Garden of the Gods

By Yuko Aoki


Southern Illinois University is located in rich natural settings. The campus itself is very green. If you like to do a little bit of hiking and love to view magnificent scenery, Garden of the Gods is the one place you must visit. It is one of the parks in the Shawnee National Forest. Rocks are lying down there from about 320 million years ago. They form cliffs and unique shapes. Camel rock, which is literally in the shape of a camel (bottom image), is well known. Wind, rain, and freezing and thawing actions curved rocks and made the shape. It must take a long time to shape and will never stop.


In the fall, leaves are changing their color. When I went to there on October 17th, the panoramic views from the observation points were crowded by people who also wanted to feel the seasonal change. The contrast of colors, the positioning of individual rocks, and the side walk around those rocks and trees are inspiring to me.

I love to be in the park because I can see and know the power of nature. Also they make me feel refreshed. I recommend you to go Garden of the Gods if you are in Southern Illinois. For directions, please go to the link below.

Sources: http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!/?ss=110908&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003714&navid=110160000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&recid=10685&actid=50&ttype=recarea&pname=Shawnee%2520National%2520Forest%2520-%2520Garden%2520of%2520the%2520Gods%2520Recreation%2520Area