The Observation Trail at Garden of the Gods runs the rim of sandstone bluffs over the Shawnee Hills. At sunrise Camel Rock and Devil's Smokestack catch the first light, the forest falls away under them, and the Shawnee Hills go out in low forested ridges. Table Rock is another slab on the same short loop, and the named formations sit out in the open. The sandstone is pale and blocky, more cliff than hill, and you can hear the woods below when the wind is up.
Pharaoh Campground sits next to the recreation area, a primitive, tent-oriented loop. Giant City State Park is the first night, close enough that the rim is a morning drive, and the van sleeps there and drives out for sunrise.
When the hills turn in October, every loop around here books. Summer is humid, and ticks come with the woods. Spring is quieter on the rim, and the waterfalls in the forest are running.
LaRue-Pine Hills Snake Road, on the west side of the forest, closes to vehicles for the spring and fall reptile migrations, though foot traffic is still allowed. As of September 2026, the Forest Service spring order runs roughly early March to mid-May, with a fall window on the same pattern.
Giant City State Park
The Giant City Nature Trail runs through gaps in the sandstone that feel like streets, and this is the park you come back to after the rim. The walls rise on both sides, and you walk the floor of those corridors.
The CCC built a lodge here from local stone, with dining and cabins, and it is the indoor stop after a morning on the bluffs. This is where the van stays, so reserve an electric site here before you lock the rental, especially in October. As of September 2026, Illinois DNR lists 85 Class A sites reservable through ExploreMoreIL, plus walk-in tent sites, and a lodge open from early February through early December.
Little Grand Canyon is the day hike from this camp. CCC stone steps drop you down slick waterfall chutes into a sandstone box canyon, then you climb back out. The descent is about 300 feet, and there is no camping at the trailhead. The Forest Service Little Grand Canyon Trail is a 3-mile loop near Murphysboro off Highway 127, and April and October are the months the water actually runs.
The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is the other day out from Giant City, tasting rooms without moving camp.
Rend Lake
Rend Lake is the water weekend. The reservoir sits open and wide, with boat ramps and shoreline camping at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area. You launch from the ramps and spend the day on the reservoir. The loops sit back from the shoreline, and a campervan fits without a fight.
As of September 2026, the Illinois DNR Wayne Fitzgerrell page lists 243 electric sites across five loops. Bay Area, Hickman's Point, and Lakeview take reservations. Lookout Point and Shady Rest are first-come. Electric sites are $20 a night, with a $10 surcharge on holiday weekends.
Cave-in-Rock State Park
The cave mouth opens in the bluff face directly over the Ohio River. You walk in from the park above and the river is right there, a 55-foot hole in the rock.
Stay if you want the night next to that view. As of September 2026, Illinois DNR lists 34 Class A electric sites up to 60 feet, first-come through the site superintendent, at $20 a night and $30 on holiday weekends. If you need more sleeping space or length than a campervan, look at RV rentals in Illinois. The ferry on Highway 90 crosses the Ohio if you are continuing into Kentucky.
For trips north of the Shawnee, start with campervan rentals in Illinois.