It is said that all roads lead to trails. If so, then take any road south of Carbondale and you'll soon hear the call of the wild. The names of some of the places are as intriguing as the sites themselves. Of particular interest is Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge , winter home to as many as 300,000 Canadian geese. There's also the Cache River Wetlands area where you can see surprising and diverse flora and fauna, including cypress swamps.
Camping is abundant, with most campgrounds in the forest improved.
There are also horseback trails through much of the area. Gone Fishin' This land between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers is also a sportsman's paradise. There are great fishing lakes a-plenty near Carbondale, including Crab Orchard Lake a few miles east, with Little Grassy Lake, Cedar Lake, Ferne Clyffe Lake and Kinkaid Lake within a few minutes' drive. It is also the place to hunt. Southern Illinois is the state's most popular place for deer, duck and geese.