Shawnee National Forest Quarter

Shawnee National Forest, nested between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, is home to diverse plant and animal life. Declared a National Forest by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, the Forest’s landscape covers about 287,000 acres and features rolling hills, open lands, lakes, creeks and bluffs.

Noteworthy facts about Shawnee National Forest:

• It is surrounded by vast agricultural lands and is the only national forest in Illinois.
• Over 500 wildlife species live in the forest, including 48 types of mammals, 237 kinds of birds, 52 classes of reptiles, 57 forms of amphibians and 109 species of fish.
• The Garden of the Gods Observation Trail includes the impressive rock formations of Camel Rock, Anvil Rock and Devil’s Smokestack.
• The limestone and sandstone layers of the Shawnee Hills formed over millions of years.