Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drive 68
Shawnee Hills Byway
AzigzaggingseamintherichfabricofsouthernIllinois,theShawneeHillsScenic
Byway threads through mellow farmlands, picturesque river towns, and rugged
wilderness—a stark contrast to the urban glamour of its northern reaches.
Length:
About 100 miles, plus side trips
When to go:
Pleasant year-round, but best spring through fall
Nearby attractions:
Burden Falls Wilderness Area, southwest of Mitchellsville; Old
Shawneetown, a historic town with some restored buildings, Rte. 13 at Ohio River
Further information:
Illinois Office of Tourism
Shawnee National Forest
1.
Shawnee National Forest
Fromits beginning intheflat farmlands aroundHarrisburg,thedriveheads southonRte. 34
andsoonbeginstosnakethroughthefirstline oftheShawnee Hills. Thisrumpled stretch of
countryside, spared by the glaciers that leveled most areas to the north, is part of Shawnee
National Forest. In the forest's 270,000 acres, the works of humankind are for the most part
left behind, and nature steals the scene with an array of lonely lakes and streams, shady
gorges and rocky bluffs, and a host of flowering shrubs and leafy hardwoods. The diversity
of landforms, in turn, supports a range of wildlife: from ubiquitous white-tailed deer to wa-
terfowl, wild turkeys, and even bobcats.
Miles of roads and trails create a web of opportunity for visitors to follow, allowing ac-
cess to all but the remotest corners of the forest. Driving and hiking are not the only ways
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