About trails in Jackson County, Illinois

Jackson County has 64 named trails on the map, covering 125 miles in total, an average of 2.0 miles per trail. That is the 12th largest mapped trail network among 65 counties in Illinois. 59 of them are tagged for hiking and 8 for mountain biking.

The longest single trail is Kinkaid Lake Trail, at 15.1 miles. 6 trails run 5 miles or longer. Mapped points of interest in the county include 17 trailheads, 34 campsites, 1 waterfall, and 16 boat launches. The nearest towns to these trails are Makanda, Ava, and Gorham.

What the trails in Jackson County are like

By length, 36 are under a mile, 22 run 1 to 5 miles, and 6 are 5 miles or longer. 9 are loops, ending where they start; the longest is Catalyst Loop (Touch of Nature), at 3.3 miles.

Of the 64 with measured elevation, Kinkaid Lake Trail climbs the most, about 4,124 ft, and 6 gain 1,000 ft or more.

Explore by activity

125Total miles

34Campsites

16Boat launches

1Waterfalls

17Trailheads

Kinkaid Lake TrailHike15.1 mi River to River Segment 6 - Giant City to Alto PassHike13.5 mi River to River TrailHike8.5 mi Red Cedar TrailHike5.7 mi Carbondale Cycle NetworkMTB5.7 mi Horse TrailHike5.4 mi Mudline TrailHikeMTB4.7 mi Crab Orchard GreenwayMTB4.5 mi Kinkade Lake NorthHike4.4 mi Gum RidgeHike4.3 mi Carbondale to MurphysboroMTB3.4 mi Catalyst Loop (Touch of Nature)Hike3.3 mi Waterfall TrailHike3.0 mi Cove HollowHike3.0 mi Little Grand CanyonHike2.9 mi Fountain BluffHike2.2 mi 390aHike2.2 mi Old River to River - Alternate Segment 6 - Giant City to Alto PassHike2.1 mi Little Cedar LoopHike1.9 mi Campus Lake TrailHike1.7 mi Cedar Lake TrailHike1.6 mi Rend LakeHike1.5 mi Deer Run TrailHike1.3 mi Wolf Den Hollow LoopHike1.3 mi Old River to River TrailHike1.3 mi Trillium TrailHike1.2 mi Volunteer TrackHike1.0 mi Volunteer Track BHike1.0 mi Park Street to Main StreetMTB0.9 mi Green Earth Pyles Fork Preserve TrailHike0.8 mi David Kenny TrailHike0.8 mi Piles Fork GreenwayHikeMTB0.8 mi Buttermilk TrailHike0.8 mi Kinkaid Lake North SpurHike0.7 mi Sphinx Tear CircleHike0.7 mi Maurice Webb TrailHike0.7 mi Beaver FeverHike0.7 mi String BeanHike0.7 mi Sweet Baby RayHike0.6 mi Connector B & CHike0.6 mi Attucks Park Walking TrailHike0.6 mi Oakwood Bottoms Pond TrailHike0.6 mi Green Earth's Brush Hill Preserve TrailHike0.6 mi Watering Hole (Johnson Creek)Hike0.6 mi Indian Creek TrailHike0.5 mi ShorelineHike0.5 mi Kinkaid Wildlife LoopHike0.5 mi Green BeanHike0.5 mi Fernlands Nature TrailHike0.4 mi Yellow JacketHike0.4 mi Kinkaid Lake NorthHike0.3 mi Pamona Natural BridgeHike0.3 mi De Soto Walking LoopHike0.3 mi Woodland Spur TrailHike0.3 mi MulliganHike0.2 mi Connector AHike0.2 mi Lean Bean PathHike0.2 mi Susan Schumake Memorial OverpassHikeMTB0.2 mi Stonefort TrailHike0.2 mi Oakwood Bottom Interp. BdwlkHike0.2 mi Devil's Standtable TrailHike0.2 mi Lower Eastern Star TrailHike0.1 mi Oakwood Bottoms Pond TraiHike0.1 mi Front StreetMTB0.1 mi

Trails by town in Jackson County

More Illinois counties

679 trails · 2,006 mi

Trail geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Compiled and published by Trailmonger · trail data last rebuilt September 24, 2026.