Two Hikes: Giant City and Cache River

Although extended backpacking trips in the White Mountains are not as accessible for us as they once were, we have been able to find a few saunters in Southern Illinois. Two recent favorites include Giant City State Park and Cache River State Natural Area. The former was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal of the 1930s and is part of a network of trails, picnic areas, and--the crowning accomplishment in this area--Giant City Lodge, a cool little stone and timber lodge that serves a mean all-you-can-eat fried chicken dinner on the weekends. Our other favorite trail is in the Cache River preserve. It includes a boardwalk that meanders through wetlands filled with cypress trees. Fortunately, the options for hikes don't end there. We hope to trek through Garden of the Gods and bike the Tunnel Hill Trail this spring, too.
—Grant