The Tunnel Hill State Trail is home to 45 mile bike trail that extends from Harrisburg, Illinois all the way to the wetlands of Karnak, Illinois.
This trail was the former railway for the Cairo and Vincennes Railroad, built in the 1870's and funded by Civil War General Ambrose Burnside.
In the 1890’s - 1940’s it was leased to the Big 4 Railroad Company. The last owner of the railway was Norfolk Southern Railroad. In 1988 the last train whistle was blown , thus ending over 100 years of railroad history.
In 1991, Norfolk Southern handed the right of way over to the State of Illinois. In 2001, the state opened up the entirety of the newly formed bike trail called the Tunnel Hill State Trail.
The Tunnel at Tunnel Hill is around 500 feet long, but up until 1929 it was over 800 feet. A 300 feet section collapsed and shortened it to the length we see today.
Trace fossils may also be viewed along the trail, but the state does occasionally clean the side for drainage and safety.
A trace fossil, also known as an ichnofossil, is a fossil record of biological activity but not the preserved remains of the plant or animal itself. (Wikipedia)
There is also a hidden waterfall and the remnants of the collapsed tunnel above the former railway.
Located 2.5 miles south of Tunnel Hill is Breeden Trestle. Out of the 23 trestles on the trail this is the tallest and longest. Coming in at a height of 90 feet and a length of 450 feet.
The trail, also, runs through sections of the Shawnee National Forest.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:20 History of the Tunnel Hill State Trail
1:26 Falling Rocks
3:24 Former Railroad Tunnel Tour
4:34 Checking Out Massive Sandstone Walls
6:18 Discovering Trace Fossils
7:54 Exploring an Unnamed Waterfall
10:09 A Jumble of Forgotten Rocks
12:11 Breeden Trestle - Highest Bridge on the Trail
12:47 UPDATE!
13:31 Outro