Shawnee National Forest
Failing Culvert on Oakwood Bottoms Road FSR # 786
Be aware there is a failing culvert on Oakwood Bottoms Road FSR # 786. The culvert is approximately 0.6 miles off of Route 3, just before the railroad tracks.
Oakwood Bottoms Waterfowl Hunting 2025-2026
Flooding of Oakwood Bottom Units is underway. Due to storm damage to power lines, the units in the southern portion of Oakwood Bottoms will not be filled this year. To offset this loss of floodable units, we plan to flood as many of the northern units as possible.
Public Health and Safety Closure Within the V-Plow Timber Sale Area
This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands within Township 11S, Range 5E, Sections 21 & 22 of Pope County, Illinois, as depicted in
Water temporarily unavailable at Garden of the Gods
Water is temporarily off at Pharaoh Campground in the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area. Please plan accordingly. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates to our social media pages and the website when it is available again.
09-08-25-03 Shawnee Wilderness and Watersheds
This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining restrictions in wilderness and watershed areas, including stock use.
09-08-25-02 Occupancy and Use
This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining conditions of occupancy and use.
09-08-25-04 Restrictions for the Use of Natural Areas
This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining restrictions in natural areas.
McClure Road Closed
McClure Road (Forest Service Road 772) is closed at the low-water crossing approximately 0.1 mile past the Forest Service boundary (0.8 mile from Little Kinkaid Road). We apologize for the inconvenience, but the road will remain closed to all vehicular traffic until a culvert can be replace
Road Conditions
Current area road conditions can be found at the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Reporting Trail Conditions
Call (618) 658-1312 to report trail conditions, give feedback about the trails, and ask questions about the forest trail system.
Trail Segment Closed - Lincoln Memorial
The walking path at Lincoln Memorial Day-use site has been affected by heavy rainfall, which has caused soil erosion and subsidence at the spillway of the Lincoln Memorial pond.
Cave and Mine Closure Order
This order aims to protect the public health and safety of users recreating on National Forest System (NFS) lands by outlining cave and mine closures.
Overview
Shawnee National Forest is the only national forest in Illinois, spanning 289,000 acres in southern Illinois between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The forest is currently open and accessible for recreation. Developed campgrounds typically operate from April 1 through December 15, though primitive dispersed camping is allowed year-round for up to 14 consecutive days. Current alerts include: a public health and safety closure within the V-Plow Timber Sale Area, McClure Road (FSR 772) closed due to a culvert issue, water temporarily unavailable at Pharaoh Campground in the Garden of the Gods area, and a failing culvert on Oakwood Bottoms Road. There are also flooding operations underway at Oakwood Bottom Units. Trail segments are closed at Johnson Creek (footbridge) and Lincoln Memorial due to erosion. The forest features seven wilderness areas (about 10% of the forest), diverse oak-hickory forests, wetlands, canyons, and unique rock formations. Popular areas include Garden of the Gods, Bell Smith Springs, and Jackson Falls. No fire danger restrictions are currently in effect. Dispersed primitive camping is allowed anywhere on national forest lands except in natural areas, along lake shores, near streams, or on trails.
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