On a multi-leg trip from, I had planned a drive from Nashville to St. Louis. In addition to visiting some family in Kentucky, I thought I would get in a couple of hikes that were only slightly out of the way. The first was a place I had read about a while back called the Garden of the Gods in southeastern Illinois. The drive there was uneventful and took me on some unfamiliar country roads in my home state.
When I finally arrived, I was surprised to see how popular the spot is. The parking lot was lined with cars on both sides and a number of fellow hikers were preparing to enter into the wooded area. I parked my rental car and headed up to the trail head. As summer in this part of the country can be extremely brutal due to the heat and humidity, as I well know from growing up only a couple of hours to the west, I was sure to bring water with me.
Arriving at the trail head, I started the short hike along the Observation Trail. As I entered the woods along the well maintained trail, I was quickly greeted by some of the ancient sandstone formations for which the site has its notoriety. Resembling giant mushrooms, the rock towers are the remnants of an ancient inland sea that long ago covered this part of the country. All that remains now are these interesting reminders of that lost eon.
Continuing around the bend, I arrive at the main feature or 'garden'. Here dozens of these mushrooms rise up from the valley floor to form islands above the lush green canopy. A number of hikers are climbing about on the towers. A 100-ish foot drop awaits those that are not sure footed, but of course, I have to bounce around on the formations myself, regardless of the danger. Extremely interesting patterns decorate the surface of many of the rocks. Presumably from erosion, but unlike any pattern I've seen.
After a short exploration of the area and a hike (more like a stroll) of just over half-a-mile, I decide to head back to the car and hit the road for my next stop.
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