River-to-River Trail Society Announces Spring, 2019 Hiking Schedule

Press contact: Gillum Ferguson, Secretary, (630) 470-7692

The River-to-River Trail Society announces its schedule of free guided hikes in and about the Shawnee National Forest for Spring, 2019.  All hikes are open to the public free of charge.  On March 9, two hikes will be offered, a more challenging one along Cedar Creek and a less strenuous cemetery hike at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.  No reservations are required, except for the March 9 hike at Crab Orchard NWR, and the May 4 hike in Lusk Creek Wilderness, for which pre-registration is required.  These hikes are of at least moderate difficulty, and are intended for people in good health who have done some hiking.  Boots or sturdy shoes and a walking stick are recommended for all hikes.  Hikers should bring their own water and a snack.  No dogs, please.

For those that are interested, you can download a PDF version of the schedule to print out by clicking on this link: Press Release 20190218

March:

09: Two alternative hikes offered:
Hike Number One: Cedar Creek Waterfalls (Johnson County)
Leader: Bill Gilmour
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Meet: Tunnel Hill School, Route 45, between Ozark and Vienna, Illinois
-or-
Hike Number Two: Cemetery Hike at Crab Orchard NWR (Williamson County)
Leader: Dana Mallave-Miller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Meet: To register for this hike, call (630) 470-7692

16:
Hike: Golden Circle, Twin Towers, and points south (Gallatin County)
Leader: Bill Gilmour
Meet: Backpackers’ Parking Lot, Garden of the Gods Recreation Area
Time: 10:00 a.m.

23:
Hike: Rim Rock, Blackridge Road, and Pounds Hollow Lake (Gallatin County)
Leader: Gillum and Vicki Ferguson
Meet: Rimrock Parking Lot, Karbers Ridge Road
Time: 10:00 a.m.

30:
Hike: Sand Cave area to Millstone Lake (Pope County)
Leader: Fred Scott
Meet: Shawnee Mart, Route 145, Eddyville, Illinois.
Time: 10:00 a.m.

April:

06:
Hike: Kinkaid Lake Trail (Jackson County)
Leader: Bob Mulcahy
Meet: Trailhead at north end of Spillway Road, off Route 149, just east of Route 3, about five miles west of Murphysboro, Illinois
Time: 10:30 a.m.

13:
Hike: Max Creek (Johnson County)
Leader: Brian DeNeal
Meet: New Simpson-Tunnel Hill School, Route 45, between Ozark and Vienna
Time: 10:00 a.m.

20:
Hike: Trail of Tears State Forest (Union County)
Leader: Jim Todd
Meet: TOT SF Visitor’s Center, 3240 State Forest Road, Jonesboro, Illinois
Time: 10:30 a.m.

27:
Hike: Lusk Creek Wilderness (Pope County)
Leaders: Marcus Owens and Steve Mitchell
Meet/Time: To register for this hike, you must call (618) 534-8139

May:

04:
Hike: Heron Pond to Wildcat Bluff (Johnson County)
Leader: Shawn Gossman
Meet: Heron Pond Parking Lot, off Route 45, between Vienna and Karnak, Illinois.
Time: 10:30 a.m.

June:
01: National Trails Day – Annual Meeting – Details to be announced

The River-to-River Trail Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation founded in 1993 by John O’Dell to promote completion of the River-to-River Trail, which now runs 157 miles through the Shawnee National Forest between Elizabethtown on the Ohio River and Grand Tower on the Mississippi River. The Society engages in trail maintenance and advocacy, and it offers free guided hikes to members and the public during the spring and fall hiking seasons. In addition, the Society has recently completed a Trail Guide to the entire River-to-River Trail, which can be downloaded for
free from the Society’s website: rivertorivertrail.net.