Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor AdventureGarden of the Gods
No admission feeFollow a quarter-mile sandstone trail across the bluffs to rock formations like Camel Rock and views over the Shawnee Hills.
Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor AdventureHistory BuffQuirky Fun
Cave-in-Rock State Park
Walk into a 55-foot-wide cave in the Ohio River bluffs that once hid river pirates, then take in the view from the lodge on the cliffs above.
Off Illinois Route 1, Cave-In-Rock, IL 62919 · Cave-In-Rock, IL
About Cave-in-Rock State Park
Cave-in-Rock State Park covers 204 acres on the Ohio River in far southern Illinois. Its centerpiece is a 55-foot-wide cave worn into the limestone bluff, mapped by a French explorer in 1729 and used around 1797 to 1799 as a hideout by Samuel Mason's gang of river bandits. A trail leads down to the cave, and a lodge with river views sits on the bluff above. The park also has cabins, picnic areas and a campground with showers. A river ferry next to the park crosses the river to Kentucky.
- #state park
- #cave
- #ohio river
- #hiking
- #camping
What's around here?
The closest stops to Cave-in-Rock State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
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Millstone Bluff
No admission feeWalk a short interpretive trail to the top of a bluff in Shawnee National Forest to see the remains of a Mississippian village and petroglyphs.
29 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- Sports & OutdoorsHistory Buff
Fort Massac State Park
No admission feeWalk the Ohio River bank at Illinois's first state park, where French and American forts once stood, and see Native American artifacts in the visitor center.
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Cache River State Natural Area
Check pricesPaddle or hike through southern Illinois swamps to see bald cypress trees more than 1,000 years old, including the state champion.
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- Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor Adventure
Giant City State Park
Check pricesWalk between towering sandstone bluffs on the Giant City Nature Trail, try rock climbing or a trail ride, and eat at a 1930s CCC stone lodge.
57 mi awayMore like this
