35 Wooded Acres with Two Ponds and a Fixer-Upper Home in the Shawnee Hills Near Garden of the Gods
$235,000 Ripe for Reimagining
Jonesboro is the seat of Union County in the far southern tip of Illinois — a corner of the state that has more in common geographically with the Ozarks and the Cumberland Plateau than with the corn-belt Illinois most people picture. The Shawnee National Forest covers much of the county, and Garden of the Gods — the sandstone rock formations and overlooks that draw hikers from across the Midwest — is within easy range. The Cache River wetlands to the east are a designated Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. This is where the deep south of Illinois keeps its best land, and where 35 wooded acres on a creek road can still be had for the price of a used truck and a renovation loan.
The 35 acres on Lingle Creek Road are primarily wooded with two scenic ponds on the property — hunting, wildlife watching, and the kind of quiet that 35 acres of southern Illinois timber provides. A detached three-car garage handles equipment, vehicles, and outdoor gear. The house is a 1980 two-story with 1,900 sq ft of living space: three bedrooms, a dedicated office, and a walk-out unfinished basement that roughly doubles the developable footprint once finished. It is being sold AS IS/WHERE IS, which is the honest framing of where things stand — the bones are there, the setting is exceptional, and the price reflects a project rather than a finished product. For a buyer with renovation experience or a contractor relationship, this is the kind of opportunity that takes the Shawnee Hills off the access list for most buyers and puts the asking price well below what the land alone would justify in another context.
Listed at $235,000, reduced $14,800 in June 2026, and sold AS IS/WHERE IS. Listing courtesy of Jaime Watkins, Shawnee Hills Real Estate, LLC.
Homestead Potential
Water & Infrastructure
Two ponds on a wooded 35-acre parcel in Union County represent a meaningful on-site water resource — usable for fishing, wildlife attraction, and livestock watering if the property is converted to a working homestead. Lingle Creek Road suggests creek-corridor proximity; buyers should walk the perimeter to confirm any creek or stream frontage and its seasonal character. Domestic water supply for a rural Union County property typically comes from a private well; buyers should confirm well condition, depth, yield, and water quality as part of AS IS due diligence — an AS IS sale means no seller representations on any of these systems.
Crop & Income Potential
Thirty-five wooded acres in the Shawnee Hills are primarily a timber and wildlife habitat asset rather than a cultivated crop base — Union County's forested terrain and rocky soils limit row-crop potential but support a productive homestead model based on hunting, foraging, food plots, and selective timber management. White-tailed deer and turkey populations in the Shawnee Hills are strong; the property's wooded acreage provides habitat for both species with established access from the existing home and garage. The unfinished walk-out basement, once completed, adds a root cellar or cold-storage dimension useful for a household pursuing food preservation or wild-game processing. Buyers interested in gardening should evaluate the cleared areas around the home and ponds for southern exposure and soil character.
Sustainability
A 1980-built two-story on a wooded Shawnee Hills parcel is a project property, and sustainability planning starts with a full assessment rather than assumptions about existing systems. The walk-out unfinished basement represents a significant thermal mass and energy-efficiency opportunity when finished — earth-contact construction naturally moderates temperature in a southern Illinois climate that swings between humid summers and moderate winters. The three-car garage provides covered equipment and vehicle storage that reduces long-term maintenance costs in an environment where UV and humidity degrade unprotected vehicles and tools quickly. The wooded acreage itself is a renewable resource — Union County landowners with forested parcels have access to timber management programs through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and private foresters experienced in the Shawnee Hills terrain.
The Boundaries
A 35-acre wooded parcel in Union County sold AS IS/WHERE IS requires particularly thorough due diligence on both the physical property and the legal record. Buyers should obtain a current survey to confirm all boundary lines and the extent of any creek or water features. AS IS sale terms mean buyers accept the property in its current condition with no seller warranties on the structure, well, septic, or any other system — a full inspection of all accessible systems (roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, well, and septic) is essential before closing. The walk-out basement and any outbuildings should be specifically inspected for water intrusion given the wooded, sloped terrain typical of Union County. Illinois DNR regulations may apply to any timber harvesting or significant clearing on forested acreage adjacent to the Shawnee National Forest boundary.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Jonesboro is a small Union County city of about 1,700 with a deeply rooted southern Illinois identity — one of the three towns that hosted a Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858, and still a working small community with access to grocery, hardware, and services. The broader Shawnee Hills wine trail runs through the county, with several vineyard tasting rooms within a short drive. Carbondale, home to Southern Illinois University, is about 25 minutes north and provides university-town amenities, a farmers market, and a food and arts scene that Union County residents regularly access. The Mississippi River bluffs at the county's western edge and the Cache River wetlands to the east give Union County a range of natural environments that most Illinois counties can't match.
Agricultural Resources & Neighbor Networks
University of Illinois Extension maintains a presence in Union County with programming on forestry, small farms, and rural land management directly relevant to a 35-acre wooded property in the Shawnee Hills. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Forest Resources Division provides free forest stewardship planning for private landowners with wooded acreage in southern Illinois, including guidance on timber stand improvement, wildlife habitat management, and invasive species control. The USDA Farm Service Agency office serving Union County provides information on conservation programs applicable to wooded and creek-corridor parcels, including CRP enrollment for wildlife habitat and EQIP cost-share for fencing, water development, and habitat improvements.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest — about 20 minutes from this property — is the signature outdoor destination of southern Illinois: a sandstone formation landscape with overlook trails, rock climbing, and views stretching across the forest canopy that draw visitors from Chicago and St. Louis regularly. The Cache River State Natural Area preserves bald cypress swamps and old-growth bottomland forest within the county, accessible by canoe and on foot. The Shawnee National Forest's Horse Creek equestrian area and the River-to-River Trail offer miles of backcountry access through the surrounding forest. The Mississippi River is about 30 minutes west with public access points for fishing and flatwater boating; the Ohio River is about 45 minutes southeast.
Listed on Zillow
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