Tour of Tunnel Hill State Park

Off-road extended tour / Saturday, June 21 through Sunday, June 22, 2008

Tunnel Hill State Park is a linear park, a rails-to-trails conversion in southern Illinois. This has become a popular tour destination for us. It is in pretty country and has easy riding on gentle grades and short distances. Since it is almost entirely on bike trails, it is a great ride for families and anyone new to bike touring. The trail has water and rest stops roughly every 5 to 7 miles.

We ride 34 miles from Vienna to Harrisburg on Saturday, with lunch served on the trail at midday. We spend the night in Harrisburg, then ride back to Vienna on Sunday. For those who want more riding, an extra 22 miles can be added Sunday by continuing through Vienna to Karnak, then returning to Vienna.

The Tunnel Hill Trail passes through some of southern Illinois’ best scenery: the Shawnee National Forest, Cache River Wetlands, and the Cache River State Natural Area. The trail’s namesake tunnel is 540 feet long and was built in 1870. Riding through it is quite an experience! The trail also passes over numerous railroad trestles, including one that is 430 feet long and 90 feet above the streambed below. Since this is a converted railroad, the trail is almost flat, with very gentle grades. The trail surface is crushed limestone, so mountain and hybrid bikes are the best choice, but a road bike will work if that is what you have.

This tour costs $105 per person, double occupancy. The package includes 3 meals (lunch and dinner Saturday, breakfast Sunday), motel room Saturday night in Harrisburg, luggage transportation to and from Harrisburg, and the usual full mechanical and sag support.

The Touring Cyclist
11816 St. Charles Rock Road
Bridgeton, MO 63044