Not Too Hot to Camp at Garden of the Gods

It was the third week of June—the hottest week of the year so far—with heat advisories in effect. Most people were staying inside and drinking lots of water. At the very least, they were seeking shade and conserving energy. Even at the fire department, we were keeping out of the heat unless there was an emergency.

Naturally, I picked that weekend to take Patrick camping at Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest. I convinced myself that southern Illinois might be slightly cooler. Guess who was delusional. But for the chance at good photographs, I can talk myself into just about anything.

Alas, when we arrived, it was just as hot and just as humid.

We pitched our tent at Pharaoh Campground, which is just a short walk—or a shorter drive—from the Garden of the Gods trail. The campground is pretty basic: vault toilets, no electricity, and no showers. There aren’t many sites, but they are shaded. Each one has a fire pit, a picnic table, and hooks for hanging up trash bags. (Those are important if you don’t want a raccoon getting into your stash of Fritos. Ask me how I know.)

I had planned to visit the rock formations during golden hour and had already picked out a spot to watch the sun go down. In the meantime, Patrick and I passed the time playing cards, identifying various spiders, and exploring the nearby Pounds Hollow Recreation Area. Pounds Hollow is a lovely area with a lake and a sandy shoreline—perfect for beach-style activities. Patrick got in the water, but didn’t have much fun swimming alone. If you have more than one kid, it would probably be a great time.

On the way back to camp, we stopped at the Timber Ridge General Store for ice cream. It’s a combination gift shop and tiny restaurant with a menu that’s kind of like a bare-bones Dairy Queen. Between the family of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) holding ice cream cones and the old-fashioned telephone booth, it’s hard to miss.

Fast forward to around 7 p.m. The Garden of the Gods trail is fairly short and lined with large sandstone pavers. I’d call it an easy hike, though it’s not fully ADA accessible. Everything was starting to turn gold in the late afternoon light, and there were quite a few families on the trail. It’s a popular place to watch the sunset. If you’re going for photos, try to get there early so you can scout the best vantage point. Stake your claim early!

As with any kind of photography that requires a slower shutter speed, I recommend bringing a tripod—which I didn’t. I’d been there before and knew what to expect, so I didn’t want the extra weight. Instead, I set the two-second timer and used boulders to steady my camera. That way, I avoided camera shake and didn’t feel like a beast of burden lugging all my gear.

All in all, Garden of the Gods gave us a view that felt extraordinary. I came away with some photos I was happy with, learned a few things, and already have a plan for next time.

A Few Tips to Keep in Mind:

• Because it was so humid, there weren’t any clouds to catch the sunset colors. I focused on interesting foregrounds instead.
  
  
• If you can visit during fall, the Garden is said to be at its most beautiful.
  
  
• Bring a graduated neutral density filter to balance your exposures. Otherwise, you’ll have to shoot HDRs or choose between exposing for the sky (and making everything else too dark) or exposing for the landscape (and blowing out the sky).
  
  
• If I could do it over again, I would have brought a flashlight and stayed later for night landscape shots—maybe even some star photography. Though winter might be a better season for that, since the skies are typically clearer and the stars are easier to see.