldn’t know, you can even go up there and have a nice view but it is still just filled with trash.

But, if you think that all of Illinois is flat you would be mistaken…

At the most southern tip of the state you can find an astounding area called Shawnee National Forest. The only national Forest in the state of Illinois is nestled between the Mississippi and the Ohio River. It spans approximately 286,000 acres of forests, hills, lakes, and waterfalls.

Inside the Shawnee National Forest is a beautiful place called the Garden of the Gods wilderness. There you can find rough sandstone cliffs, interesting rock formations, and hidden waterfalls. Most stunning are the magnificent bluffs which drop more than a hundred feet. The view of the surrounding forests is breathtaking.

Unfortunately we had only a limited time to explore, but the short trail we hiked was well worth it.

See for yourself, how amazing this area is … Here are some pictures from our visit.

This garden full of sandstone sculptures and vast untouched wilderness was fittingly named Garden of the Gods.

Over the years wind and rain chiseled away large deposits of sedimentary stone and formed these amazing rocks. One of the most stunning and extraordinary formations is called Camel Rock.

Wind and Rain drew lines in the rock forming all kinds of rock art.

A view from below.

There is a rich wild life population at Shawnee National Forest – deer, wild turkey, turkey vultures, foxes, beavers, and even bald eagles call this area home.
And you can also find this mysterious creature …

They say, it’s not a deer and it’s definitely not human – it is Sassy, the Sasquatch.  The seven feet tall giant is Illinois very own Big Foot. With 2,600 pounds it took quite an effort, four guys and a backhoe to put Sassy on the side of the high way to welcome visitor to the Shawnee National Forest.
She is quite social and even has her own Facebook Page.

Were you surprised by any of this? Did you know that Illinois is not just flat? Let me know in the comments.

~ Live inspired!