One of the markers at Garden of the Gods
SALINE/POPE COs., Ill. - Authorities in Saline County are urging visitors to the beautiful Shawnee National Forest to BE CAREFUL, as there have been a number of incidents lately, including one fatality unreported until now.
Saline County Sheriff Keith Brown said that in the past two weeks, agencies that respond to the Shawnee National Forest have had an upturn in the number of responses being made to this recreational area.
In addition, Pope County responders to Burden Falls, another agency that responds to the Shawnee National Forest, had a female from the Alton area fall to her death earlier last week.
Garden of the Gods is a wilderness area with several hiking trails and outcropping of rock formations in Southeast Saline County, about 12 miles southeast of Harrisburg; and Burden Falls in northwest Pope County is a natural rock formation that often has water falling over the rocks.
"This is a wilderness area and there is wildlife in the area, that includes snakes, it takes awhile for first responders to arrive to the park and the even longer to locate someone in the park,” said Sheriff Brown. “The Garden of the Gods area doesn’t have good cellular phone coverage, so being dependent on a cell phone is not always an option. Bring a whistle or something that might get someone's attention if you become lost,” continued Sheriff Brown.