Trails › United States of America › Illinois › Shawnee National Forest

Bay Creek

Trail12 km · 7 miBest Mar–May, Sep–Nov

Next nearby hike: White 1.5 mi · 2.4 kmExplore Shawnee National Forest →

Shawnee National ForestShawnee National ForestAngus · Shawnee National ForestBarger Branch · Shawnee National ForestBear Branch · Shawnee National ForestBell Smith Springs · Shawnee National ForestCedar Creek · Shawnee National ForestCove Hollow Trail · Shawnee National ForestDouble Branch Hole · Shawnee National ForestDouble Bridge · Shawnee National ForestDutchman · Shawnee National ForestFreize · Shawnee National ForestHayes Creek · Shawnee National ForestIndian Kitchen Trail · Shawnee National ForestJackson Falls · Shawnee National ForestJackson Hole · Shawnee National ForestLusk Creek · Shawnee National ForestMillstone Lake · Shawnee National ForestWhistle · Shawnee National ForestWhite · Shawnee National ForestEndStart5 kmN ↑

Bay Creek other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)

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USGS National Digital Trails (US public domain) · OpenStreetMap · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).

7-day forecast

Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)

Best time to hike

Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · highs 14–27 °C (57–81 °F)

  1. J6°-2°100
  2. F9°0°94
  3. M14°4°120
  4. A20°9°116
  5. M24°14°148
  6. J29°19°113
  7. J31°21°114
  8. A31°21°80
  9. S27°17°90
  10. O20°11°92
  11. N14°5°110
  12. D7°0°106

Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.

How we pick months

Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.

Trail facts

Length
12 km · 7 mi (agency length field)
Source
USGS National Digital Trails (US public domain)
Managed by
US Forest Service
Data from
U.S. Forest Service
Nearest town
20 km NW of Golconda (Pope County, Illinois) · GeoNames
Park or forest
Shawnee National Forest
Connects to
Millstone Lake (at its start or end)
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Country
United States of America
Region
Illinois
Continent
North America
Route centre
37.4943, -88.6488
How it’s scored

Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.

Nearest trails

distance from the trail centre

White

1.5 mi · 2.4 km · Shawnee National Forest

Millstone Lake

1.6 mi · 2.6 km · Shawnee National Forest

Hayes Creek

1.8 mi · 2.9 km · Shawnee National Forest

Bell Smith Springs

1.9 mi · 3.0 km · Shawnee National Forest

Angus

2.0 mi · 3.2 km · Shawnee National Forest

Jackson Falls

2.1 mi · 3.4 km · Shawnee National Forest

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