Saturday, March 22, 2025 Hike Announcement

The River to River Trail Society announces its 4th public hike of the 2025 spring hiking season on March 22nd. Hiking: Gorilla Rock (Gallatin County). This hike is free and open to the public. This will be a difficult thru-hike (Trees Down) approximately 5 miles in length, 4 hours hiking time. The leader of this hike can be reached at 618-559-0686 for more information. Hikers should meet at 10:00 am at the Golden Circle Trailhead. This hike is intended for people in good health who have done some hiking. Hiking sticks and boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Hikers should bring their own water and snacks. No dogs please. We will have plans to shuttle for this hike. This hike is on forest service trails but with the amount of fallen trees across the trails we will have to do bushwhacking in some areas. Numerous stream beds to cross. Hikers will need to walk rocks when crossing streams and their boots or shoes may become wet if it has rained. There may be some slick rock in areas if it has rained. For a map to the meeting location at Golden Circle Trailhead click this blue link Golden Circle Trailhead and a map will open up, and then click the Directions button and a driving map will be created which will allow you to plan your driving directions to the meeting area. Prior to participating in any hikes, the River to River Trail Society requests that all hikers read the 2023 Trail Society Waiver which can be found on the River to River website at the following link River to River Trail Society Information and then sign off on this waiver prior to the beginning of the hike. A copy of the waiver will be at the Golden Circle Trailhead meeting area for your signature.

Saturday March 8, 2025 Hike Summary

On another sunny Saturday, at the top of High Knob just north of Karbers Ridge, Todd Carr gathered 20 hikers, to lead off with some pictures of L.O. Trigg and  the beginning of the Shawnee National Forest. We headed down and around the base of the knob, then down the road a few ft.  to turn east on the River to River Trail. We saw several cabins…err..rustic but ready “b&bs”, and then turned North a few feet then found smaller trails, heading west.  Often switch-backing, crossing a few streams, with Todd stopping every so often and adding a bit of history, lore and whimsy to the hike. We crossed several streams, took a snack break, then continued on to the area where the Grindstaff family, brothers Robin & Preston had lived, and Hutt creek. From there, it was a few minutes until we got to Coulter spring.  We took the group picture with everyone on the North edge of the spring. This area was also not far from L.O. Trigg’s former “get-a-way” of Resthaven.  It was a house and small farm where Mr. Trigg would come to kick back, relax and think. Todd informed us about the “short grave” of Elizabeth Grindstaff and the area’s other legends. Mr. Trigg, of 1 political persuasion, was able to convince President Franklin Roosevelt, of the opposite political persuasion, to sign legislation starting the Shawnee National Forest.  From there, we hiked on out to the road where pickups were left to ferry the hikers back up to the top of High Knob. In all, we hiked a bit over 5 miles today.  The hike for Saturday, March, 15th, will be led  by Marcus Owens, in the Jackson Falls area, east of Ozark, Illinois.  Until then, See ya’ll On the Trail