Giant City State Park is about 8 miles south of Carbondale, Illinois. This large, attractive Park harbors the same sandstone outcrops that characterize most of the Shawnee Hills but it also protects a Stone Wall (see photo).
Not just something a farmer left behind, the Wall, likely part of a fort, was constructed by members of the Late Woodland culture, which occupied the area from 600-900 AD; excavation of the site began in 2000. Amidst all the natural beauty, it reminds us that we humans have always been part of nature, whether we now live in big cities or out in the forest.
All of the Illinois State Parks are free to the public and I certainly recommend a visit to this one. If you go, spend some time at the Stone Wall and connect with humans who had a deeper appreciation of our dependence on the natural world.
