Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club

Home Feedback Contents Search Technotes Translation

                                 Outings    Newsletter    Local Action    Resources     Membership

National
Sierra Club Campaigns

bulletClean Air
bulletEnergy
bulletPopulation
bulletWildlands

 Sierra Club Chronicles TV

Sierra Club Radio

   Event Flyers

Adventures with Uncle Bob

I recommend to you the STONE FACE RECREATION AREA in the Shawnee National Forest.

This area can be reached by two approaches:

1. The first one is to take RT 145 out of Harrisburg. Proceed south to the junction with RT 34. Upon reaching the Village of Rudement, look for the brown Stone Face sign. Turn left and follow this paved road until we reach a right turn onto gravel. Look close as the Forest Service road is almost hidden in the woods. Travel this FS road less than a mile to the parking area.

2. Another approach would be to visit Saline County Conservation Area lake (and the Crest Trail). From the Area entrance turn left and go to the next intersection. Then turn left again and follow this paved and gravel road about eight miles to Stone Face.

From the parking lot, there will be a steep trail ascent to the base of the cliff line. Turn left and enjoy the views of the rock formations, walking as far as you can before the trail eventually disappears. Now backtrack to find your way to the top of the bluffs. Note a somewhat overgrown narrow trail on your left. If you miss that one, look for a gap in the rock wall and climb about 10 feet. One is treated to continuous views over the countryside while traversing this bluff top. Note also the rail fence at one place at the edge of the cliff. It was installed to protect an endangered plant species that no longer exists. Traveling further, note the rock formation that seems to have the appearance of a head.

After passing thru a power line clearing, note an obvious gap that allows one to easily descend under the cliff line. At the bottom turn right you "bushwhack" along the cliffs back to the point where you can descend to the parking lot. When I asked the Forest Service about improving this last segment (bushwhack section), the reply was "Sorry, this area is not considered an official Forest Service trail because it is still classified as an ecological study area."

This area is listed in the book, Fifty Nature Walks In in Southern Illinois, by Alan McPherson.

More information is also available from Bob Tyson at 684-5643.  ■

 

Copyright © 1998-2007.  All Rights Reserved. All materials contained on this site, http://illinois.sierraclub.org/shawnee, are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, or broadcast without the prior written permission of the Sierra Club, except under specific limited circumstances as described in our Terms and Conditions of Use. Sierra Club®, the Sierra Club logo, One Earth, Once Chance® and For Our Families, For Our Future® are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club, and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the Sierra Club. For effective viewing, selected pages require plug-ins that are available directly from our Tech Notes page. This Web site is made with 10% post-consumer HTML. Translation Services. Questions, comments or problems regarding this web site should be directed to the Shawnee Group Webmaster.