I continue to be amazed by all the beauty just outside of our doors. We’ve been exploring more of Illinois the past couple of years and I’m hooked by the family-friendly trails and views! Plus, I love driving on historic Route 66 while we are out exploring! Illinois has 69 State Parks, six state forests and my personal favorite, Shawnee National Forest. These 6 hikes are all within driving distance from St. Louis and you could explore them as a day trip or weekend getaway.
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Garden of the Gods
GPS Coordinates to the Observation Trail parking lot: 37.604832, -88.384603
While there are multiple trails in this park and nearby, my favorite is the 0.5 mile Observation Trail. The trail starts from the parking lot and it is a loop. I like to start clockwise past the vault toilets.
The trail starts off in the woods and passes by boulders before breaking open to incredible views! Make sure to keep little ones close, as there are big drops. We like to catch sunrise here and pack along breakfast! It is the best sunrise we have ever seen!!
Ferne Clyffe State Park
90 Goreville Rd, Goreville, IL 62939
We happened to be here when a huge rain started! There is an incredible waterfall at the end of the 0.8 mile Big Rocky Hollow trail. The waterfall definitely needs a heavy rain to flow!
There are also normally rock climbers along the cliff faces in the park, which my kids loved to watch.
Rim Rock National Recreation Trail
GPS Coordinates to the trailhead: 37.602120, -88.278114
This is one hour from Garden of the Gods, so we like to combine this trail with it when we are in the area. It is a 1 mile trail that meanders through a beautiful canyon.
There is one slot canyon area that my kids love to fit and run through! The historic cliff cave is just beautiful too. There are some bridges to cross and amazing wilderness that will take your breath away!
Pomona Natural Bridge
GPS Coordinates to the trailhead: 37.648338, -89.343184
This trail is 0.3 miles along a loop. This is such a fun and cool spot, especially walking across the bridge to climb down and explore underneath the bridge.
We like to bring a picnic lunch to eat under the bridge. It is so peaceful here!
Watershed Nature Center
Address: 1591 Tower Ave, Edwardsville, IL 62025
This is a 1.2 mile trail that is stroller-friendly. We start at the nature center and go clockwise around the pond. About 1/3 mile around the pond, there is a sign for the marsh boardwalk. This unique boardwalk is concrete and has no railings! Definitely watch little ones, but we have had no issues.
The trail continues around the pond and there are two observation towers to view wildlife. There are so many birds here. We saw many blue herons on our most recent visit!
Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Address to the Illinois Side: 4205-4207 Chain of Rocks Rd, Granite City, IL 62040
This historic bridge, once part of Route 66, is a 1 mile trail across the Mississippi River. It is stroller-friendly and check out the new Chain of Rocks Park on the Missouri side. The water intake towers are beautiful to view and keep a lookout for eagles!
There are so many beautiful places to explore in Illinois.
We also love Pere Marquette State Park, Salt Lick Point, Starved Rock State Park and Cave in the Rock State Park!
I loved partnering with Enjoy Illinois on this reel! Shout out to USDA for the drone permit of Garden of the Gods!
Happy exploring!
