Camping/Hiking Spot in S. IL or W. TN?

XMP

XMP

Joined
Feb 9, 2007
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My wife is competing in a triathlon next weekend in Hixon, TN (near Chattanooga). I'm going to fly down and help her and a friend drive back to Minnesota. We are going to take an extra day on the way back and are looking for a worthwhile place to camp and hike that is generally enroute. I think that would probably be somewhere in western Tennessee or southern Illinois. So I'm wondering if anyone here that is familiar with the area has any recommendations? TIA:)
 
I grew up just south of Land between the Lakes and it's really nice, lots to see and do:

http://www.lbl.org/

If you're into backcountry camping, you're psyched. From the website:

"Unlimited Potential! Have you ever slept under the watchful eye of the Milky Way? At Land Between The Lakes, our lullaby is the gentle lapping of waves on the lakeshore; our alarm clock, the chirping of birds. LBL encompasses 170,000 acres of almost entirely undeveloped land, surrounded on three sides by water — a camper's paradise!

LBL has more than 300 miles of shoreline. Many quiet beaches and coves are perfect overnight spots. Hikers and mountain bikers on an extended exploration of our trail system can spend the night trailside, too. So pack your tent and head into the back country for a night under the stars.

Back Country camping is permitted year-round anywhere in LBL except for cemeteries, picnic areas, fee campgrounds, the Environmental Education Area and within 200 yards of paved roads. A Backcountry Camper Use Permit is required. "
 
Thanks so far. This is helpful. We'll have a vehicle full of triathlon gear, including two bikes, so I'm not sure how much gear we'll fit besides, which may determine the kind of camping we can do.

Questions: where exactly is Land between the Lakes? Can you tell me anything about Garden of the Gods from personal experience.

Thanks again.
 
XMP said:
Can you tell me anything about Garden of the Gods from personal experience.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Went there many times when I was younger, very scenic area, with some trails for hiking. Not a deep woods overnight backpacking place, most trails can be walked in a few hours.

Very beautiful views though..
 
Bell Smith Springs near Eddyville is a very nice place to camp and hike. There's a small campground there that might well be empty this time of year and tons of great trails around. There are several creeks and some pretty good sized cliffs, as well as the longest natural bridge in IL.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_between_the_lakes

LBL is basically a the piece of land sandwiched betweend the dammed Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers just before they flow into the Ohio (which then flows into the Mississippi at Cairo, IL). I haven't hiked or camped there - just spent a lot of time deer hunting there when I was a kid. And I went there for school field-trips and summer camp one year. The 1850s Homeplace is one of my favorite places in the world - it's not to be missed if you visit LBL.

It's actually pretty unique as a natural area that's been set aside and protected (or stolen by the TVA from its rightful owners, depends how you look at it) - it isn't logged or developed but it's still open to "multi-use" recreation. From wiki:

"The area was to become Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area – a TVA experiment designed to show a multiple-use approach to recreational lands. Unlike a national park, there were to be areas where hunting would be allowed. Over time, many other attractions were to be developed, such as a buffalo range, and a recreated 1850-style farm called "The Homeplace", complete with an on-site staff simulating life on the farm in period costume and working it using period agricultural techniques. (Both of these attractions were added in the 1970s.)"
 
I've been to Garden of the Gods several times. It's pretty awesome. Beautiful views and a little rock scrambling (No real climbing or rappelling allowed) on some really neat rock formations. I never got out onto the surrounding trails but when you hike the main loop trail at Garden of the Gods you can see some other rock outcroppings sticking up out of the woods that aren't too far away. I always wanted to try to hike out to one of them but never had the time. It's a popular place so the trail can be fairly crowded depending on when you go. It shouldn't be too bad if you stop during the week. The times that I went I camped at a campground called Pound's Hollow that isn't too far away but is a little more primitive and remote and less crowded than the campground right by Garden of the Gods.
 
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