Southern Illinois Parks and Wine Trail
Living in St. Louis, we have visited southern IL on numerous occasions. It is a great weekend trip. We visited the area the most when we had friends and family going to college at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, but we have also explored the area ourselves on weekend trips. There is an abundance of wineries and beautiful nature in southern IL. Our favorite parks are Giant City State Park, Garden of the Gods, and Ferne Clyffe State Park.
Garden of the Gods is one of the most popular parks in southern IL and for good reason. It is an extraordinary park that features rocky cliffs and stunning views. We stayed at the Shawnee Forest Cabins to visit the park. The cabins are wonderful and have a private hot tub for each of the cabins which is perfect after a day of hiking. Our cabin was perfect for the two of us, was very clean, and had modern amenities.
At Giant City State Park, the Nature Trail features unique rock formations that you can walk through on the Giant City Streets. It is a fun experience. The park has cabins which we have stayed in and has a good restaurant too. We had delicious meals and drinks at the restaurant and loved our stay.
The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is close to Giant City State Park, and we visited a few wineries on the trail when we stayed in the park. Our favorites were Alto Winery, StarView Vineyards, and Owl Creek Vineyard which has tasty cider flights too.
Ferne Clyffe State Park is a memorable park near Carbondale which is where we stayed when we visited the park. There is a beautiful waterfall at the park which is a highlight. Visit in the springtime to see it in its full beauty. You can climb up a portion of the falls on an outcropping. If you are able to get there, it is well worth it!