A Forest on the Rocks

Massive rocks and boulders, precarious cliffs rising high above thick forest -- it's not what a traveler expects to encounter in Illinois.

But here in the Shawnee National Forest, a vast expanse of wooded hills tucked between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, geological events have conspired to shape a wondrous landscape.

Take a walk around the popular Garden of the Gods wilderness area and the helpful displays tell a familiar story of prehistoric lakes, crushing forces and heaving tectonic plates. What took millions of years to create is yours to absorb in a quick hike.

Did I mention the entire area has already been denuded once of its trees, over grazed and utterly wasted in recent history? Amazingly the land has been patched up in conservation actions that allow us to view a wondrous sight today -- one that will undoubtedly continue to transform itself in the next few million years.