Garden of the Gods Outpost

06/20/2025

Beat this heat and head in for a sweet treat! Yum!

06/16/2025

Thank you Patty for the restock of magnets!!

06/14/2025

For all our Jeep loving people out there! Shawnee Forest ducks!

06/11/2025

It’s not everyday that a whole family orders the same thing! 🤩 banana split heaven!

05/30/2025

The winners of our coloring contest!
Adults
1st place : Lion by J.R.
2nd place : dragonfly by Kayla
3rd place : ice cream by Sue
Older kids
1st place : ice cream by Matthew
2nd place : ice cream by Bryden
3rd place : ice cream by John
Younger kids
1st place : wolf by Gemma
2nd place : kangaroo by Emerson
3rd place : ice cream by Joshua
Winners head to the outpost to get your free ice cream! Thanks to all who participated! 💜

05/28/2025

A few more days to enter our coloring contest! Win free ice cream! Coloring sheets available at the outpost or color your own from home!

05/27/2025

Great opportunity to serve our community!

Get ready to make a difference in the Shawnee Forest in the last Trash Blast of the season! 🌲
We'll team up to clear litter to help restore the beauty of this incredible place.
📍 Tower Rock in Hardin County
📅 June 6th
⏱ 1–3 pm
Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, and bring leather gloves if you have them (we’ve got extras if you don’t). Buckets and grabbers provided.
Let’s leave the forest better than we found it.
👉 Pre-register here: https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/spring-trash-blasts-2025

05/25/2025

We are open all weekend! Rain or shine! Stop in to get soft serve ice cream, Chicago dogs, Bigfoot merch, Shawnee Forest souvenirs, and so much more! Located just minutes from Garden of the Gods!

05/25/2025

Ice cream at the Outpost! And sunset at Garden of the Gods! What a beautiful night!

05/23/2025

Back by popular demand!!

Elvis Banana Split

Banana boat filled with Bananas, 3 dollops of ice cream, topped with Marshmallow, Hot fudge, and Peanut butter! With one dollop of whip cream. All topped with Reece's peanut butter cup. 😋 🤤 it’s sooooo good!

05/14/2025

Can’t wait to listen! Shawn has so much experience hiking the Shawnee National Forest!

I'm launching a podcast!

After procrastinating for YEARS about launching one, I've decided I want to launch one. I'm focusing on talk only, so that you can listen to it when traveling, working out, etc.

The theme: I want to interview businesses, organizations, public land managers, and local event hosts from in and around the Shawnee National Forest and Southern Illinois. The mission is to show locals and visitors alike what we have to offer here.

I hope to do 2 episodes a month, one every two weeks. I want to keep them about an hour long.

If any businesses, events, organizations, land managers, etc., in Southern Illinois want to be on my podcast, please send me a message.

It's free! No cost and free promotion for you. :)