Panther Den
Panther Den Trail is a 4.6 miles trail in Shawnee National Forest, Illinois. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Panther Den Wilderness and Crab Orchard Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Shawnee National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 37.5977, -89.0935 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.5818, -89.0698 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 4.6 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 001M1 |
| Forest | Shawnee National Forest (unit 0908) |
| States | Illinois |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Panther Den Wilderness WildernessFS · about 67% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Crab Orchard Wilderness WildernessFWS · about 2% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedDk West De Rx
2 mi from the trail midpoint · 157 acres
- PrescribedArea 13 Pile Rx
5 mi from the trail midpoint · 30 acres
- PrescribedA-13 Piles Rx
6 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres
- PrescribedRed Shale Bn Rx
6 mi from the trail midpoint · 469 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Panther Den Trail?
4.6 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Shawnee National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Panther Den Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Panther Den Trail start?
The line begins at 37.5977, -89.0935 and ends at 37.5818, -89.0698. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Panther Den Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Panther Den Wilderness and Crab Orchard Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Panther Den Trail?
Devils Kitchen Group Pavilion (3.2 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Panther Den Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Panther Den Trail?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Panther Den Trail?
Shawnee National Forest, Forest Service unit 0908. The trail is in Illinois.
Is there a fire near the Panther Den Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Dk West De Rx at 2 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named PANTHER DEN in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0908. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.