Bridge-Arch
Thanks to Joe D. Litttleton for putting together the following information.
Joe decided to put together a list of arches and natural bridges that existed about in southern IL.
Joe even included little holes in the bluff that he called windows. Other than Thacker Hollow Window he said the windows are not worth a hike all on their own but if you are walking past them they are worth taking notice of. Joe and many others like sculpted stone. Some of these are names that the contributors gave them so they may be known by other names.
Here is and updated list with coordinates, does anyone know of any others?
Below the GPS coordinates is a link that opens a location map in Google Maps so a user can see the general area if where the feature us located. Once the general location is known, a comparison to the interactive trail maps on the forest service allows you to plan which trails to take to visit the location. The Forest Service Interactive Maps are located at this link FS Interactive Maps.
| General Area | Name | GPS Coordinates | Description | Photo Link | County | Public / Private |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds Hollow Area | Pounds Hollow Arch | N37° 37.172' W88° 16.509' Google Maps Link | Arch in a rock outcropping on the north side of Pounds Hollow Lake. |  | Gallatin | Shawnee NF |
| Pounds Hollow Area | Rim Rock Square Window | N37° 36.439' W88° 16.718' Google Maps Link | This square widow is about 50 yards from the trail between rim rock and pound hollow lake in the bluff right where it makes a right turn. |  | Gallatin | Shawnee NF |
| Pounds Hollow Area | Thacker Hollow Window | N37 37.294 W88 17.919 Google Maps Link | A window arch in a rock outcropping. Not a bad hike with a few other outcroppings to see. |  | Gallatin | Shawnee NF |
| Pounds Hollow Area | Two Rock Windows | N37° 36.305' W88° 16.469' Google Maps Link | This location of a pair of small windows / arches that are along the bluff. They are about 20-30 feet apart. The north is about a 3’ long 18” tall window that looks out from a small 20’ deep shelter and the southern one is just a 3’ long slot in the bluff with a rock support on the front. |   | Gallatin | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Knights of the Golden Circle Arch | N37° 36.436' W88° 21.822' Google Maps Link | Arch with a window, lots of partying here so it is often trashed. |  | Gallatin | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Buzzard Point Arch | N37° 36.184' W88° 21.549' | Buzzard Point Arch is in the bluff north of Buzzard point. It looks like a regular shelter at first glance. |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Cave Window | N37° 36.073' W88° 21.240' | This window was first observed during the winter of 2019 while on a scouting hike for a spring Trail Society hike. |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | ARCH of the GODS | N37 36.086 W88 22.696 | Large Arch on north side of the entrance road of Garden of the Gods |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Moss Covered Bridge | N37 36.558 W88 23.309 | Small Moss Covered Natural Bridge on the side of the valley, below Noah's Ark. |   | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Big H | N37 36.403 W88 23.627 | Big H arch is high on the bluff, there is a steep hill that you can climb to get up to it. |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Elephant Arch | N37° 36.394' W88° 23.550' | Elephant Arch was first reported by Hiking with Shawn while on a camping trip in the area. |   | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Four Foot Broken Arch | N37° 36.171' W88° 21.865' | This was first found by a group of us exploring GOG wilderness during the winter of 2019. Iwas observed while looking for a way up the bluff. |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Natural Arch Buttress | N37° 36.433' W88° 24.493' | Located in Garden of the Gods Wilderness |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Garden of the Gods | Garden or the Gods Wilderness Overlook Arch | N37° 36.209' W88° 24.136' | This small arch is right below the bluff halfway between backpackers parking lot and Herod. |  | Saline | Shawnee NF |
| Lusk Creek Wilderness | Lusk Creek Natural Bridge | N37 32.073 W88 32.656 | Large Natural bridge in Lusk Creek Wilderness near Salt Peter Cave. |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Lusk Creek Wilderness | Owl Arch | N37 31.296 W88 32.797 | Across Lusk Creek from Owl Bluff. You have to be on your knees to look under the arch. It is way off trail. Only worth it if you are close or very adventurous and want to see all the other sites along Lusk Creek. |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Dixon Springs | Dixon Pot Hole Arch | N37° 23.383' W88° 39.583' | This is a nice little pot hole arch right along the Bluff Line Trail near the west property line. |  | Pope | State Park |
| Burden Falls Wilderness | Sand Hill Arch | N37 35.134 W88 39.604 | This archway has a crack in the top of this arch so it may not qualify as a true arch. |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Burden Falls Wilderness | Bluffage Arch | N37° 34.853' W88° 37.381' | Low arch near Caney Waterfall |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Burden Falls Wilderness | Caney Narrows Arches | N37° 34.813' W88° 37.529' | There are at least 7 little arches in the narrows where Caney Branch cuts through the stone. |   | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Sand Cave | Sand Cave | N37 30.107 W88 38.825 | Not an arch. Sand Cave is a large Sand stone shelter with an entrance smaller than the main room. Rare for sandstone shelters Many arches probably started off like this. |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Sand Cave | Little Window by Sand Cave | N37 30.025 W88 38.802 | Little opening in a short bluff by Sand cave. Walk up to see it if you are going to Sand Cave. |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Bell Smith Springs | Bell Smith Springs Natural Bridge | N37 31.047 W88 39.256 | Bell Smith Springs Natural Bridge and waterfall. There is a rebar ladder in the bluff west of the bridge to climb to the top. |   | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Bell Smith Springs | Eagle Arch | N37 30.598 W88 39.888 | A boulder filled arch about a ¾ mile bushwhack past the jumping rocks at Bell Smith Springs. Two times that I have been at this arch an eagle flew over bay creek in front of me. |  | Pope | Shawnee NF |
| Camp Ondessonk | Little Cedar Falls & Arch | N37 31.288 W88 43.299 | Arch is on the south side, below Little Cedar Falls |   | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Camp Ondessonk | East Branch Cedar Creek Bridge | N37 31.269 W88 43.380 | Large arch that is difficult to see, looks like a shelter from below, vegetation on top hides it from the trail. Just a few hundred feet west of Little Cedar Falls. |   | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Camp Ondessonk | Indian Falls Window | N37 31.730 W88 43.560 | Small opening in the bluff, may not be worth walking up the hill to see. Not worth a trip by itself, but if you are walking past it to go to Little Cedar Falls, the go take a look. |  | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Cedar Creek | Easter Basket Arch | N37 30.257 W88 46.864 | Neat little arch in a boulder standing alone in the woods. |  | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Cedar Creek | Sweetheart Falls Window | N37 30.323 W88 47.123 | A little column at the end of shelf on the bluff makes a little window. Passages between the boulders to explore behind the arch. Beautiful waterfall as well. |  | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Tunnel Hill Bike Trail | Breeden Trestle Arch | N37° 30.483' W88° 51.800' | The arch is located about 100 yards off the trail along the bluff on the Tunnel Hill side of the trestle. |  | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Schwegman EA | Groundhog Den Natural Bridge | N37 30.596 W88 52.645 | You enter through small hole on top of the bluff then exit the large opening below the bluff, into the valley by a waterfall. |   | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Bulge Hole | Ann's Arch 1 | N37° 30.331' W88° 53.604' | Small arch along the west bluff near an access down the bluff. |  | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Bulge Hole | Ann's Arch 2 | N37° 30.538' W88° 53.694' | Small arch in the bluff near the west waterfall. |  | Johnson | Shawnee NF |
| Ferne Clyffe | Happy Hollow Natural Bridge | N37 31.512 W88 59.654 | 2+ miles into a 5 mile hike on Happy Hollow Trail at Ferne Clyffe State Park. |  | Johnson | State Park |
| Ferne Clyffe | Happy Arch | N37° 31.938' W88° 59.296' | This is a little arch at the base of a boulder. From one side it looks like a happy or surprised face. | Johnson | State Park | |
| Ferne Clyffe | East Bluff Mini Arch | N37° 31.250' W88° 59.683' | East Bluff Mini Arch |  | Johnson | State Park |
| Ferne Clyffe | Buck Branch Double Arch | N37 31.765 W88 59.463 | This small feature is about 100 yds off of the trail. It is located in the valley as the trail proceeds south along Buck Branch Creek. |  | Johnson | State Park |
| Cypress, IL | Rainbow Arch | N37 21.803 W89 01.673 | Rainbow Arch is on private property at the edge of a cow pasture. |  | Johnson | Private |
| Panther Den | Panther Den Window | N37° 35.454' W89° 04.871' | Small window in a boulder. There is a tunnel at Panther Den created from where a slab is slid out form under a bluff sized boulder. |  | Shawnee NF | |
| Pamona, IL | Tactical Cave | N37 36.215 W89 19.023 | On Private Property. Tactical Cave is a 3ft tall by 20ft wide sandstone room with two windows looking out of the bluff face. You enter through a vertical crack in the bluff. | Jackson | Private | |
| Pamona, IL | Pomona Natural Bridge | N37 38.885 W89 20.655 | Natural bridge spanning a creek valley. |  | Jackson | Shawnee NF |
| Horseshoe bluff | 2 Door Crawl | N37 39.610 W89 24.564 | Natural arch on the east side of Horseshoe Bluff. Very difficult hiking, unless the road to the base of the bluff is open. The road can be very muddy and covered in flood debris. | Jackson | ||
| Grand Tower | Devil's Bake Oven | N37 38.555 W89 30.877 | The arch on the edge of the Mississippi River. If the river is low enough you can walk through the arch. |  | Jackson | |
| LaRue Pine Hills | Inspiration Point | N37° 35.118' W89° 26.382' | I have been told that the trail leading out to Inspiration Point is a natural bridge. You have to go down about a 30 ft side trail to get below to see it. I also have a picture of a small arch that I believe I took from the south side of inspiration point. |  | Union | Shawnee NF |
| LaRue Pine Hills | Preachers Eye Arch | N37 33.287 W89 26.423 | Preachers Eye arch is on the hill over Snake Road at LaRue Pine Hills EA. |  | Union | Shawnee NF |
| LaRue Pine Hills | Bonus Arch | N37 33.162 W89 26.404 | South of Preacher's Eye Arch along Snake Road. The arch is large enough to crawl through but not recommended during snake season. |  | Union | Shawnee NF |
| LaRue Pine Hills | Through Cave | N37 31.608 W89 26.228 | Through Cave is a limestone natural bridge that requires quite a long, off trail hike to get to, you go in a small opening in the limestone and come out a large opening at the end of about a 15 feet passage. | Union | Shawnee NF | |
| LaRue Pine Hills | Triangle Arch | N37° 32.246' W89° 26.010' | This arch is near Through Cave in the Pine Hills area. It's a triangular opening in chert bluffs. Would be big enough to walk through... except for the fact it's a vertical drop! Some fascinating rock formations here but the terrain is ridiculously difficult. | Union | Shawnee NF | |
| Old Cape Road | Bluff Lake Natural Arch | N37 25.054 W89 20.777 | “This formation is a unique specimen in Southern Illinois: It's composed of chert instead of the usual sandstone or limestone. The rock here has eroded to create a rock shelter buttressed by a natural arch just large enough to walk through." |   | Union | |
| Ava | Natural Bridge Cave | N37 51.690 W89 38.633 | On private property. The 13 ft wide natural limestone bridge is directly in front of a spring, and has water flowing underneath of it. | |||
| Kentucky | Mantle Rock | N37 21.375 W88 25.625 | Mantle Rock is located in KY. It is the longest span in the Eastern United States, spanning 188ft. It is also a Trail of Tears Heritage Site. Hop on the ferry at Cave in Rock and take a drive through Amish country to get to this natural bridge and Mandy Falls. |  | Livingston |