Garden of the Gods Observation Trail; Cypress Swamp

We went back to the Garden of the Gods area today, but headed off in a different direction. Like our earlier hikes, the kids enjoyed making me nervous on their bouldering expeditions.

Yes, those little dots on the rocks are the kids.

The northern-most cypress swamp in North America is located in Southern Illinois. We weren't able to locate a canoe rental place, but we did find a bridge that allowed us to walk out into the swamp. Over the past 150 years, this area was over-logged and then over-farmed, but was finally returned to its swampy roots in the late 1960s.

I can only imagine what it'll look like in another few decades.