Garden of the Gods — Attraction in Elizabethtown

This place is full of wild beauty sometimes the pathways are scary to reach to the top cliff but staying on trail and designated places will keep you comfortable to enjoy the beauty of Garden of Gods. It is actually the stone formation that was resulted from the water erosion of sea water millions of years ago and is still continuing. There are many cliffs scattered over the sides of the trail but the main overlook/viewpoint is at the top where Camel point, table top, chimney top and other two parallel cliffs are embracing the dense forests. I visited during the fall so of course a breath taking view of fall was gifted by nature. The entry to this part of Shawnee national forest is also very beautiful somewhere narrow so be a careful driver, but the canopies create the view spectacular. At the top there is a view point of Camel point from where one can clearly diagonally visualize the camel shaped rock formation. The trails are not stroller/wheelchair friendly. We started from the left side of the trail from the parking lot as we can reach up to the top quickly by covering a short distance. We followed the same trail to reach to the middle of the trail to see some naturally made sculptures due to rock formation. It was amazing, people were trying and enjoying rock climbing but it was scary for me. It is almost three hours drive from Saint Louis and place was overcrowded to see the fall color. Parkings can be a problem sometimes but manageable. Overall we the entire family enjoyed the trip to the fullest in the...

I came here in June to escape the heat in the urban areas. It is a very beautiful and geological interesting spot in the woods with a nice view and some challenging hiking/climbing possibilities.

.It is an easy hike which can be done in less than 30 minutes. But you will be there for much longer, because you will enjoy the amazing view and the interesting rock formations.

It is a quite long drive to this area, but you will find a couple dozen parking spots, most of them also in the shade.

From there it is a small hike uphill and you are already at the cliffs. Some paths between the stones are very narrow, so a little bit of "climbing" is necessary.

What I do recommend, is to wear proper shoes. If you want to really climb the rocks, please do not do this in Crocs or sandals, like some people I encounterd, did. This is just irresponsible. The rocks are very smooth and you need grip on them.

While climbing on the rocks, you have to be careful, because there are some larger gaps and if you make a wrong step, you can fall off them. The danger is real, but worth the view - IF you are physically fit.

All in all, a very stunning area in the...

After visiting, it's clear how this park got its name. Garden of the Gods is found in the Shawnee National Forest. On the main road you find yourself driving through lush woods that hide the true nature of the beauty you will witness. Once parked, there is an easy to follow stone trail, with man-made trails off the main leading to different viewing points of the park. The hike is about 3/4 of a mile, estimated to take 45 minutes with a bathroom at the trailhead, and 2 benches along the path (plenty of natural seating choices among the rocks though 😉). If you venture off the path to explore, which I HIGHLY recommend, you can easily spend 2 hours or more at the park taking in the natural beauty. Make sure to get good photos, but also make sure to put your phone down at some point so you can try to absorb some of the beauty. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, but memories...