National Award from Coalition for Recreational Trails

The Shawnee Trail Conservancy (STC), a 501(c)(3) trail advocacy organization in southern Illinois, partnered with the U.S. Forest Service/Shawnee National Forest to use Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funding to improve public access for hikers, backpackers, and equestrians. Between 2014 and 2018, the partnership invested $200,000 to enhance public safety, improve trail conditions, and reduce water-quality impacts along Big Grand Pierre Creek, a Candidate Wild and Scenic River.

Trail use was the most significant recreational activity on the Shawnee, with hundreds of thousands of hiker visits each year and some of the highest equestrian use in the eastern U.S. More than 40,000 equestrians travel from several states annually to stay at one of 16 permitted horse camps near the forest. Their visitation provides a major economic boost, especially in Pope County, which also hosts the annual 9-Day Trail Ride—the largest recreational event on the Shawnee and one of the largest equestrian events in the country.

To protect access, the STC worked with the Shawnee to build two new trailheads. The Benham Ridge Trailhead provided entry into the One Horse Gap area while avoiding private lands where access had been threatened by changing ownership. It also served backpackers on the 160-mile River-to-River Trail, which connects the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and forms the southern Illinois segment of the American Discovery Trail.

The second, the Golden Circle Trailhead near the Garden of the Gods Wilderness, gave hikers and equestrians access to Karbers Ridge, one of Illinois’ most unique geologic features. This site helped disperse use away from heavily visited areas, reduced crowding, and gave campers the ability to trailer out for different trail experiences.

The RTP project also relocated 5.4 miles of trail along Big Grand Pierre Creek. The original user-created route ran directly beside the creek, was not maintainable, and contributed to siltation. The new trail was excavated upslope on a full bench, while the old alignment was decommissioned, eliminating erosion issues.

Through these efforts, the RTP project improves access and safety, addresses erosion and siltation, and helps balance recreation with conservation, ensuring high-quality trail experiences on the Shawnee National Forest.