EXPLORE ILLINOIS: AN OVERNIGHT ON THE RIVER RIDGE BACKPACK TRAIL

Alice went on the ultimate socially distant trip in August 2020—a solo backpacking overnight on the River Ridge Backpack Trail. It is an 11 mile loop in the Forest Glen Preserve, about a 3 hour drive south of Chicago in Georgetown, IL. The eastern edge of the park abuts the Vermilion River and the Indiana border. Though the drive from Chicago is mostly over flat farmland, inside the park there is an expansive network of streams, ravines, and ridges. Around the halfway point of the backpack trail, a turnoff at a gravel road leads to a a 72-foot tall observation tower that allows day hikers and backpackers alike to get a birds-eye view of the surrounding countryside.

The trail is marked with red and white blazes which are only visible if hiking the loop clockwise. Starting at the Visitor Center, it is 3.5 miles to the Group Camp, 5.5 miles to the turnoff to the Observation Tower, and 8 miles to the East Camp. Alice stayed at the East Camp overnight and then hiked the final 3 miles back to the Visitor Center the next day. The route includes stream crossings and several steep inclines, so trekking poles are useful for balance, testing the sturdiness of the ground, and clearing spiderwebs from the trail. In August, the water level is quite low in the streams, so hopping across the rocks is fairly easy. However, this means that collecting water is more difficult. The Group Camp and the East Camp do not offer any potable water source, so backpackers need to carry a water filter. Alice collected water from a stream at the base of the hill just before the East Camp and filtered it with a Sawyer Squeeze. During springtime, the streams are full and the stream crossings will be more difficult, but hikers gain the benefit of plentiful water sources.

This is a great trail for a shakedown hike, a quick weekend trip, or as a first foray into backpacking! If you aren’t into the idea of carrying your tent on your back for 11 miles, there is also a modern campground in the center of Forest Glen Preserve and plenty of trails available for day hikes.

A rocky stream crossing

A red and white trail blaze on a tree in front of wooden steps built into a hill

The trail running parallel to an almost dry streambed

A view of the Vermilion River from the trail

Looking out from the top of the Observation Tower over the surrounding treetops

The late afternoon sun shining on a tent set up in the East Camp

A fallen tree spans a nearly dry streambed and blocks the trail

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

1. The River Ridge Backpack Trail requires advance registration and a fee per group. As of August 2020, registration must be sent in at least one week in advance with a $10 fee for groups of 10 or fewer people. For up-to-date information, check out the Vermilion County Conservation District website.

2. Cell service is quite spotty in the park and you are likely to pick up service from Indiana. This means that your cellphone clock will adjust to a different time zone, so you may want to wear a non-smart watch or just keep your phone on airplane mode.

3. Make sure you bring a way to filter water! Trekking poles are also a useful addition to your gear list for this trail.

4. The first day of hiking took Alice 4hr 45 min, including a 30 minute detour to the Observation Tower for a snack break. She hiked clockwise from the Visitor Center to the East Camp and, including the side trip to the Observation Tower, this was a total of 8.5 miles. The second day of hiking, a 3 mile section from the East Camp back to the Visitor Center, took Alice 1hr 40 min. She does not recommend hiking this trail at night, so make sure to leave enough daylight to get to your destination.