Horse Campground
Campground
Campground · 5.8 mi from the trail
Illinois · Lake fishing · Near Goreville
Cedar Lake
- Mar–Apr, Jun
- best months
Is Cedar Lake open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Shawnee National Forest. It doesn't name Cedar Lake, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).
Boil Water Order at Pharaoh Campground at Garden of the Gods
Agency closure covering Shawnee National Forest · USFS · Shawnee National Forest
McClure Road Closed
Agency closure covering Shawnee National Forest · USFS · Shawnee National Forest
Lane reduction on bridge near IL Iron Furnace
Agency alert covering Shawnee National Forest · USFS · Shawnee National Forest
Failing Culvert on Oakwood Bottoms Road FSR # 786
Agency alert covering Shawnee National Forest · USFS · Shawnee National Forest
Trail Segment Closed - Lincoln Memorial
Agency alert covering Shawnee National Forest · USFS · Shawnee National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Shawnee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Cedar Lake is a 1,615-acre lake in Illinois, at about 432 feet. It is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after If it rains
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in Goreville- Moon RockRock climbing1 mi
- Main AmphitheaterRock climbing1 mi
- Wolf Den Hollow LoopHiking1.2 mi
- Cedar Lake TrailHiking1.9 mi
- Cedar Creek Boat LaunchBoat launch2.1 mi
- Pomona Natural BridgeNatural arch3.5 mi
Giant City State ParkState parkPhoto: Tripp, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5 mi- Carbondale ReservoirBoat launch5.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Lake HenryLake fishing · ~13 min drive
- Horseshoe LakeLake fishing · ~60 min drive
- Oakwood Rr PondLake fishing · ~18 min drive
- Wolf LakeLake fishing · ~21 min drive
- Mississippi Bluffs Ranger DistrictLake fishing · ~21 min drive
- Lincoln MemorialLake fishing · ~21 min drive
- Lake ComoLake fishing · ~24 min drive
- Madison LakeLake fishing · ~26 min drive
- Honkers Corner Fishing PondLake fishing · ~26 min drive
- Gerler LakeLake fishing · ~27 min drive
Also worth it near here
- Cedar LakeBoat launch · ~3 min drive
Shawnee SolitaireRock climbing · ~5 min drivePhoto: Mrostrichman, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Pomona Natural BridgeNatural arch · ~6 min drive
Fernlands Nature TrailHiking · ~6 min drivePhoto: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Cedar Lake
Best months: March–April, June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
41° / 23°
10 wet
Feb
46° / 26°
9 wet
Mar
56° / 34°
12 wet
Apr
68° / 44°
12 wet
May
77° / 55°
13 wet
Jun
85° / 64°
10 wet
Jul
88° / 68°
9 wet
Aug
87° / 65°
9 wet
Sep
81° / 56°
8 wet
Oct
70° / 44°
9 wet
Nov
56° / 35°
10 wet
Dec
45° / 27°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, 9.1 mi away at 390 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
