Shortly after passing a cemetery in the forest on Halloween, Chance and I pulled into Red Bud campground in the Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area in Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. We hoped daylight would show some autumn colors on the trails.
Bay Creek, Bell Smith Springs
When dawn came, we found most leaves were on the ground, but spots of yellow remained on some trees. We headed down a trail that was the first one Chance and I explored together shortly after we adopted him in 2020. He had great fun exploring the smells under all the leaves. And it seemed X marked the spot.
White trail, Bell Smith Springs
A surprising delight came from under the leaves. Looking where there was some rustling in the leaves was a sight I hadn’t seen growing up in Florida. My friend Ken and I would head out into the woods to go “snake hunting.” Sometimes we’d actually find a snake, but it’d be just as exciting if we’d find a blue-tailed skink
Blue-tailed Skink
A highlight of this trail is a feature called the Devil’s Backbone. Some large hunks of sandstone have fallen off the cliffs into the water.
Autumn color in Shawnee National Forest
Though the water was low, it still provided nice reflections and a nice end for an autumn hike.
Devil’s Backbone, Bell Smith Springs