Southern Illinois: The Tunnel Hill Trail

We recently discovered the Tunnel Hill Trail and needed to explore this old railroad bed trail. The Tunnel Hill Bike Trail is a 46-mile Bike Trail through Southern Illinois. It runs from Eldorado, the North Terminus, to Karnak, the South Trail Terminus.

We start by heading to Eldorado, Illinois, for a couple of days. We have always been fond of the Twin Rivers area. This is where the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River; it holds a special place in our hearts. The home of the Mark Twain National Forest, it is a relatively unknown area to the rest of the country.

Crossing the Ohio River at Shawneetown, we stop to look at the first European Settlement in Illinois. It has an old bank that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Over a couple of days, we rode the 30 miles on an old railroad bed from the Civil War. General Burnside built this railroad line all the way to Cairo, Illinois, to resupply Grant on the Mississippi River during the Civil War's western campaign. This section is relatively flat and runs through farm country.

The Saline Creek Pioneer Village was a neat find along the bike trail. It contains buildings from the pioneer period. It included a block house, a prairie school, and a building from the French period. The most important building was the Pauper House, also known as an almshouse, or a poorhouse. This one, built in 1877, was in use until 1950.

So, the term "going to the poor house" has a real meaning. An Almshouse was built on public land where indigent people were sent to work as farm laborers. In Illinois, each county had one of these. The Paupers' house, or Poor House, was built in 1877 and operated until 1950.

On other trips to the Twin Rivers area, we stop in Vienna, Illinois, to finish the western leg of the Tunnel Hill Trail. We actually rode through the railroad tunnel and to the Nature Center in Karnak. For any byclist in the area, this is a must-stop ride into history and nature that can't be missed.