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Red Cedar Trail
The Red Cedar Trail skirts the perimeter of Giant City State Park in southern Illinois. The trail is a loop that begins and ends in the cmapground located in the park. The campground has sites for rvs and a serperate site for tent camping. The trailhead is located near the tent camping site. I have alwayss done thee trail in a counter clockwise direction. The trail follows a creek for a good part of the first segment of the trail. Eventually the trail winds away from the creek and gradually climbs and comes out at the corner of a fenced pasture where the horses for the park's stable are kept. The trail makes the first (or last depending on the direction of travel) road crossing. This is Giant City Blacktop the main entrance of the Park from the north. After crossing the road the trail continues into the forest. As the trail continues you will pass old head stones and building sites. If you stop at the park office they have a brochure describing the various points along the trail. The trail has red and white bullseyes blazes to mark the trail. You will cross another road and do a stream crossing on the other side which can be rolling in the spring. The trail begins to climb quickly and you get up on a ridge. If it is spring you should see many different types of wildflowers. You will begin to merge into the River to river trail which is marked with blue blazes on the trees. You will cross a ridge and there will be a drop off to a road on your left. There is also a train tracks to your left. You cross a road again. The town of Makanda is to your right a mile or two. As you go back into the woods you will see a power pole track that you will follow most of the last mile or so to the backcountry site. There is an outhouse and a few campsites and I beleive a fire ring. The water source is a creek a little farther down the trail. You can also acces the site from the road to cache a jug of water. The campsite is nice fairly open and plenty of room for tents. The next part of the trail heads back into the woods and heads down towards a marshy area that will hold water when it has rained. You cross a road here and begin a hike along a creek and you will rock through an area of bluffs. It is a pretty area with a falls, a nice place to stop for lunch. Eventually you will come out on the edge of some farm fields. You will go in and out of them. You will go by a few houses and cross a road. As you cross the road you will descend along the way the trail leaves the \"road\" and goes to the left into the woods and you follow the bottom of a wooded bottom. The trial eventually ascends through the woods, a pine forest and comes out onto thee R2R trail again. You will pass a few small ponds and will eventually turn back into the woods. At this pont you are almost done. The trail comes back at the campgound where you can shower and head up to the Lodge for their famous all you can eat chicken dinner! There is a great outfitter in nearby Carbondale, Shawnee Trails.
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