giant city state park

stella134

I have lived in this area since 1959, about 2 miles from the Park. It was a favorite childhood haunt. We local Makanda kids would ride our bikes to the Lodge practically everyday during the summer. There are many trails, creeks to wade in for a cool dip, playground equipment & wildlife. Lots to explore! It still holds it's appeal for young and old.

491kandyw

Some friends of my mom's took us here. We climbed up in the fire tower and went inside the lodge, but sadly, we did not get to do any hiking here. We did drive around a bit, and it was all very beautiful. I would love to go back.

HappyTravels919395

We recently stayed in the cabins at Giant City. There was no kitchen in the cabin we rented, but with that being said, there was no need for a kitchen. The food in the lodge was amazing! We had a breakfast buffet on Saturday morning which was superb. After breakfast we hiked 3 different rails in the park. We took a ton of pictures and really enjoyed the scenery. For dinner we went back to the lodge for the all you can eat Chicken dinner. I do not believe I have ever had chicken that tasted that good!! I would highly recommend staying in the cabins. Also, its a very short drive from SIU-Carbondale.

markz919

We started at the lodge to get maps. The attendant was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She described all areas of the park. We hiked the 2 mile loop at the north end of the park around the bluffs. Peak fall colors. Gorgeous.

michaelhR9444HR

Beautiful in the fall. This was our second trip we brought friends this year so much to see and do nice trails.

Endosissy

The trails are generally easy and well maintained. The sandstone rock is interesting with many different natural formations. Wish there were more trails!

bjoux1122

Rainy day and muddy but trails were still easy to navigate. Amazing rock formations! It was like a maze but fear not, you will not get lost. Huge park with plenty of different trails to explore.

caimi

I love Giant City State Park. Located in southern Illinois near the college town of Carbondale, it is a full one day vacation. Between great scenic hikes and the CCC built lodge and the delicious food in the lodge restaurant, I return there as often as I can to take one day away from work and stress to enjoy nature in a beautiful setting .Mid-week it is never crowded and the fall color in the trees rivals anywhere I have seen elsewhere in the US.

Junebug1953

Southern Illinois offers some beautiful scenery and a wonderful wine trail. DO NOT overlook Giant City State Park at Makanda. Take the trail at shelter 3 for a short mile loop. The name of the park derives from the way the glaciers have cut through limestone making it seem as if you are walking through city streets. The lodge was built by the Conservation Corp and is a beautiful old lodge. You can stay in the lodge or rent a cabin. Full dining room open for breakfast lunch and dinner. Many other trails throughout the park. Beautiful any time of year.

OneAddictedTraveler

A chilly day in October is great for hiking. We tried a couple of the nature trails, and easy one and a more challenging one. The oak/hickory forest makes a fine environment. and the differential between highs ridges and low creek bottoms make for some strenuous sections. Picnicking, hiking, and horse activities seem to predominate but a lodge and a campground are available.

SalukiMom

This is a do not miss attraction if you're visiting Carbondale and the surrounding area! The park itself is very spacious with cabins to rent & many picnic areas available. The 1 mile scenic hike is spectacular for all ages! (caution: steep climbs at times)The Lodge restaurant is also a fantastic place to stay or dine!

debbiem233

Beautiful area with great hiking/walking trails with beautiful rock formations and nice place for picnic.

RamDynasty

We were visiting our son in Carbondale and went on a day hike on the 2 mile Trillium Trail. The trail is between a creek on the left and very tall sandstone bluffs on the right when you walk the low first half of this pretty challenging trail. On the bottom half before you climb to the top of the bluffs for the 2nd half return on this circular trail, you really have to carefully watch each step as the rocks and trail can be steep. Beautiful scenery and a quality path to explore. Once you get on top of the bluffs, the trail flattens out and is a much easier walk to the end. We are late 40s and our daughters are teens, we enjoyed the trail. I guess it took maybe 45 minutes or so but we were pretty tired after this, it's pretty hot around here in August. We didn't spend any other time in the park but before we hiked we stopped by the visitor center to pick up a map of where the trails were located. The famous Fat Mans Squeeze is on the Giant City trail I was told. The park seemed very clean, grass cut, weeds trimmed, etc. from driving through finding the trail.

787traveler2014

I grew up here and just really stopped to take a look at Giant City. Giant City has an awesome amount of stuff to doubtt never took the time. We ate breakfast on the way so when we got here we were ready to rock. We walked a few trails and took a ton of pictures! Absolutely beautiful views. Even the kids stopped and talked about it. I have 16 year old and 10 year old boys so they had fun for sure going all out.The cliffs were fun to watch the water trickle down and the place was very clean. Then we ate at Giant City lodge and had a awesome dinner. Fried chicken and the fix ins. I have been to a lot of State Parks since I traveled a lot with the military and saw a lot that were kind of fixer uppers but this place was well maintained. They had cabins on a bluff we will most certainly come back to stay in. Great experience to have from a quick lunch at a pavilion to a few nights in the cabins. Hiking, camping and just relaxing can be attained. Now that Im home again this will be a frequent trip.

ChristinaR178

This is a very beautiful park. They keep up with it very well. They have horse back riding and lots of hiking trails. My favorite part of the park was the horseback riding and the ponds for fishing. One of the ponds set back from the roads had a lot of large mouth bass. Great for avid fisherpeople.