The Chestnut Home by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest

Photo gallery for The Chestnut Home by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest

A spacious living area with a wooden floor, a round dining table with four chairs, a dark-colored sofa, and a ceiling fan.
A living room with a brown sofa, a wooden coffee table, a TV mounted on the wall, and a window with curtains.
A bedroom with a bed, two windows with curtains, a ceiling fan, and wooden flooring.
A room with a wooden barrel table, two stools, a star decoration, and a framed picture on the wall.
A bathroom with a toilet, a sink, a bathtub, and a shower curtain.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • The great outdoors
    Guests love the outdoor space here.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Shawnee National Forest

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Barbecue
  • Air-conditioning
  • Pet-friendly
  • Internet
  • Washing machine

Explore the area

View map
Herod, IL
  • Place, Shawnee National Forest
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Garden of the Gods Recreation Area
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Place, Cave in Rock State Park
    ‪30 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom

Spaces

Deck or patio

Add dates for prices

Similar properties

Living area
Twin Oaks Antique Cabin by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest
Elizabethtown
  • Kitchen
  • Pet-friendly
  • Air-conditioning
  • Outdoor space
9.8 out of 10, Exceptional, (33 reviews)
Twin Oaks Antique Cabin by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest

About the area

Map
Herod, IL

What's nearby

  • Shawnee National Forest - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Garden of the Gods Recreation Area - 4 min drive - 2.1 km
  • Cave in Rock State Park - 30 min drive - 40.1 km
  • Dixon Springs State Park - 38 min drive - 58.2 km
  • Tunnel Hill State Trail - 54 min drive - 85.2 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Trails End Restaurant - ‬22 min drive
  • ‪The Gap - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Chestnut Home by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at The Chestnut Home by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Chestnut Home by Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 32 out of 36 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 36 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 36 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 36 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 36 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great location and wonderful simple property for me and the kids to enjoy our week in the National Forest.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 23 Aug 2026
Thank you for staying with us.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house is very spacious. There is also a front porch, a side deck with picnic table and a back deck. Everything was spotless and comfortable. Very close to everything. Extra nice to have the Outpost next door where you can buy ice cream, snacks and sweatshirts and hats, etc. Really enjoyed our stay and will definitely stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Sept 2026
Thank you so much. We appreciate you choosing to stay with us. We would love to host you again!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
nice building in a nice location for hiking.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 15 May 2026
Thank you so much for staying with us
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved the general store which was close by. Very short drive to hike and see the sights.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Very easy check-in and checkout process. Great location to garden of the gods
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was a nice escape.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Apr 2026
Thank you so much.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Great stay and great hosts
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2023
Thank you, Ryan. We would love to have you stay with us again.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was great! We enjoyed staying there with our kids and they liked the toys.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Nov 2025
Thank you so much for staying with us. Happy to hear you enjoyed it please come back anytime!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place to stay to visit Garden of the Gods!

Very clean and in perfect location to visit the Garden of the Gods. Loved that it was dog friendly.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Nov 2023
Thank you so much for staying with us Alison.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice place nice stay.

My husband and I took a long weekend to visit the area. Great location. Not too far from several places we wanted to hike/bike. We would recommend staying here.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 16 May 2025
Thank you Rosanne. We welcome you back anytime.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good location, nice place

It was close to a lot of beautiful spots. I wish they had tvs in the bedrooms.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 1 May 2025
Thanks so much for staying with us Andrea.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

If you're planning to visit Garden of the Gods/Shawnee National Park, then this is the place to stay. Very close to multiple trail heads.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Sept 2023
Thank you so much for staying with us Joe. We hope you'll visit again.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing property!

This property was perfect and met all of our needs. Everything needed was provided and it was a beautiful residence! We wish we had booked a longer stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 22 May 2022
Thank you for staying with us! We welcome you back anytime!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Place To Stay

The Chestnut is perfectly located for great hiking and outdoor adventures. Clean and roomy. Large back yard, easy to find. Property managers communicate well. Highly recommend and would love to come back!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 May 2025
Thanks so much for staying with us Jennifer. We would love to have you back anytime.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We loved the Chestnut house. Very spacious and well equipped. It does not have a handicap rail in the shower, which we would have really appreciated. We will definitely book this next year.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 22 Sept 2025
Thank you so much for staying with us exclamation
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Location

Cute and clean little house close to all the hiking. Beds very comfy. I loved our stay because so many beautiful spots close by. only downfall is on aain road. If made backyard a little nicer this would be a big deal.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Apr 2025
Thank you so much for staying with us Michelle. We hope you will return.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Hike Trip

Me and my buddy stayed at this property for our annual Shawnee hike trip. The house was as described and only a short 1 minute drive from the Garden of the Gods outpost and only two miles from the Garden of the Gods entrance. We will definitely stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 25 Apr 2024
Thank you so much for staying with us Drew. We would love to host you all again anytime!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Vacation

We booked this property for a week. It was very clean. The pictures don’t do it justice. The beds were super comfy and we all had a nice relaxing time.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Sept 2023
Thank you so much for staying with us. Happy to hear your family enjoyed the vacation. Come back anytime.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Clean and Comfortable

Convenient location for exploring parks and trails. Very clean, newly remodeled kitchen and bathroom. Highly recommend. Had a wonderful time.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 7 June 2022
Thank you so much for staying with us!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very comfortable, very clean

The check-in process was very easy - at the store right next door. The property was very clean, comfortable and pleasant. Bed was comfortable. No complaints at all.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Sept 2024
Thanks so much for staying with us Christopher. We would love to have you back anytime.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cozy Comfortable Home

Great location for Garden of the Gods. Outpost right nearby. Clean house with plenty of room. Porch in the front great in the mornings; back porch for the evening with the grill and fire pit. We were happy campers with our dog.
Stayed 8 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Oct 2024
Thank you so much Patricia. We hope you'll return.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Chestnut House

This was the perfect place to go back to after a day of hiking. Such a great location for garden of the gods! Made good use of the fire pit every night. The grill was also great to have! Appreciated all the amenities. Would 100% rent this place again.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Oct 2022
Thank you so much Matthew. We would love to have you back anytime.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfectly Quaint

Cozy, charming home that is well maintained. Very clean and comfortable. The beds and linens were fantastic. The Ice cream shop had incredible treats, and the staff was very friendly. We would absolutely stay in The Chestnut house again! Thank you for the extended stay offer as well. Unfortunately, we had to get back to work.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Oct 2024
Thank you so much Sheridan. So happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay we would love to host you again anytime!
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication
Disliked: Location

Andrew ( Property manager) was great

We expected that our cabin was in a wooded area, but it was located on a major road. We asked Andrew to cancel our reservation , which he did, and we only stayed the first night. We appreciate Andrew's understanding and cooperation.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 21 June 2023
Thank you for staying with us. We're sorry it wasn't what you were looking for and are happy we could help.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Experience

My husband and I loved getting out and exploring Garden of the Gods, Rim Rock, and Cave in the Rock which are all in very close distance to this property. The house was clean and comfortable. Just a note for future renters, there is nothing in a pantry (ie butter or oil) so make sure to bring most things from home. Also the water in the shower is luke warm. Other than those few things, we absolutely loved our stay and would stay there again!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 1 June 2022
Thanks for staying with us Savannah.
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