Trail Overview
Golden Circle Trail is a short, relatively easy route with beautiful scenery and plenty of reasons to slow down and explore. Near the entrance, striking layers of sandstone rise alongside the trail, softened by moss and vegetation, with several small caves and rock formations that are easily accessible on foot. The trail itself is mostly flat mud and gravel, interrupted by a few washed-out sections and erosion channels created by rainwater runoff. Downed limbs and small trees may occasionally need to be moved, and at least one larger fallen tree creates a low-clearance obstacle that taller vehicles should approach carefully. Before entering the trail, Forest Service Patrol Captain Joann Rizkallah and a colleague offered helpful information about the area and emphasized the importance of downloading current maps before heading into the forest, since the most recent Motor Vehicle Use Map is necessary for distinguishing routes legally open to 4x4 travel from those that are not.
Golden Circle itself isn’t particularly technical, but the combination of moss-covered sandstone, caves, forest scenery, occasional erosion and natural trail obstacles makes it a rewarding and accessible introduction to exploring this part of Shawnee National Forest.
Difficulty
This is a generally easy dirt and gravel trail with muddy sections, minor washouts and shallow erosion channels caused by rainwater runoff. Downed limbs and trees may create occasional obstacles or clearance concerns, but there are no significant climbs, ledges or technical rock obstacles.
History
A short drive away, Garden of the Gods makes an excellent companion stop and shouldn’t be missed. Its massive sandstone formations began taking shape roughly 320 million years ago, when ancient rivers carried sand and sediment toward the shoreline of a shallow inland sea. Erosion later sculpted those deposits into the cliffs, bluffs and unusual iron and rock spiral formations visible today.
