Saturday April 27, 2024 Hike Summary

On Saturday April 27th, 8 hikers met with Fred Scott at the Bell Smith Spring parking area. It was damp and cloudy, with a chance of some drizzles, which might have kept the numbers down for the hike. We had 1 new hiker and a dad & his 10 yr. old daughter. We then vehicle-pooled out to Gunnar lane.  I have driven  by the lane dozens of times, but had never ventured down the lane at all. Fred was taking us a different way into Bell Smith Springs. You just never can tell where you might go, and then end up.  We hiked just about 4 miles, depending on whose GPS system/phone was used. Fairly quickly we were walking down a sloped , rocky stream bed, then we could observe a sizeable stream down below us. We could hear water trickling over rocks. We ate lunch under the Great Arch of the Bell Smith springs, where we also took the group picture. Just as we got to the arch, a large family group was hiking through. We met up with several other pairs of hikers out for the day. Several were already wading the waters.  We hiked all along the main stream, then into the Hunting Branch area parking lot. We then climbed up along, working our way higher back to the parking area.

This next hike, meeting at the Goreville city park, is our last hike of the Spring 2024 hiking season. 

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

Saturday, April 27, 2024 Hike Announcement

The River to River Trail Society announces its 9th public hike of the 2024 spring hiking season on Apr. 27th. Hiking: Bell Smith Springs (Pope County). This hike is free and open to the public. This will be a moderate thru hike, 5 miles in length, 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 Bell Smith Springs. 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. There are four stream crossings which requires hikers to walk rocks in order to cross. If it rains prior to this hike, hiker’s boots/shoes may become wet when crossing the streams. Hikers will also be required to shuttle for this hike. For a map to the meeting location at Bell Smith Springs click this blue link Bell Smith Springs 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 Bell Smith Springs meeting area for your signature.