Garden of the Gods Wilderness
Garden of the Gods Wilderness is a 3,955-acre wilderness area in Hardin County, Illinois. It rises from about 396 to 865 ft. The nearest town is Equality, 7.9 miles away in a straight line.
Garden of the Gods Wilderness map
Garden of the Gods Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Equality, IL is the nearest town, 7.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Garden of the Gods Wilderness is about 865 ft, and its lowest about 396 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Garden of the Gods Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 3,955 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Hidden Springs Ranger District, 618-658-2111 |
Getting to Garden of the Gods Wilderness
- Equality, IL is the nearest town, 7.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Garden of the Gods Wilderness
- GOG Backpacking Trailhead (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 744 ft), at 37.5999, -88.3814 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Hitching Post Trailhead- Garden of Gods (0.04 mi outside the boundary, 600 ft), at 37.5941, -88.4320
- Golden Circle Parking-Garden of Gods (0.06 mi outside the boundary, 809 ft), at 37.6042, -88.3642
- GOG Anvil Rock (0.12 mi outside the boundary, 772 ft), at 37.6053, -88.3850 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-il.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Public lands next to Garden of the Gods Wilderness
- National forestGarden of the Gods Wilderness lies inside Shawnee National Forest.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Illinois
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- apps.fs.usda.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.