Much of the forested land in the southern tip of Illinois is in the
Shawnee National Forest. The 257,000 acres of rolling topography in the
forest contain 208 different kinds of native, woody plants. Some of the
areas which have a high concentration of unusual plant life have been
designated Botanical Areas by the United States Forest Service. At these
areas, such as Little Grand Canyon, Jackson Hollow, Stone Face, and six
others, plant life is protected. These are excellent places to observe
many of the woody plants of the State.
At other areas in the Shawnee National Forest, various forest management
practices, such as selective timber-cutting, erosion control, and
watershed protection, can be observed.
Numerous recreation facilities are dotted throughout the Shawnee. At
many of these, nature trails have been developed which bring the hiker
closer to nature. Descriptive brochures are available for most of the
recreation areas. They may be obtained by visiting the district ranger
offices at Vienna, Elizabethtown, Jonesboro, or Murphysboro, or by
writing to the Forest Supervisor, Shawnee National Forest, Harrisburg,
Illinois.