Giant City State Park is an Illinois state park on 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) in Jackson and Union Counties, Illinois, United States. Illinois acquired more than 1,100 acres (450 ha) in 1927, and dedicated the park as Giant City State Park. A lodge and visitor center welcome state park guests.Put Giant City State Park on your schedule, and learn what else deserves a visit by using our Makanda trip maker website.
Giant City State Park is a haven for nature lovers. It is a popular destination in Southern Illinois, and visitors to the park enjoy a number of activities such as hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, and rock climbing. Some of the park's most popular hiking trails include Giant City Nature Trail, Red Cedar Trail, and Trillium Trail.
The park is served by the River to River Trail.
The park's lodge and original six cabins were constructed by the 696th Company of the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1934 to 1935. The CCC used locally quarried sandstone and locally harvested lumber to build the lodge. In 1936, the lodge and cabins were dedicated by Illinois Governor Henry Horner. The CCC later added a dining room and kitchen as well as six additional cabins to the complex. They were also responsible for building the lodge's furniture; the quality of the wooden furniture led Pere Marquette State Park to commission the 696th Company to furnish their lodge as well. In 1985, the lodge and cabins were added to the National Register of Historic Places; the original cabins were demolished and replaced by replica cabins in the same year, and several new cabins were constructed. The new cabins are used to lodge visitors to the park, while the lodge houses a restaurant and gift shop.
This state park is a National Natural Landmark. The Giant City Stone Fort Site, a prehistoric stone fort located within the park, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Giant City State Park reviews
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We totally enjoyed the dinner and experience of Giant City State Park. It is a must if you are in the area.
We totally enjoyed the dinner and experience of Giant City State Park. It is a must if you are in the area. more »
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First time visitors and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we couldn't do all the hiking we wanted, as Mother Nature had other ideas, but we thoroughly enjoyed the trails we hiked; Trillium Trail...
First time visitors and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we couldn't do all the hiking we wanted, as Mother Nature had other ideas, but we thoroughly enjoyed the trails we hiked; Trillium Trail... more »
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Was seated in a timely fashion but sit at our table for 25 minutes before anyone took our order. Then when our drinks were brought, we were told they were out of chicken and it would be another 10 minutes before our food was brought. That turned into 20 minutes. When we got our food, it was good but overall experience was bad.
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Great experience. Sights to see. Be sure to climb the tower to see Bald Knob Cross. Sundays it is served family style!
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