River To River Trail

Hike Name: River To River Trail Location: south IL Length: 100 Submitted by: Bela Barner Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Illinois trail reviews Illinois national parks Illinois state parks
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Description
My best friend and I backpacked 100 miles of the River to River Trail in October, 2001. Our route took us from Cave-in-Rock State Park to Ferne Clyffe State Park. It was beautiful.

The R2R passes through the most scenic areas that the Shawnee Forest has to offer, including the statuesque rock formations of Garden of the Gods, the collapsed limestone cavern that created Hayes Creek Canyon, the deep hollows and majestic cliffs of Ferne Cliffe and Giant City State Parks, and the feral remoteness of the Panther Den, Lusk Creek and Bald Knob Widlerness areas. In general, the R2R meanders along forested ridge lines offering occasional views of quiet valleys and then plunges into deep, shadowy hollows that seem reluctant to let the sunlight into their mysterious domains.

The R2R does a good job of showcasing the subtle beauty of the Shawnee's fall colors as it scales many high areas that offer sweeping views of the surrounding forest. Some of these include High Knob, Garden of the Gods, Buzzard's Point (2-3 miles west of High Knob), Trigg Tower (old forest service observation tower), Dutchman Lake (great view from dam) and Bald Knob. The trail also grants access to the many caves, cascades and limestone cliffs in the deep hollows of Lusk Creek, Hayes Creek, Max Creek and Jackson Hollow. A minor drawback is that the trail does not run through the scenic Bell Smith Springs area, opting instead to run by Bay Lake. Bay Lake would be fine except for the din caused by the many coal trains that pass on a section of track that cuts through Jackson Hollow.

The R2R trail is well marked by its signature blue "i" blaze. The trail itself is generally well-designed, but it sometimes goes directly up and down steep fall lines in the hollows, which is hard on the knees and creates erosion problems as water rockets downhill during runoff. Portions of the trail are also used (extensively) by horse packers, which can create a sloggy mess for backpackers during wet periods. Given the fact that horses outnumber backpackers by a wide margin, it is impractical and unrealistic to argue that horses should be kept off the trail.

For backpackers, the R2R offers fairly regular sources of potable (plumbed) and natural (streams, lakes, etc.) water. The natural sources are seasonal and must be treated, but with good planning a backpacker will not have to worry about camping far from a water source. Camp sites are plentiful thanks to the string of wilderness areas, state parks and commercial campgrounds that the trail links together. The biggest drawback for backpackers is probably the trail's reliance on roads, especially in the middle sections, to connect the pockets of public land available to forest users. This is largely a consequence of the forest being created and the lands gradually being repurchased by the forest service after this region was settled over 100 years ago.

Directions to Hike
A great feature of the R2R is its numerous trailheads, which enable day hikers to enjoy smaller segments of the trail without having to plan an expedition. The R2R is divided up into roughly 15 sections, so the best attractions are rarely far (more than 3 miles) from a place to leave your car for a day trip.

Contact Information
The River To River Trail Society was its own web site and publishes a descriptive guide to the trail.
http://www.rivertorivertrail.org/
1142 Winkleman Rd.,
Harrisburg IL 62946

Additional information can be found with the Shawnee National Forest and Illinois State Parks.

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