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Boat launchpaddling

Grand Tower Ramp

Illinois

About

Grand Tower Ramp is a boat launch in the Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District of Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, about 0.8 miles from the town of Grand Tower. For comfortable weather, aim for spring or fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Carbondale show October highs around 70°F with lows near 45°F, and May highs around 77°F. Midsummer highs typically reach the upper 80s. Two hiking routes start close by, the Adt - Illinois (South) - J - Seg 3 and the River to River Segment 7 - Alto Pass to Devil's Backbone, both about 0.7 miles away. Climbers can head to A: Sex on the Beach, about 2.6 miles off, and Fountain Bluff offers a hike about 3 miles away.

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Location

Grand Tower

Illinois

Data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). View or edit on OpenStreetMap.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–May. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 68–77°F and lows of 45–55°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Carbondale Southern Il Ap, IL weather station, 17 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan42° high25° low
  2. Feb47° high28° low
  3. Mar57° high36° low
  4. Apr68° high45° low
  5. May77° high55° low
  6. Jun86° high64° low
  7. Jul88° high67° low
  8. Aug87° high65° low
  9. Sep81° high56° low
  10. Oct70° high45° low
  11. Nov56° high35° low
  12. Dec46° high28° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Grand Tower, Illinois · 0.8 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Shawnee National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Grand Tower Ramp open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Shawnee National Forest. It doesn't name Grand Tower Ramp, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Shawnee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Grand Tower Ramp

Best months: March–April 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.

  1. Jan

    42° / 25°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    47° / 28°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    57° / 36°

    11 wet

  4. Apr

    68° / 45°

    12 wet

  5. May

    77° / 55°

    14 wet

  6. Jun

    86° / 64°

    12 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 67°

    12 wet

  8. Aug

    87° / 65°

    12 wet

  9. Sep

    81° / 56°

    11 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 45°

    10 wet

  11. Nov

    56° / 35°

    10 wet

  12. Dec

    46° / 28°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Carbondale Southern Il Ap, IL, 17.4 mi away at 406 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors