In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Carbondale via Giant City, the vineyards around Alto Pass and the rocks of the Garden of the Gods to the Ohio, on to Cave-in-Rock, Golconda and Metropolis, to the confluence at Cairo and back through the Ozark hills: around 650 kilometres through the other Illinois.
The spirit of the route
If you only know Illinois as cornfields and Chicago, the south will surprise you. Between the Mississippi and the Ohio, the Shawnee Hills rise out of the plain: wooded ridges, sandstone rocks standing like ruins in the oak forest, narrow ravines full of moss and ferns. Vines and peaches grow on the slopes around Alto Pass, while down on the Ohio lie quiet river towns with flood marks on the walls of the houses. In the evening, from the sliding door, you look out from the Garden of the Gods over a sea of treetops; in the morning mist rises from the valleys, and in late summer the cicadas sing so loudly that you can no longer hear your own radio. The roads are winding and almost empty, the campgrounds small and wooded. At the end you stand in Cairo at the tip of the state, where the Ohio flows into the Mississippi – a place between great history and decay.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Carbondale to Giant City State Park (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- A short start: from the university town of Carbondale south on US-51 and via Makanda onto Giant City Road into the state park. Two-lane, gently hilly, through woods and orchards; pure driving time around 30 minutes. Inside the park the roads are narrow and winding, and the trailhead car parks are small. Carbondale is the last town with large supermarkets, DIY stores and plenty of fuel stations before the forest – stock up on supplies and propane here.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Giant City Nature Trail: a short loop through the “streets” of Giant City – alleys between house-high sandstone blocks that recall an abandoned city. In the wet, the steps and rocks are slippery.
- Giant City Lodge: built of sandstone and timber by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, with a restaurant; next to it a water tower with a viewing platform above the treetops.
- Makanda: a tiny village on the railway line with a short wooden row of craft shops on the Makanda Boardwalk – good for a stroll; park large vehicles on the edge of the village.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Giant City State Park Campground: a wooded campground in the park with electric sites, shower building, drinking water and dump station, plus a separate tent area and an equestrian campground. Book through the Illinois State Parks reservation system (ExploreMoreIL); on autumn weekends during the leaf colour, book early and check the site length when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Illinois State Parks, overnight stays are only allowed on the designated campgrounds, and car parks close at night. In the neighbouring Shawnee National Forest, dispersed camping is generally possible (see Practicalities); a quiet spot in the Giant City area itself is hard to find, though, and much of the land around it is private.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Giant City trails run through dense forest with a high tick density – tuck long trousers into your socks and check yourself thoroughly in the evening. The Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge east of Carbondale is a good fallback, with a large lake and its own campground (Crab Orchard Campground), in case Giant City is full.
2Stage 2: Giant City State Park to Murphysboro (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- Via Makanda and Cobden to Alto Pass, then north on narrow country roads to Pomona Natural Bridge and Little Grand Canyon, finally to Murphysboro. This is the twistiest stage: the roads of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail follow the ridges, with short, steep climbs; the access road to Bald Knob Cross is narrow and steep, and the last kilometres to Natural Bridge and Little Grand Canyon are partly gravel. Pure driving time around two hours, a full day with hikes. Large motorhomes and rigs with trailers should take the access roads slowly and check for turning space before narrow forest roads.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bald Knob Cross near Alto Pass: a white-clad cross around 34 metres (111 ft) tall on one of the highest points of the Shawnee Hills, with wide views over forest and orchards; lit up in the evening.
- Little Grand Canyon: the loop trail (just under six kilometres) descends over rock steps into a narrow sandstone gorge and returns along a ridge with views over the bottomland forests of the Big Muddy River. Water often flows along the floor of the gorge, and the rocks are then slick – only with grippy shoes and not after heavy rain.
- Pomona Natural Bridge: a natural sandstone arch over a stream valley in the forest, reached by a short loop trail; especially beautiful in autumn foliage. Plus the wineries of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail around Alto Pass and Cobden, with tastings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Lake Murphysboro State Park: a wooded campground on a small lake west of Murphysboro with electric sites, showers and dump station; book through ExploreMoreIL. Rustic alternative in the forest: Pine Hills Campground on LaRue Road to the south-west, a small Forest Service campground (around a dozen sites) without hookups and without a water tap at the foot of the limestone bluffs of LaRue–Pine Hills; no reservations, first come, first served, suitable for smaller vehicles only.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Shawnee National Forest, dispersed camping outside developed recreation areas is generally allowed unless prohibited by signs; at trailheads such as Little Grand Canyon, Pomona Natural Bridge and at Bald Knob Cross, overnight stays are not intended. On winery car parks only with the express permission of the business.
- Insider tip for campers
- LaRue Road (Forest Road 345, “Snake Road”) is closed to motor vehicles every year on a section of around four and a half kilometres, twice for about two months – in spring from mid-March, in autumn from early September – so that snakes and amphibians can migrate between swamp and bluffs; you can walk it during these periods. Check the exact dates with the Forest Service. If you are tasting wine: the stage is short but winding – choose a designated driver or do your tasting at the campground.
3Stage 3: Murphysboro to Garden of the Gods (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- East on IL-13 through Carbondale, Marion and Harrisburg – four-lane, with lots of commerce and traffic lights, but quick. Beyond Harrisburg, south on IL-34 into the hills and at Herod onto the narrow Karbers Ridge Road, from which the access road to the Garden of the Gods branches off. The last kilometres are winding, with crests and no hard shoulder. Pure driving time around two hours. Harrisburg is the last town with a supermarket and several fuel stations before the eastern forest.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Garden of the Gods, Observation Trail: a short loop over sandstone slabs to rock formations such as Camel Rock and Devil’s Smokestack, with views over the Garden of the Gods Wilderness. Most beautiful at sunset, but crowded on autumn weekends – come midweek or early in the morning.
- Rim Rock and Pounds Hollow: the short Rim Rock Trail runs along the edge of a rock plateau, past the remains of a prehistoric stone wall and down stairs into a ravine to Ox-Lot Cave, an overhanging rock shelter. Below lies the small Pounds Hollow Lake.
- Along the way: Crab Orchard Lake and the coal towns of Marion and Harrisburg, shaped by mining.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Pharaoh Campground right at the Garden of the Gods: a small, basic Forest Service campground on the ridge with around a dozen sites without hookups, vault toilets and a hand pump for water; no reservations, first come, first served, unsuitable for large motorhomes. Larger is Pine Ridge Campground at Pounds Hollow, in the woods above the lake, also without reservations, with one loop with electricity (no water hookup at the site; season roughly mid-March to mid-December).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Garden of the Gods Wilderness itself is closed to vehicles; tent camping there is only possible on foot and under wilderness rules. On forest roads in the surrounding area, dispersed camping is allowed where it is not signposted as prohibited – only on already-used spots, no fires when there is a fire risk, and not on the car parks at the rocks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The car parks at the Observation Trail are small; with a large vehicle, come outside peak times and if necessary park at the campground. Mobile coverage is patchy in places in the eastern Shawnee – save maps offline. Fill up with water in Harrisburg, as the basic campgrounds do not always have drinking water.
4Stage 4: Garden of the Gods to Cave-in-Rock (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- East along Karbers Ridge Road – signposted as a spur of the Ohio River Scenic Byway – past Rim Rock to IL-1, south on it to the Ohio and west on IL-146 for the detour to Elizabethtown, then back to Cave-in-Rock. Hilly and wooded, tight bends on the ridges, wider towards the river. Pure driving time barely an hour and a half – plenty of time for detours. Fuel stations only in the small towns, with limited opening hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Elizabethtown: a river town on the Ohio with the Rose Hotel, one of the oldest hotel buildings in Illinois and now a State Historic Site, with a garden and views of the river.
- Illinois Iron Furnace: a restored 19th-century blast furnace in the woods north of Elizabethtown, a Forest Service recreation area with a short loop trail along the creek.
- Cave-in-Rock State Park: a large limestone cave directly above the Ohio that served river pirates and highwaymen as a hideout in the early 19th century. A path leads from the car park down to the cave; from the bluff there are wide views across the river to Kentucky. During floods the lower access is closed.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Cave-in-Rock State Park: a campground on the plateau above the river with electric sites, showers and dump station as well as tent sites; book through ExploreMoreIL. Basic alternative: the Forest Service’s Tower Rock Recreation Area between Elizabethtown and Cave-in-Rock, right on the Ohio, a basic campground without reservations (first come, first served); check facilities and water in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Elizabethtown and Cave-in-Rock there is a lot of Shawnee National Forest woodland; dispersed camping on forest roads is possible where not prohibited. On the riverbank and at municipal boat ramps, overnight stays are generally not allowed; after floods, riverside tracks are often muddy and impassable.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Cave-in-Rock Ferry across the Ohio to Kentucky (KY-91 towards Marion) is free for travellers and funded by Kentucky and Illinois. After the state contract expired, the private operator suspended service indefinitely because of a funding dispute; before planning, check with the transport authorities of Kentucky (KYTC) and Illinois (IDOT) whether it is running again. Alternative route via the bridge at Shawneetown (IL-13/KY-56): around 100 kilometres instead of the short crossing, so a good hour longer. Even when it is running, the ferry stops during high water, low water, storms or drifting debris.
5Stage 5: Cave-in-Rock to Metropolis (approx. 115 km)
- The drive
- West on IL-146 over the hills to Golconda, then on to Dixon Springs and via Vienna and back roads south to the Ohio at Metropolis. Winding as far as Golconda, then more open with fields and islands of woodland. Pure driving time around two hours. Supermarkets and fuel stations in Metropolis; across the river lies Paducah in Kentucky, a few minutes away via I-24.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Golconda: a county seat on the Ohio where, in the winter of 1838/39, thousands of Cherokee crossed the river on the Trail of Tears; a memorial and information boards by the river, plus historic houses in town. The route is part of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
- Dixon Springs State Park: a small park around a spring in a valley with sandstone rocks, streams and old trees; quiet loop trails. Nearby is the Forest Service’s Lake Glendale Recreation Area, with a swimming beach and a trail around the lake.
- Metropolis: the town that shares its name with Superman’s comic-book home has a bronze Superman statue in front of the courthouse and runs a comic museum. On the edge of town lies Fort Massac State Park, the oldest state park in Illinois, on the site of a French and later American fort on the Ohio.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Fort Massac State Park: a campground on the Ohio with around 50 electric sites, shower building and dump station, plus tent sites; book through ExploreMoreIL. More wooded: Oak Point Campground at the Lake Glendale Recreation Area (Forest Service) near Dixon Springs, with around 60 sites, a good half of them with electricity and water, showers and dump station, vehicles up to about 12 metres (40 ft); no reservations, first come, first served.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Metropolis, overnight stays on streets and car parks are not intended; the riverside casino is not a place to park overnight. Dispersed camping is only possible in the Shawnee National Forest, i.e. in the woods around Golconda and Dixon Springs, not in the flat Ohio lowlands.
- Insider tip for campers
- The replica of the 1802 timber fort at Fort Massac is closed for necessary repairs and can only be seen from outside; check with IDNR beforehand whether it has reopened and when the visitor centre is open. For larger shopping trips, RV repair shops and propane, Paducah on the Kentucky side is the best address in the region.
6Stage 6: Metropolis to Horseshoe Lake (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- West through the flat lowlands along the Ohio, following the Ohio River Scenic Byway on back roads to Joppa and Olmsted, then on IL-37 via Mound City to Cairo; from there north on IL-3 for around ten kilometres to Horseshoe Lake near Olive Branch and Miller City. Two-lane country roads, little traffic, lots of fields, floodplain forest and levees. Pure driving time around two hours. Fuel stations are few and far between, especially in Cairo – fill up in Metropolis. After floods, back roads in the lowlands may be flooded or closed.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cairo: the town at the southern tip of Illinois was a major river port in the 19th century; today grand buildings such as the Custom House and the Magnolia Manor mansion stand next to empty rows of shops. A large flood levee encircles the town – a quiet, striking place; visit with respect.
- Fort Defiance State Park: a point of land at the confluence of the Ohio and the Mississippi where Union troops camped during the Civil War. You can see the clear Ohio water next to the brown Mississippi, towboats and barges, and the bridges to Kentucky and Missouri. During floods the site is under water and closed.
- Horseshoe Lake: a horseshoe-shaped oxbow of the Mississippi with bald cypresses and tupelo trees standing in the water, herons and, in winter, large flocks of geese; roads run along the shore.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: a lakeside campground with electric sites (Class A) and more basic sites without electricity; check showers, dump station, season and booking method in advance with IDNR or ExploreMoreIL. After floods, roads and facilities may be closed – call the park office beforehand. Fully equipped alternative: back to Fort Massac or on to Trail of Tears State Forest.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the lowlands around Cairo and Horseshoe Lake there is no Forest Service land and therefore no dispersed camping; wildlife areas allow camping only on designated sites. Do not stay overnight in Cairo or at Fort Defiance.
- Insider tip for campers
- The old bridges at Cairo across the Ohio and the Mississippi are narrow, with tight lanes and heavy trucks – if you are continuing to Kentucky or Missouri, fold in your mirrors and keep your distance. In summer the heat in the river lowlands is oppressive and the mosquitoes at Horseshoe Lake are fierce; schedule outings for early morning.
7Stage 7: Horseshoe Lake to Ferne Clyffe State Park (approx. 110 km)
- The drive
- North on IL-3 along the edge of the Mississippi floodplain, then into the hills to Jonesboro and Trail of Tears State Forest; the forest roads there are narrow, partly gravel and steep – with a large vehicle, stick to the main road. On via Anna on IL-146 and I-57 east to the Goreville exit and Ferne Clyffe State Park. Pure driving time around two hours. From there it is about 35 kilometres back to Carbondale, the starting point, via I-57 and IL-13.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Trail of Tears State Forest: forest in the foothills of the Ozark hills with deep valleys, ridges and viewpoints; the name recalls the Cherokee who had to wait out the winter of 1838/39 here on their forced march west.
- Cache River State Natural Area (detour east of I-57): a boardwalk to Heron Pond through a swamp of bald cypresses and tupelo trees – a landscape you would rather expect in the Deep South.
- Ferne Clyffe State Park: Hawks’ Cave, a huge rock shelter in a sandstone wall, and the Big Rocky Hollow Trail to a waterfall that only flows after rain; plus a small lake at the park entrance.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Ferne Clyffe State Park: main campground with electric sites, showers and dump station, plus a quiet tent area and equestrian sites; book through ExploreMoreIL. Rustic in Trail of Tears State Forest: basic sites along the forest roads without hookups; follow the registration and rules on site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Trail of Tears State Forest, overnight stays are only allowed on the designated sites. If you want to camp free, you will find forest roads in the neighbouring Shawnee National Forest around Jonesboro and Alto Pass where dispersed camping is possible unless prohibited.
- Insider tip for campers
- Ferne Clyffe is only a few minutes from I-57 – ideal as a last night before the drive back to St. Louis, Chicago or Nashville. The waterfall in Big Rocky Hollow is only worth it after rainfall; in late summer it is often dry.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Illinois State Parks, State Forests and Fish and Wildlife Areas allow overnight stays only on designated campgrounds; car parks are closed and patrolled at night. Reservations are handled centrally through ExploreMoreIL, the booking system of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; unreserved sites are sometimes allocated on site.
- Shawnee National Forest: dispersed camping outside developed recreation areas is generally allowed unless prohibited by signs or orders; free of charge and for a maximum of 14 consecutive days. Not in protected areas (Natural Areas), on lakeshores, close to streams or on hiking trails; day-use areas are closed to vehicles at night, and do not block roads or gates. Only use spots that are already in use, do not drive into wilderness areas, no fires when there is a fire risk, take your rubbish with you.
- The Forest Service campgrounds such as Pharaoh, Pine Ridge, Tower Rock, Pine Hills and Oak Point do not take reservations; sites are allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. Most are basic; only Oak Point offers electricity, water, showers and a dump station, and Pine Ridge has one loop with electricity. Check seasons and water supply before you arrive.
- Towns such as Carbondale, Metropolis and Cairo prohibit or do not tolerate sleeping in your vehicle; supermarket car parks only with the store’s permission. Rest areas on I-57 and I-24 are for taking a break, not for overnight stays.
- Wildlife and health: ticks (lone star tick, American dog tick, deer tick) are very common from spring to autumn and transmit diseases such as ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever; plus harvest mites (“chiggers”) in the grass. Venomous snakes such as the copperhead, timber rattlesnake and cottonmouth occur, especially around rocks and in the swamps.
- Hunting: in autumn and winter it is hunting season in the Shawnee National Forest, mainly for deer – wear blaze orange clothing when hiking.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium, The Dyrt and Recreation.gov; Park4Night is not widely used here.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations: at the state park campgrounds (Giant City, Lake Murphysboro, Cave-in-Rock, Fort Massac, Ferne Clyffe) as well as at private campgrounds and at the Forest Service’s Oak Point Campground; the basic Forest Service campgrounds have none.
- Drinking water: at taps in the state parks; at Forest Service campgrounds not everywhere and often only seasonally. Fill your tanks in Harrisburg or Carbondale before the eastern Shawnee Hills.
- Empty grey water and chemical toilets only at dump stations; draining in the forest or into streams is prohibited.
- Propane: fuel stations, DIY stores and farm supply stores fill US cylinders; European cylinders are generally not filled. Widest choice in Carbondale, Marion and Paducah (KY).
- Electricity: state park campgrounds usually offer 30, sometimes 50 A; Forest Service campgrounds mostly without electricity – observe generator rules.
- Shopping and fuel: supermarkets in Carbondale, Murphysboro, Marion, Harrisburg, Metropolis and Anna; between the Garden of the Gods, Elizabethtown, Cave-in-Rock and Cairo only small shops with short opening hours.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: interstates in Illinois outside urban areas mostly 70 mph (113 km/h), two-lane highways mostly 55 mph (88 km/h), four-lane ones sometimes 65 mph; Kentucky and Missouri similar. Watch the signs, especially through towns and near schools.
- Mobile phones at the wheel are only allowed hands-free in Illinois. “Scott’s Law” requires you to change lanes or slow down considerably when passing stationary emergency and breakdown vehicles with warning lights; violations are severely punished.
- Tolls: there are no toll roads in southern Illinois; the Illinois Tollway is limited to the Chicago metropolitan area. The bridges to Kentucky and Missouri are also toll-free.
- Ferry: the Cave-in-Rock Ferry is free for travellers, but its service is suspended because of a funding dispute between the operator and the states; check the current status with the transport authorities of Kentucky (KYTC) and Illinois (IDOT).
- Flooding: the Ohio and the Mississippi flood mainly in spring; riverside roads, boat ramps, Fort Defiance, the cave access at Cave-in-Rock and parts of the lowlands are then closed. After heavy rain, streams in the ravines also rise quickly – never drive through flooded roads. Check river levels and warnings with the National Weather Service.
- Heat and storms: in July and August, temperature and humidity are often so high that the heat index rises above 38 °C; in spring, thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible. Use a weather app with National Weather Service warnings, and in a tornado warning seek shelter in a solid building – a motorhome offers no protection.
- Emergency: 911. Mobile coverage in the valleys of the Shawnee National Forest and along the Ohio is weak in places or missing altogether.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Tick tweezers, permethrin for clothing and repellent with DEET or picaridin: ticks and chiggers are the real nuisance in the woods and grass of the Shawnee Hills.
- Hiking boots with grippy soles: the sandstone steps in Little Grand Canyon, Giant City and Ferne Clyffe are slippery when wet.
- Blaze orange vest or cap: in autumn and winter it is hunting season in the Shawnee National Forest.
- Large fresh-water tank or jerrycans: many Forest Service campgrounds have drinking water only seasonally or not at all.
- 12 V fan and mosquito nets for door and windows: for muggy summer nights in the river lowlands without electricity.
- Weather radio or severe-weather app with NWS warnings, plus offline maps: for thunderstorms, tornado warnings and floods in areas without coverage.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
