Southern

Southern Illinois covers the country south of Carlyle Lake, a region geographically more like the Ozarks than the corn-belt prairie of the rest of the state. The terrain runs hillier and more wooded — the Shawnee Hills rising several hundred feet above the surrounding lowlands, the Ohio and Mississippi rivers framing the region east, west, and south. Cairo sits at the southernmost point of Illinois at the confluence of the two great rivers. Twenty-five counties cover the region. Williamson holds Marion and Carbondale; Jefferson holds Mount Vernon; Jackson holds Murphysboro; Massac holds Metropolis (the official Hometown of Superman); Alexander holds Cairo. Shawnee National Forest covers most of the southern public lands; Garden of the Gods Recreation Area, Giant City State Park, and Cave-in-Rock State Park concentrate the hill-and-bluff scenery. Carlyle Lake (the largest lake in Illinois) sits in the northwestern corner. Most trips here split outdoor and historical. The Shawnee Hills carry the Garden of the Gods, Rim Rock, and Bell Smith Springs hiking traffic; the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail runs through Union and Jackson counties; Cairo’s riverboat-era architecture and Cave-in-Rock’s outlaw-cave history fill day trips. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale anchors the cultural side.