Explore the best rated trails in Carbondale, IL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Tunnel Hill State Trail and Rend Lake Bike Trail. With more than 6 trails covering 92 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
It was really nice and I was riding a road bike. I went pretty fast definitely be careful on bridge going to fast super rough bc the gaps. Smooth ride and away from to much heat when going through woods.
All concrete well maintained and flat. Nice trail
My husband and I rode this trail on 9/6/2022 and 9/7/2022. The first day we caught the trail from our hotel in Harrisburg and got about 4 miles south of Carrier Mills. The trail is in pretty decent shape. It's crushed stone, but could use some minor maintenance, as the underlayment in some areas is exposed and has larger rocks poking through. The first day we rode my husband ended up with 2 flat tires, due to the larger rocks. The second day we rode from Stonefort to Belknap. It was a beautiful ride. There is the tunnel in Tunnel Hill plus many bridges along the way. The area is mostly shaded as well. Vienna has a nice park, with flushable toilets. Just a note: we did walk part of the trail from our hotel in Harrisburg 1.5 miles north and we did hit a bridge on the trail that did seem unsafe, many of the planks need to be replaced, there were chunks missing out of several of the planks.
My husband and I rode on a pretty hot afternoon because it had rained in the morning. We took plenty of water and snacks. The trail was a bit cooler because of tree cover, this would be so pretty in the fall. We were able to stop at Sandburn Junction for a frozen treat on the way and water on the way back. We weren’t sure if the pump water at New Burnside and Tunnel Hill was safe to drink. Great ride even with the heat
Rode it on June 10, 2022 from Cache River Wetland Center to Vienna, IL a distance of approx. 27 miles round trip. The trail is fairly straight and level with plenty of shade, beautiful scenery and wildlife. BUT, it is covered with crushed limestone which has been allowed to accumulate in the track to a dept of 1 to 2 inches in places. Additionally, some idiot has used white rock to fill in places. If you have thin tries, I would not recommend this portion of the trail. It needs to be graded and compacted, then it would be 5 stars.
you can get over 12.5 miles if you extend the south end a bit. trail is narrow in places so biking is best during non crowded times. South end is rough in places from tree roots.
Over two days, rode from the southern end at the Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center north to Stonefort. Beautiful scenery, lots of birds and very peaceful, encountered only a few other riders and walkers.
Beautiful area and April 8, 2022 lost dog Rosebud. Has on Grey reflective collar and tags and orange harness. Very fearful and will run. Please call with any sightings. 231 920-0735.
The bridge over Massac Creek has been replaced and fully open. This connects Fort Massac State Park to the concrete paved former railroad bed section of the trail and can continue on east to Brookport IL via county road and city streets. The concrete railroad bed section of the trail is the only section motorized vehicle prohibited. All other sections are shared with vehicle traffic. Note the stop signs have been stolen at the Belgrade Road crossing. This is the parking area with restrooms midway of the concrete trail section. Caution the traffic crossing the trail does not stop.
This is a great trail that offers plenty of options for all level of cyclists. The trail is well maintained but there are short sections where gravel was put down versus crushed limestone and could be a challenge for those riding a bicycle with skinny tires. Water was available on the trail but all the air pumps at the trailheads were unusable due to issues with the pump heads but the restrooms were open. There is tree canopy along 95% of the trail which made all the difference on an unseasonably warm day for May. There was plenty of wildlife to be experienced especially as we launched back to our car at sunrise which included deer, box turtles, chipmunks, lizards and of course snakes which included some of the poisonous variety. We spent the night in Harrisburg and enjoyed a superb gastro experience at Morello's with an extensive menu and excellent wait staff. In my opinion, I would avoid the section of the trail from Harrisburg to El Dorado as it is poorly maintained, exposed to the sun and eventually turns into a road. Enjoy the Tunnel Hill Trail experience!
My husband and I rode from New Burnside to 4 miles past Tunnel Hill—about 22 miles. The tunnel was cool, literally. Ride is Almost entirely wooded—saw a snake, possum, turtle, otter (I think) butterflies and birds. A great day!
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