TOURISTS WHO VISIT HARRISBURG
OFTEN LIKE TO SPEND A
FEW DAYS ADMIRING THE BEAUTY OF
THE SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST.
THAT FOREST STRETCHES ALL THE
WAY ACROSS ILLINOIS, AND ON THE
OTHER END, NEAR CARBONDALE, IS
GIANT CITY STATE LODGE.
>>GIANT CITY STATE PARK WAS
FOUNDED / PURCHASED IN 1927.
STATE OF ILLINOIS BOUGHT LAND.
OF COURSE, THE PARK THAT SOME OF
THE TRAILS, ROCK FORMATION, AND,
OF COURSE, THEY WERE IN
EXISTENCE.
THAT'S WHEN THE PARK WAS FORMED.
PARK IS NOW OVER 4,000 ACRES
WHICH MAKES IT ONE OF THE
LARGEST ONES IN ILLINOIS.
OF COURSE, WE ARE BIASED AND
THINK IT IS ILLINOIS' MOST
SCENIC PARK.
THE LODGE WAS STARTED IN 1933,
AND THAT WAS THROUGH THE
CIVILIAN CONSERVATION
CORPORATION ENACTED WITH
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S ALPHABET
SOUP OF PROGRAMS, PUT YOUNG MEN
TO WORK.
CCC ALL TOTAL, PROBABLY PUT MORE
THAN 3 MILLION MEN TO WORK FROM
33 TO ABOUT 42, BY THE TIME
WORLD WAR II STARTED IS WHEN IT
WAS DISBANDED.
THE LODGE WAS SOMEWHAT PATTERNED
AFTER OTHER LODGES ALREADY
EXISTING AND BEING BUILT IN THE
COUNTRY RESEMBLING THE GREAT
LODGES OUT WEST SO TO SPEAK.
AS LARGE A BUILDING AS THIS IS,
AS MASSIVE AS IT MAY SEEM, IT IS
REALLY NOT THAT LARGE COMPARED
TO MANY OTHERS.
CERTAINLY SOME OF THE ONES OUT
WEST WHERE THERE IS BALCONY
AFTER BALCONY, ILLINOIS HAS PERE
MARQUETTE, STARVED ROCK ARE MUCH
LARGER.
ONE OF THE THINGS UNIQUE TO
GIANT CITY IT IS MORE
COMFORTABLE BECAUSE IT IS NOT SO
TALL, IT IS NOT SO MASSIVE YOU
FEEL SMALL, OR IT APPEARS TO BE
DARK OR IT APPEARS TO BE DUSTY
FOR LACK OF A PROBABLY A NICER
WORD, BUT GIANT CITY SEEMS
BRIGHT.
IT SEEMS COMFORTABLE, AND THOUGH
IT IS LARGE, IT IS NOT AS
MASSIVE AS SOME OF THE LODGES.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL COME IN
AND ASK WHAT THIS WAS BUILT FOR,
JUST WHAT IT IS TODAY, FOR THE
CITIZENS, PEOPLE TO ENJOY.
OF COURSE, IT WAS BUILT WELL.
THIS PARTICULAR GREAT ROOM WAS
FINISHED IN '37, ENTIRE PROJECT
WAS FINISHED IN '39.
THEY SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS
BUILDING THE RESTROOMS, THE
DINING ROOM, KITCHENS, CABINS,
AND ORIGINALLY THERE WERE 12
CABINS.
BUT NOW THERE ARE 34.
ORIGINAL 12 HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN
AND TOTALLY REPLACED WITH
SOMETHING THAT RESEMBLES THEM.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE PARK WILL
OFFER THAT IT IS KNOWN FOR BEST
IS ITS NAMESAKE WHICH IS THE
GIANT CITY NATURE TRAIL.
A PARTICULAR TRAIL IS A MILE
LONG TRAIL THAT HAS BEEN IN THE
PARK, THAT IS REAL POPULAR.
WHEN YOU WALK THAT TRAIL, YOU GO
THROUGH ROCK FORMATIONS THAT ARE
VERY TALL, VERY SMOOTH, AND THEY
HAVE BENDS THROUGH THEM AND
APPEARS LIKE YOU ARE GOING
THROUGH CITY STREETS AND ALLEYS.
THAT NAMESAKE, GIANT CITY COMES
FROM THAT TRAIL ALONE.
ACTUALLY THAT WAS NAMED BEFORE
THE PARK WAS EVER AN ACTUAL
STATE PARK.
DEVILS TABLE, RAPPEL CLIMB, A
BALANCED ROCK.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL TRAIL AS WELL.
THE PARK IS KNOWN FOR
PICNICKING, SHELTERS, RED CEDAR
BACKPACK TRAIL.
THERE IS HORSEBACK RIDING IN THE
PARK WHICH IS REALLY NICE
FEATURE, WAY TO SEE THE PARK FOR
A NOVICE RIDER.
BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, THE
PARK ALSO HAS 15 OR SO MILES OF
HORSE TRAILS FOR HORSEMEN TO
BRING IN THEIR OWN HORSES AND
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CAMP GROUND.
IF YOU HAVE HORSE, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO
BRING YOUR TRAILER IN, CAMP FOR
A WEEKEND, SPEND A NIGHT OR TWO
RIDE THE TRAILS, SO THAT'S A PRETTY
POPULAR FEATURE, TOO.
THIS PARK IS INTERESTING, IT
DOESN'T HAVE A WAY IN AND WAY
OUT. IT'S GOT SEVERAL
IT HAS COUNTY ROADS THAT GO
THROUGH IT.
IT IS NOT A GATED PARK.
HOURS ARE PRETTY MUCH FROM
DAYLIGHT TO 10 P.M.
WE ENJOY A NICE REPUTATION OF
HAVING GOOD FOOD.
WE ARE KNOWN FOR ALL YOU CAN EAT
FRIED CHICKEN DINNER. BUT IT IS
THE KIND OF PLACE THAT I THINK
THAT THOUGH IT IS IN THE
BACKYARD OF A LOT OF PEOPLE,
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
AWARE OF THAT, AND IT IS A
SPECIAL OCCASION KIND OF PLACE.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE HIKING THE
TRAIL AND COME IN JUST BECAUSE
THEY ARE HERE.
OTHER PEOPLE COME AFTER CHURCH
OR SPECIAL OCCASIONS,
ANNIVERSARY, AND IT IS A PLACE
THAT REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND
AND YOU REALIZE ALL THE
COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THE
BACKYARD, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, AS
A WHOLE, CARBONDALE, UNION
COUNTY SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE VERY
LUCKY THAT IT IS HERE.
YOU CAN REALLY TELL WHEN
SOMEBODY NEW COMES IN, AND THEY
START ASKING A FEW QUESTIONS OR
JUST LIKE LOOK AROUND AND
APPRECIATE THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OR
WORKMANSHIP.
SOMETIMES I WILL JOKE THIS
PARTICULAR PART OF THE BUILDING
WILL BE PROBABLY STANDING A LONG TIME
SOMETHING NEW WILL HAVE ISSUES,
BUT THE OLD PART, CCC BOYS THEY
BUILT WITH PRIDE, THEY DID WHAT
OUR COUNTRY IS KNOW FOR
THEY DID IT THE RIGHT WAY.
WE ARE STILL BENEFITING AND
ENJOYING IT TODAY.
>>IN 1937, A YEAR AFTER THE
LODGE WAS BUILT, A DINING ROOM
WAS ADDED.
THE MENU AT THAT TIME HAD A
T-BONE STEAK FOR 85 CENTS AND
WHOLE LOBSTER FOR $1.75.
CUSTOMERS COMPLAINED THAT THE
PRICES WERE TOO HIGH.
>>TO BOOK A ROOM AT GIANT CITY
LODGE, CALL (618)457-4921 OR LOG
ON TO GIANTCITYLODGE.COM.