Saturday, April 25, 2026 Hike Announcement

The River to River Trail Society announces its 8th public hike of the 2026 Spring hiking season on April 25th.  Hiking: Lusk Creek, Salt Peter Cave, Natural Bridge, Secret Canyon (Pope County). This hike is free and open to the public. This will be a moderately difficult hike including several stream crossings, approximately 8 miles in length, 4.5 hours hiking time. The leader of this hike can be reached at 618-663-0384 for more information. Hikers should meet at 10:00 am at Stone Bottoms Rd. This hike is intended for people in very 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. Check the post on the River to River Trail Society website www.rivertorivertrail.net for this current week’s hike information including driving directions to the meeting area for this week’s hike. For a map to the meeting location on Stone Bottoms Road click this blue link. A map will open up, 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  https://rivertorivertrail.net/ under the Society Information tab. The waiver will be at the beginning of the hike for signature.

Saturday April 11, 2026 Hike Summary

The sun broke thru in the South side of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife refuge just in perfect timing Saturday, April 11th, for Cathy Jennings to lead 18 hikers on about a 4 mile hike on the Wild Turkey Trail. Birds were chirping, but, we did not see any other wildlife. This trail is well used and maintained, so it is very easy to find and follow. Cathy had been able to get, at no cost, 10 day passes, which she put in all our vehicles. People ventured out onto the overlook sites, and at the streams, which, having had no recent rainfall, were very clear…enough for some to spot fish. We did meet quite a few other hikers out for the day. The waterfall was dribbling…barely. We ate at some fallen logs just off the trail, where we also took the group picture. We were done in just about 3 hrs, which, for some, meant they might have to go home and do “real” work, instead of having fun out on the trail. 

Next weeks’ hike, will be led by Fred Scott, meeting at a shelter to the east of the old churches, at Dixon Springs State park. 

Until then, “See ya’ll On the Trail”. 

Saturday, April 18, 2026 Hike Announcement

The River to River Trail Society announces its 7th public hike of the 2026 Spring hiking season on April 18th. Hiking: Dixon Springs. (Pope County). This hike is free and open to the public. This will be a moderately difficult hike approximately 5 miles in length approximately 4 hours hiking time. The leader of this hike can be reached at 618-841-4838 for more information. Hikers should meet at 10:00 am at the Dixon Spring back parking lot. This hike is intended for people in very 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. There are stream crossings which will require hikers to walk rocks and or slick rock in order to cross the streams and the rocks may be slippery. For a map to the meeting location at Dixon Springs click this blue link Dixon Springs back parking lot. A map will open up, 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. Sign this waiver prior to the beginning of the hike. A copy of the waiver will be at the meeting area.

Saturday, April 11, 2026 Hike Announcement

The River to River Trail Society announces its 6th public hike of the 2026 Spring hiking season on April 11th  Hiking: Wild Turkey Trail (Williamson County). This hike is free and open to the public. It will have a proliferation of wildflowers this time of year. This will be a moderate in and out lollipop hike approximately 4.6 miles in length approximately 3-4 hours hiking time. The leader of this hike can be reached at 618-759-1924 for more information. Hikers should meet at 10:00 am at the Wild Turkey Trailhead. This hike is intended for people in very 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. There are stream crossings which will require hikers to walk rocks and or slick rock in order to cross the streams and the rocks may be slippery. We have limited parking, park up the hill to the left, This hike may be tracked using the Avenza App. map to use, SNF Crab Orchard Lake Quad map. For a map to the meeting location at the Wild Turkey Trailhead click this blue link Wild Turkey 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 Wild Turkey Trailhead meeting area for your signature. Parking passes are required for this hike. A Crab Orchard parking pass is required for this hike and can be purchased via the internet from Recreation.gov. An America The Beautiful Pass will also work as a parking pass.

Saturday March 28, 2026 Hike Summary

It was a bright, clear, sunny, with a bit of wind, Saturday morning that 23 hikers gathered at the parking lot of New Simpson-Tunnel Hill school to be led by Sam Morales. We had several new to the Society hikers. We loaded into vehicles and moved out to the Gum Springs trailhead parking lot. Sam led us up the River to River trail, then “Y’ed” off to the left. I had not observed as many daffodil patches ever before along the old road bed that we climbed. We crossed a small stream, then went to the bottom of Easter basket falls. It was, at least, dribbling. We then hiked around, ate lunch and took the group picture at the Easter Basket. We moved out down the trail, then did some “bush-wacking” to hook up with trail 154, then back to where we “Y-ed” off, then back to the parking area. We ended up with just over 5 miles. 

Next weeks’ hike will be the Crest Trail hike, led by Chris Drone. It will be about 6 miles,  Meeting at the Tecumseh statue, at the West end of the drive on the upper drive of Glen. O. Jones lake, in Saline county. We will hike over to the Stoneface parking lot. 

Until then, “See ya’ll On the Trail “.