WELCOME to the Shawnee National Forest

Garden of the Gods Recreation Area with Its all yours in text over the top with the Go.Play logo

Plan your visit

Due to area flooding these areas have been affected. Latest updates as of 5/13/19:

Turkey Bayou and Big Muddy Boat Launch – Closed
Little Grand Canyon Trail – Upper Trail open only; Lower trail has flooding, therefore hiking entire 3 mile loop trail is impossible.
North portions of Forest Road #345 (Scatters Rd.) is closed due to flooding. This is as the road leaves north from Winters Pond.
Hickory Ridge Road may be closed in places due to high water.
Lake Egypt Boat Launch – Washed Out – Please do not use boat launch until repairs have been made.
Millstone Bluff Trail – Trail reconstruction is complete, however there is a tree down across the upper boardwalk portion of the trail.

Be aware that due to spring rains many creeks could be too high to cross and water levels usually stay high until the end of May.

Forest Health	Find your spot on the Forest
Managing carbon in a forest is not the same as managing the forest for carbon. Carbon management is one part of sustainable land management.	Explore all that the forest has to offer in one spot, through our interactive visitor map.
Explore the forest with your phone	Visit the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
You can now get instant, on-site information while touring Shawnee National Forest.	Looking for ways to explore history with kids this summer? Consider visiting the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, just south of Jonesboro.