The Observation Trail is the second of four trails I hit last weekend while visiting family down south.
The Observation Trail is not really a hiking trail; rather, it's a walking path paved with sedimentary rock and cement mortar. It's really laid out more as a park service supported tourist attraction than a trail, but the views are really nice. The walking path is a quarter mile long, and about three feet wide in most spots. It includes benches and plaques describing the rock formations and geology of the region.
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| The first visible rock formation and the walking path |
Garden of the Gods has some beautiful views, particularly for the mostly flat Midwest. I arrived at around 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday. There were only a few visitors, So photography opportunities were frequent.
Just minutes into the walk, a view to the north opens up. There are no guardrails on most of the outcroppings of rocks to stop you from going over the cliffs.
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| Looking north. Most of the visible land is part of the Shawnee Wilderness. |
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| Looking south by southwest. |
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| The Devil's Smokestack. This formation occurred as softer sandstone was eroded from around the rock. |
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| Camel Back Rock bears a striking resemblance to a camel. |
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