Ferne Clyffe State Park, Illinois
Drive time: 5 hours

Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin might be the most popular nearby rock-climbing destination, but don’t sleep on the 2,430-acre Ferne Clyffe State Park in southern Illinois, half an hour southeast of Carbondale. Located in the Shawnee Hills, it has Pennsylvania sandstone cliffs hundreds of millions of years old that have been drawing climbers for decades. In 2023, the park partnered with the Illinois Climbers Association to update its handful of routes with bolted safety anchors and create more than 50 new paths, with plans for 150 in total. There are plenty of options for both beginners and elite climbers. Families will enjoy Boat Rock, a new climbing area with eight walls and — just a 10-minute walk away — a campground with grills, drinking water, toilets, and showers.

While there More top climbing destinations are within a 30-minute drive. Shawnee National Forest’s Jackson Falls, with its 30-to-70-foot canyon walls, has over 550 routes, more than any other park in the state. And don’t miss Return to Forever, a challenging boulder traverse at Giant City State Park.