Tunnel Hill Trail Bike Trip - July 2006

Once a year I take a solo trip to get alone with God and either hike or bike and enjoy His world. This was my second trip to the Tunnel Hill bike trail in Southern Illinois. The Tunnel Hill State Park is a bike trail on the Norfolk-Southern railroad right-of-way between Harrisburg and Karnak. This year I started in Harrisburg and over the 4 day period covered all 45 miles of the trail and the 2.5 mile spur from Karnak to the Cache River State Natural Area.

The trail in Harrisburg is goes through an industrial area, and along Highway 45. The scenery is not as nice on this part of the trail as it is along other parts.

The trail map is here: Map.pdf  You will need ADOBE Reader for this.

This is the trail head at Harrisburg. As you can tell you are in an industrial area. In the future I would start my trip in Carrier Mills or Stonefort.

Southern Illinois has a plethora of Barbecue joints. This is a shot of one near the trailhead in Harrisburg. I can't understand why this part of the state has so many of these places. The locals say they are pretty good. I wonder.

More shots from Harrisburg.     

This area had several coal mines, strip mines, that have closed. The first picture is from my 2005 trip, the second from 2006. Progress is a bummer.

Along the northern part of the trail, you pass the Catholic cemetery. This is a picture from the trail. 

A short ride up the road gets you to the cemetery. Here are pictures of two gravestones. There is a lot of history in old graveyards.

A shot of the old station in Stonefort, This is a good starting point to go south. The scenery from here to Karnak is very nice. There are a bunch of trestles, small bridges, and the tunnel. There are little markets and/or restaurants in Carrier Mills and Stonefort. A nice ride is from Vienna (pronounced Vi-anna) to Stonefort and back. This is a 40 mile round-trip. Stop at the market in Stonefort and get a fresh deli sandwich, chips, and a drink. Then rest a few minutes and take the trip back.

One of the many trestles on the trail. Detail from another trestle.

Heading south, before you reach the tunnel, you come to the small community of Tunnel Hill. There are a picnic area and restroom facilities there. This is a picture of a dog that was there when I stopped for a lunch break. She was very friendly, and  likes peanut butter crackers.

The old depot in Tunnel Hill   

This is the town of Tunnel Hill looking down mainstreet. 

The tunnel on the Tunnel Hill Trail. As you go through the tunnel it is hard to keep your bearings. What you must do is look at the light at the other end and focus on it. Otherwise you drift left or right and run into a rock wall. the other option is to walk your bike through the tunnel. The tunnel was built in 1929.

This is a shot from the road paralleling the trail back towards the trail. This bridge is near Karnak, at the southern end of the trail.

If you go from Tennessee to Southern Illinois, stop in Metropolis and get a shot of the Superman statue, then stop for a Pizza at Cubby Bears.