Cragies and Snackies

Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois (The ‘s’ in Illinois is silent.  When I was little (probably around 8 or 9) my family and I had an overnight trip to a Holiday Inn.  While messing around at the indoor pool I was lucky enough to meet a bunch of other little kids.  One particular kid was from Illinois (we were in Michigan) and for some reason I thought that was cool or exotic or something (we didn’t get out much).  So, I remember telling someone, I don’t remember if it was my dad, or my sisters, or just other kids at the pool that he was from Illinois (I was pronouncing the ‘s’) and he didn’t like the way I was saying it.  He vehemently corrected me with irrational passion, and because of him I now make a point of pronouncing the ‘s’ in Illinois whenever I am around people from Illinois.).  If you’ve never been to Southern Illinois, it’s very pretty.  There are forests, cliffs, small towns, and of course lots of farms.  It’s about as different from the Chicago area as you could imagine.  Jackson Falls is in the Shawnee National Forest, and probably gets a little overlooked as a climbing destination due to its proximity to places like Tennessee and Kentucky. But overlook Jackson Falls at your own peril because it is awesome.  It’s a national forest, so you know it’s beautiful.  The falls are nice, but the real draw is the climbing.  Before even getting into the rock, just know that they offer dispersed camping, meaning that you can pack your tent or hammock, and pretty much camp anywhere.  Ideally you would set up within a short walk to the toilets, but that depends on your preferences.  And the camping is FREE!

Jackson Falls is like Disney World for sport climbers.  There are 7 climbing areas with over 500 routes all within a relatively short distance from one another.  You’re allowed to camp for 14 consecutive days before you are asked to bounce, and it might be worthwhile to try and hit that maximum if you have the time.  This place has everything and every type of climbing.  You could spend a day just charting out the walls.  Spend another enjoying the numerous 4-star routes.  Spend some time trying to tick off all the routes in one area.  Then spend some more time projecting.  There are so many good routes at nearly every turn, it would be hard to limit your experience to just one day.

However, if you only have one day I would go to the North Canyon.  You’ll have over 120 routes with 11 different walls including a boulder area.  The densest wall is the Big Star Wall.  There are 18 routes ranging from 5.6 – 5.12b.  Nothing in this section is rated less than 3-stars, and two 4-star routes are named after cookies (Mr. Allison’s Cookies 5.11c and Mary’s Cookies 5.11d PG-13).  The gem of the Big Star Wall has to be Galaxy 500 a 4-star 5.12b, but if you aren’t into projecting on your only day in the falls, then the same wall has a 4-star 5.10b named Alaska, and 3-star 5.11b named Ladybug Lynn.

Whether you’re camping or day tripping, you are going to need to eat, and while there are a strange amount of BBQ joints in the area, my recommendation is a local diner called the Vienna Diner.

Vienna, Illinois (Pronounced Vy-AN-uh with irrational passion), population 1434! I love small town diners! The food is always comforting, ample, and fairly priced. The Vienna Diner won’t disappoint. The menu is full of comfort foods including the universal diner requirement, the early bird special. They offer staples like steak and eggs, french toast, and pancakes. The Cinnamon Swirl Slammer is a Vienna Diner original, it’s a cinnamon french toast sandwich with eggs, sausage, and cheese. Of course what would a diner be without burgers and fries, BLT’s, and club sandwiches. They go even further with pizza and pasta. They go further still with Gyros! And even further yet with Italian Nachos. If you are wondering what Italian Nachos are, think nachos but instead of cheese, add Vienna’s own Alfredo sauce! Talk about fusion cuisine!

There aren’t a ton of food options around Jackson Falls, but luckily the Vienna Diner has you covered! My recommendation is the spaghetti marinara (I don’t know what it is about diner spaghetti, but I have always been a fan) an order of Italian Nachos for the table, pie á la mode for dessert, and a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread for the road.

Jackson Falls Climbing and the Vienna Diner! They go together like tortilla chips and Alfredo sauce…a match made in heaven!

Location: Ozark, Illinois “Come on feel the nois“

Crag: Jackson Falls

Restaurant: Vienna Diner

Distance: 17.5 miles