Charleston, IL Hiking Trails and Maps

112 Reviews

Looking for the best Hiking trails around Charleston?

Find the top rated hiking trails in Charleston, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
27 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Conservation District Trail

2.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Fairview Park Trail

1.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Greenbelt Bikeway

1.7 mi
State: IL
Concrete

Harold E. Ruppel Bike Path

1.8 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Kickapoo Rail Trail

9.7 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Lincoln Park Trail

0.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail

12.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Mahomet Village Bike Trail

4 mi
State: IL
Concrete

Parke Community Rail Trail

0.6 mi
State: IN
Asphalt

Stevens Creek Bikeway

4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Wabashiki Trail

7 mi
State: IN
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Effingham TREC

3 mi
State: IL
Concrete

General Dacey Trail

6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lincoln Prairie Trail

14.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Sangamon River Trail

1.2 mi
State: IL
Concrete, Gravel

Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail

1.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

O'Malley's Alley Trail

0.5 mi
State: IL
Concrete

Brown Boulevard Trail

2.2 mi
State: IN
Asphalt
Accordion

Collett Park Pathway

1.4 mi
State: IN
Concrete

Dobbs Trail

0.8 mi
State: IN
Asphalt

Fairbanks Park Trail

0.6 mi
State: IN
Concrete

Hulman Street Trail

3.7 mi
State: IN
Concrete

Indiana Veterans Memorial Mile

1 mi
State: IN
Asphalt

Montezuma B&O Walking Bridge

0.2 mi
State: IN
Concrete

Riley Spur Trail

1.61 mi
State: IN
Asphalt
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
IL 2.3 mi Asphalt
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
IL 1.7 mi Asphalt
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
IL 1.7 mi Concrete
The Harold E. Ruppel sits in a perfect location to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and non-motorized transportation for residents of Savoy Village, in the Champaign-Urbana metro area. It...
IL 1.8 mi Asphalt
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
IL 9.7 mi Crushed Stone
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
IL 0.9 mi Asphalt
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
IL 12.9 mi Asphalt
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail is a safe, paved route that connects all the major parts of the village. On the north, there are the various and popular facilities of the Lake of the Woods Forest...
IL 4 mi Concrete
The Terre Haute segment of the National Road Heritage Trail runs for nearly 7 miles between the west end of Indiana State University campus downtown and Chamberlain Road behind Mewhinney Cemetery just...
IN 7 mi Asphalt
The Rosedale South Trail offers a paved, tree-lined route along the former Pennsylvania Railroad in the western Indiana community of Rosedale. It begins on the Central Street and travels southwest for...
IN 0.6 mi Asphalt
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
IL 4 mi Asphalt
The Wabashiki Trail sits on the traces the perimeter of the  Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area, leaving travelers with the dual experience of nature and suburbia on either side. Great for wildlife...
IN 7 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
IL 1 mi Asphalt
The first portion of the TREC (Trail Recreation Effingham County) system, totaling approximately 3 miles, is complete, although eventually 30 miles of county-wide bicycling and walking trails will be...
IL 3 mi Concrete
The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the city of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is...
IL 6 mi Asphalt
Closure Notice: About a half-mile from the trail's western endpoint in Taylorville, the bridge over Flat Branch Creek is closed. There is no expected endpoint for this closure, see the Lincoln Prairie...
IL 14.6 mi Asphalt
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historical downtown train depot. And...
IL 1.2 mi Concrete, Gravel
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of the Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can...
IL 1.5 mi Asphalt
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
IL 0.5 mi Concrete
The Brown Boulevard Trail offers students from Terre Haute North Vigo High School a safe route to the Indiana State University Stadium to catch a game. The 2-mile trail also connects to the National...
IN 2.2 mi Asphalt
Accordion
The Collett Park Pathway begins on the northern edge of the Indiana State University campus, where it connects to the National Road Heritage Trail, a proposed border-to-border route stretching between...
IN 1.4 mi Concrete
Although less than 1 mile long, the Dobbs Trail offers an important connection between two of Terre Haute's most popular parks, Deming and Dobbs. It follows Poplar Drive, a tree-lined residential...
IN 0.8 mi Asphalt
Although less than 1 mile long, there are plenty of reasons to hit the Fairbanks Park Trail in western Indiana's Terre Haute. The tree-lined pathway winds along the banks of the Wabash River through...
IN 0.6 mi Concrete
The Hulman Street Trail follows its namesake roadway through residential and commercial areas of Terre Haute, passing Farrington Grove Elementary School along the way. At its western end, the trail...
IN 3.7 mi Concrete
The unique Indiana Veterans Memorial Mile circles Indiana State University's football stadium in the shape of the state. Along the way, fitness stations add to your walking or biking routine. At...
IN 1 mi Asphalt
The Montezuma B&O Walking Bridge crosses the Wabash River, connecting Vermillion county and Parke county. Previously an abandoned B&O railroad bridge, the structure underwent a revitalization that...
IN 0.2 mi Concrete
Overview The Riley Spur Trail is a paved 1.61-mile rail-trail in Vigo County.  About the Route From its northwest end on Lama Street, the trail heads southeast through a wooded corridor to...
IN 1.61 mi Asphalt

Recent Trail Reviews

Kickapoo Rail Trail

My first trail ride from near the Vermilion County Fairground to the west edge of Oakwood. Very nice ride. Nice scenery along the route. I only wish it was completed so I could go all the way to Urbana.

October, 2024 by pilotgreg

My first trail ride from near the Vermilion County Fairground to the west edge of Oakwood. Very nice ride. Nice scenery along the route. I only wish it was completed so I could go all the way to Urbana.

Lincoln Prairie Trail

Flat Branch Bridge Construction

August, 2024 by treker7200

With construction of the new trail bridge over the Flat Branch starting in September (2024), the trail will soon be restored to its full 14.6-mile length, with access points at the Taylorville Trailhead, Lake Taylorville (Lake Point Veterans Memorial) parking lot, Owaneco, and the Pana Trailhead.

Lincoln Prairie Trail

terrible

July, 2024 by blutrike_tl

After riding other trails I was truly disappointed with this one; wouldn’t you know it’s the closest to us and probably the worst! No upkeep whatsoever; it has potential for a nice ride, but there has been no maintenance for quite a while. It says on website that the village of Pana owns it…

Accordion

Stevens Creek Bikeway

Beautiful trail and setting

May, 2024 by camillejames11

This is a beautiful trail! It meanders nearly 6 miles with many gentle curves and hills and very few straightaways. It is almost entirely wooded and runs along the lovely creek most of the way. There are a number of bridges to go over and under. The track itself is clean and in great condition. There are 3-4 manhole covers go watch out for. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail

This trail is well maintained. Lots of birds and wildlife. I rode the trail on a Friday afternoon in late March (62 degrees) and there were 5 other folks riding and walking. It is a flat trail that runs through mostly farm land. ¿

March, 2024 by marisstellamary

This trail is well maintained. Lots of birds and wildlife. I rode the trail on a Friday afternoon in late March (62 degrees) and there were 5 other folks riding and walking. It is a flat trail that runs through mostly farm land. ¿

Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail

Nice trail surface, not much else

March, 2024 by keckler

The trail surface is smooth asphalt. Except for the first and last miles, it is also essentially seamless. Great.

The scenery is pretty much nothing, and there isn't really anything along the way. The eastern portion is more scenic than the western, passing over a couple ravines of tributaries to the Embarras river.

Great trail for a workout.

Lincoln Prairie Trail

Pretty good trail, very few issues imo

September, 2023 by redninjago07

This trail was overall very nice!! the only issue i had with it personally was that the first bridge i crossed, about a mile in, was blocked off with concrete dividers. thankfully, there were some desire trails going around these, so i was able to walk my bike over the bridge. it was a very long trail, and sometimes i wouldnt be able to find the the path again when it passed through an industrial or residential area, but that wasn’t really a big issue. i was riding my mountain bike, and the path was very clear and easy to ride on. only complaints i have are about the first bridge, and the mile markers were not clear enough, so i didnt really know where i was at.

Stevens Creek Bikeway

Beautiful trail

September, 2023 by cariesmith

Love this trail. We frequently drive over from Springfield to ride this trail. The hills and curves through the woods and along side the creek make it so much more interesting than a flat, rail trail. And hooking up in Fairview Park gives you several options for more riding and having a picnic lunch. And all of the trails beginning in Fairview Park are interesting and still in pretty good shape.

Parke Community Rail Trail

So much fun!

May, 2023 by hsrector224

Nicely paved and well maintained. It looks like it’s about to expand and I can’t wait to see where it goes!

Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail

First longer ride of 2023

April, 2023 by shellijennings

Nice way to spend a beautiful day biking 16+ miles on an asphalt trail. They are currently doing work putting in new telephone poles.

Wabashiki Trail

great location

February, 2023 by jtibbett

Enjoyed the ride no issue with dogs Good parking area with restrooms I would do it again

Lincoln Prairie Trail

Use extreme caution on parts of trail

November, 2022 by graywolf14

Heavy leaf cover and branches and other debris from trees completely cover the pavement in many areas along the trail which require very slow and careful navigation when on a bike. Stopped several times to either walk bike through rough patches or to pull twigs lodged between tire front fender. This trail is not maintained at all and needs a thorough sweeping by villages or organization tasked with keeping trail in a safe and reasonably maintained condition for the enjoyment of everyone whether biking or hiking.

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Accordion

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