Yes, another Grand Canyon. The Little Grand Canyon in Illinois is either well known to you if you travel in the right circles, or you’ve never heard of it before and this sounds like a scam because as everyone knows, Illinois is almost as flat as Kansas.

Well, I’m the Oregonian who exclaimed at the tender age of eighteen, “I’ll never live in a land locked state,” because I didn’t want to live in a flat, featureless environment. Oregon and California’s coastlines are what I grew up with, so I’m a geographically spoiled baby who is always looking for hills, mountains, rivers and canyons because I have lived in Illinois for over ten years.

Illinois is anything  but flat. True, this state, and specifically my area near Dwight, Illinois is well known for “Land of the Tall Corn", but moving across or up and down the map in any direction will yield some hills, and moving along the Mississippi River in any direction will yield more than hills.

Little Grand Canyon is located near the Mississippi River bottom near Murphysboro, Illinois. This is near the bottom of the state, far from the land of tall corn, all though there are still some expansive corn fields down there.

Leave your bikes at home and strap on your good walking shoes or hiking boots, and watch the weather. Here we go…

Directions: Take 20th Street south in Murphysboro, IL. After crossing the bridge the road becomes Town Creek Road (CR 5).  Turn left onto Hickory Ridge Road 0.8 miles after the bridge. Follow this blacktop road about 6.2 miles where you will see Little Grand Canyon Road.  Turn right and travel 1.4 miles.  If the Shawnee NF sign is missing, a green road sign will say "little grand canyon lane".  Follow it to the parking lot.  If you are coming from Jonesboro, take IL Route 127 north to Etherton Road, turn left and travel 2.6 miles, turn left again and go 1.2 miles on Poplar Ridge Road, continue west on Hickory Ridge Road 2.3 miles, and finally turn right on Little Grand Canyon Road 1.4 miles to the parking lot. 
There are two trailheads at the parking lot. I suggest taking the one by the restrooms.  This is a 3.6 mile loop and is rugged for a short distance while ascending or descending the canyon.  As you hike along this backbone trail, note the deep ravines on both sides of the trail. Eventually, you will encounter Chalk Bluff Overlook for a spectacular view over the area.  Descend the canyon on the switchback trail.  At the bottom, look for a faint trail on your left near the canyon wall to continue through the open brush and back into the woods.  Now you will be able to look up at the canyon walls and rock formations. 
Soon you will encounter a confusing trail intersection -- go right.  At some point you will note the scenic, rock staircase opening to ascend the canyon.  Before doing so, go straight ahead and follow the dry creek bed to a large shelter bluff and on to a lovely narrow canyon/grotto. You can then ascend the canyon on a switchback trail to the top and yet another scenic view over the canyon.  The trail ends at the parking lot.  Picnic tables are available.  In the winter if there is a hard freeze, preceded by rain, you will be rewarded with several 300 -- 400 ft frozen waterfalls as you descend the canyon (taking the left trail as I suggested above). 
Two cautions are in order:  If there is a chance of heavy rain, don’t even think of getting into this canyon.  In the event of significant winter ice, the last drop to the bottom of the canyon is very risky.
For additional information on these or other outing locations, call Bob Tyson at 684-5643 or mailto:robkay43@webtv.net

Sources; Trails.com, The Sierra Club, Google