10 Southern Illinois Hiking Spots to Work Off Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Are you going to be looking for Southern Illinois hiking spots to work off your Thanksgiving dinner (or breakfast if you’re like my family)?

Lucky for you, Southern Illinois is full of these great hiking spots. You can easily have seconds or thirds and know that there are some great trails to work off that turkey or whatever it is you eat.

In this guide, I’ll show you 10 great Southern Illinois hiking spots to go to after that big Thanksgiving meal.

Southern Illinois Hiking Spots to Work Off Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Here are 10 great Southern Illinois hiking spots that I recommend if you need to hike off that Thanksgiving Day feast!

1: Piney Creek Ravine

Piney Creek Ravine is a moderately difficult 2-mile loop hiking trail with about 230 feet of elevation gain.

This is a great fitness trail, featuring scrambling, creek crossings, and rolling hills. You’ll also enjoy Native American rock art and waterfalls when the area is wet.

This trail is for hikers only. It’s a nature preserve, so be sure to remain on the designated trail at all times to help preserve the area.

Parking is available for multiple vehicles, and the trailhead has information signage. There are no restrooms or potable water sources at this nature preserve.

2: Little Grand Canyon

Little Grand Canyon is a moderately difficult 3.5-mile loop hiking trail with about 450 feet of elevation gain.

This trail is wonderful for fitness because of its rolling hills and scrambling up and down waterfall cascades. There is a lot to see on this trail, including scenic overlooks, bluffs, and waterfalls (when wet, use extreme caution).

This trail is for hikers only. During flood season, many portions of this trail may be inaccessible due to the Big Muddy River flooding the bottoms.

There is plenty of parking at the trailhead, interpretive signage, and restrooms. There is no potable water available at this trail.

3: White Pine Trail

White Pine Trail (Disclaimer: affiliate link) is a moderately difficult 6.5-mile out-and-back hiking trail with around 725 feet of elevation gain.

This is a great trail to work off your meal because of the rolling hills and terrain. You’ll also see many scenic areas, such as the woods of Pine Hills and very pretty creeks.

This trail is for hikers only. You can turn it into a loop by taking Pine Hills Road back up to the beginning of the trail.

There is limited parking at the trailhead, but you could also park at Pine Hills Campground near the shelter and start hiking that way. There are restrooms at Pine Hills Campground. There is no potable water in this area.

4: Blackjack Oak Trail

Blackjack Oak Trail is a moderately difficult 1.5-mile out-and-back hiking trail located at Ferne Clyffe State Park with about 230 feet of elevation gain.

This trail is great for exercise because of its rolling hills, technical terrain, and rock scrambles. You’ll also enjoy scenic overlooks, bluffs, cave shelters, and interesting rock formations.

This trail is for hikers only. You can make it longer by adding additional trails to your hike.

There is plenty of parking on both sides of the trail. There are restrooms throughout the park. There is no potable water in the park, but it is available in nearby Goreville.

5: Heron Pond Trail

Heron Pond Trail is a moderately difficult, out-and-back trail of about 2.5 miles with 100 feet of elevation gain.

This trail is great for fitness because there are a few hills to hike up, but you can hike faster or even run it this time of year. You’ll also see amazing wetlands, creeks, and rivers, and a swamp that is out of this world.

Heron Pond is a hiker-only trail. This is a nature preserve, so please remain on the designated trail to help preserve the area.

There is ample parking at the trailhead. There is also a restroom. There is no potable water available at this site.

6: Jackson Falls Trail

Jackson Falls Trail (049) is a moderately difficult 4-mile loop trail with around 310 feet of elevation gain.

This is a great fitness trail because of the rock scrambles, rolling hills, and technical terrain you will be hiking on. You’ll also see waterfalls, huge bluffs, natural shelters, and cool rock formations.

Jackson Falls is used by hikers, horseback riders, and rock climbers. Please always yield to horseback riders and talk to the riders so that the horse knows you’re not a threat.

There are quite a few parking spots at Jackson Falls. There is no potable water, and the roads to this area can be rough at times. There is a restroom located at the main trailhead.

7: Indian Point Trail

Indian Point Trail at Garden of the Gods is a moderately difficult 2-mile loop with around 200 feet of elevation gain.

This trail is great for hiking off that Thanksgiving meal because of its uneven terrain and rolling hills. You’ll enjoy large bluffs, cave shelters, and remarkable scenic overlooks of the wilderness area.

This trail is for hikers only. This is a wilderness area, so you might see people camping along the trail, which is allowed.

There is plenty of parking at the trailhead. However, it’s a popular spot, so get there early to secure the best parking. Restrooms are available throughout the recreation area, but there is no potable water.

8: High Knob Trail

High Knob is a moderately rugged 1.5-mile loop hiking trail with around 365 feet of elevation gain.

This trail is great for exercising because of its rock scrambles, technical terrain, and rolling hills. You’ll enjoy scenic overlooks, cave shelters, huge bluffs, and signs from the past.

This trail is for hikers only. The top is where an old fire tower once stood. It had a great scenic overlook. Michelle and I got married on top of High Knob.

There is room for about a half dozen cars to park on top of High Knob. There is no water or restrooms available in this area.

9: Rim Rock Trail

Rim Rock National Recreation Trail is a moderately rugged trail system consisting of 1 to 3 miles of hiking trails, including loops and out-and-back routes. Elevation gain is around 300 to 500 feet.

This trail is great for fitness because of its rolling hills, technical terrain, and stairs. You’ll enjoy a Native American stone fort, a large cave shelter, bluffs, and Pounds Hollow Lake if you hike to the beach and back.

This trail is for hikers only. The beach is accessible year-round, but swimming is prohibited during the closed season.

There is plenty of parking at the trailhead. There are restrooms available, but there are no potable water sources at this site.

10: Stoneface Trail

Stoneface Trail is a moderately difficult 1.4-mile out-and-back trail. There is an elevation gain of around 350 feet.

This trail is a good exercise trail due to its very technical terrain and rolling hills. You’ll see the famous Stoneface rock formation, scenic overlooks, and amazing bluffs.

This is a hiker-only trail. If you hike past the Stoneface rock formation until you reach the power line right-of-way, you can enjoy a beautiful scenic overlook of the area.

There is room for about a half dozen vehicles at the trailhead. There is no water available or restrooms at this site.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many great Southern Illinois hiking spots to work off your Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Just remember to put safety first when visiting these areas. Watch your step, bring plenty of water, and use common sense. Try not to hike alone and always tell someone where you’re going before you head to the trail.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, consider supporting me for writing it by becoming a Patreon Member for a few dollars a month.

I would also like to invite you to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter for more hiking tips, reviews, and upcoming local events.

And until next time, I’ll see you on the trail!

Please Support Hiking with Shawn

Alrighty folks, I hope you have enjoyed this content. I provide it for free and it takes a while to create. If you would be so kind enough to support my efforts, you can do so by sharing this post with others, especially on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to see my latest videos, shorts and live streams. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for unique content that you will only find on those pages. You might also join my Southern Illinois Hiking & Outdoor Resources Group on Facebook, too!

You can also support me by becoming a Patreon Supporter for as little as $3/month and you can cancel anytime (no contracts or catches). Patreons get access to extra features, exclusive articles, sticker packs, gifts and more. Consider buying official Hiking with Shawn Merchandise as another way to support me. I spend a lot of money on Hiking with Shawn and because of extremely high public land permit fees, I make very little money in return so everything helps.

Thanks again for checking out another one of my articles and until next time, I’ll see you on the trail!