Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club
Outings Newsletter Local Action Resources Membership
Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club
Outings Newsletter Local Action Resources Membership
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National |
 | Clean Air |
| Energy |
| Population |
| Wildlands |
Panther Den Wilderness Area
Directions: There are at least four means of access to the den: 1) Panther Den Road, 2) across Crab Orchard Lake by boat, 3) Wayside road, and 4) Line Road #11 running past Rocky Bluff trail. For the sake of brevity, this guide will only concentrate on #1: the Panther Den Road trailhead access point.
From Carbondale take Giant City Road to Grassy Road. Turn left. After passing Devils Kitchen Lake, locate Rocky Comfort Road and turn right. Proceed several miles until you encounter a fork in the road. Go right. Stay on this road until you see the sign for Panther Den Road. Turn left. After traveling a few miles, the road curves sharply to the right. Look to your left and note a county road named Panther Den Lane. Drive about 50 feet past the junction and turn into the parking lot.
Apparently an adjoining landowner up the lane doesn't think this is a public road. As you walk up the lane take note that the trees simultaneously have Forest Service trail designation diamond markers, as well as, "no trespassing" and "no parking" signs. The Shawnee Group is seeking the
removal of this confusing signage.
After walking up the lane, note the Forest Service sign indicating you have entered the wilderness area. Continuing straight ahead, note the trail on your right. This is the four mile loop trail we will take.. If you bypass that trail, you will reach a "T" junction. Going left will take you west on the River-to-River Trail. Going right will take you down to the den along the aforementioned loop trail.
Back at our first trail turn, the path gradually descends until we are rewarded by a beautiful canyon maze to explore. Also, look for the secret 100 tunnel in the cliff. Look for the trail marker diamonds to go left where you can follow a shallow creek bed along a cliff line. Ascend to the top to complete the loop. Prominent vegetation in the den includes: ferns, sedges, French Shooting Star, Trillium, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit.
If you are coming from Marion, take I-57 to the Goreville exit. Turn right. Continue past Mount Hebron Church. At the junction with Wayside Road (note the radio tower) you can either turn right and look for the River-to-River Trail sign and park or continue on the road as it eventually becomes a grass lane before coming to a dead end. Start your hike here. For additional information on this hike or other outing locations, call Bob Tyson at 684-5643. °
The Illinois Wilderness Act of 1990 (PL101-633) created the Panthers Den Wilderness in Union County. It is the smallest of all the designated wilderness areas in Illinois (940 acres), but adjoins the meandering southern border of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge that is primarily located in Williamson County.
Panthers Den acquired its name from the canyon located near the center of the area that was formed by a river that once flowed through the area. Several trails over varied terrain offer interesting short day hikes to the visitor. There are only 4.2 miles of official “system” trail miles in this wilderness area. Huge blocks have split off from the canyon wall to form narrow
crevices that challenge both hikers and rock climbers.
Fishing for large and smallmouth bass, crappie, and bluegill Is possible in the three inlets of
Devil's Kitchen Lake that border the area. Boaters can see sandstone bluffs and varied rock
strata along the shoreline. Sheltered overhangs up to 70-foot-high provide habitat for the
endangered French's shooting star flower. Muskrats, deer, and beavers are common sights. Mink and the endangered bobcat can be found in the area.
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