I've done plenty of hiking and camping but am brand new to backpacking. We are planning our first couple day trip to Isle of Royale in Michigan next month.

I live in Illinois...where are some places in the surrounding states of IL that you would recommend for two beginners? We are very open as far as number of days, we have all supplies and will always learn about the place before hand.

We'd like to gain the experience gradually so that in the future we would feel more comfortable camping where there's bears out west.

What part of Illinois?

There's a nice little park in western Indiana, near the Illinois line just south of Crawfordsville along I74, called Shades State Park. It has a non-electric car campground (no electric = no RVs), and it has a backpack-only campground at the end of a 2-mile trail (pretty plush: an outhouse and a water hydrant.) The scenery is great; you hike from a plateau down to a creek through very pretty ravines, and can adjust the length of your hike as you go to fit how you're feeling. The trails (a total of about 10 miles, plus the 2-mile trail to the backpack camp) all loop you back to a common trailhead, so you can get or leave stuff at your car as needed.

All in all, it's a great place for beginners to hone their skills in a user-friendly yet picturesque setting, or for anyone who needs a shakedown at the start of the season or when they want to experiment with different gear and style. (I'm headed there this weekend for exactly that purpose.)

You can get to the Ozarks in about 8-10 hours from Chicago/Rockford. That's about as long as it could take no matter where you live in IL.

But you're a tough spot for backpackers. Illinois has almost no public land, except for the very southern end, and the State Parks have more restrictions than anyplace I've ever lived.

Bill

The river to river trail in southern IL is supposed to be a pretty nice hike. I have yet to do it, but it's on my short list for sure.

Depending on where you're at in IL, the Cumberland Plateau in TN, and even the Appalachians aren't much more than a long day's drive, and well worth the gas.

If you're opening it up to a day's drive, you might be within range of Mammoth Cave National Park south of Louisville, KY (which has a surprisingly beautiful backcountry on top of the cave), Big South Fork, Cumberland Gap (and the Cumberland Trail), and the Red River Gorge southeast of Lexington.

“I live in Illinois...where are some places in the surrounding states of IL that you would recommend for two beginners?”

A good training trail (The Prairie Lake Loop) for an 18 mile overnighter is at Jim Edgar’s Panther Creek http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/R4/jepc.htm#Biking . Yes it is a bike trail but I would never bike it. It rips bikes apart. There is a nice primitive camping spot on the west side of the lake. We would park on the east side of the lake and backpack about 9 miles to it, counterclockwise. In the morning, we would finish the loop back to the car. Plenty of lake water to filter . Half the hike would be in the woods, the other half in prairie.

-Barry

In Northern Ill, Mississippi Palasades state Park Has some remote Hike in Camp sites. I have yet to check them out but plan to this summer. I have camped at palasades in camgroud mant times over the years and it is fantastic. Southern Il. Shawnee nat. Forest. Happy Trails

You have the Ice Age Trail to the north


www.iceagetrail.org

Check the section of this forum called "Trip Plans, Reports and Inquiries" where you may find further info.