Free — you'll pick up right here.
Watch this trail
Sign up to watch it — saving subscribes you to gate, closure and report changes.
Illinois
Bay Creek
12.4 mi
Distance
1,239 ft
Gain
4h 33m
Time
No verdict for this trail
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Shawnee National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
Here's your day, mapped
Bay Creek
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
Meals
Gear for the day
Elevation & route
- Distance
- 12.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,239 ft
- Elevation loss
- 1,239 ft
- Highest point
- 666 ft
- Lowest point
- 415 ft
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
- Bikes
- no
About this trail
Bay Creek Trail is a scenic 12.38-mile out-and-back hike through the natural beauty of Illinois. This trail follows the creek corridor, offering hikers a chance to experience riparian woodland, water features, and the diverse ecosystems that thrive along Bay Creek. The out-and-back format allows hikers to turn around at their preferred point and enjoy the same rewarding path on the return journey.
Add to a trip & share
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Ranch
~1 min drive
0.78-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 95 ft of elevation gain.
Millstone Lake
~1 min drive
12.78-mile loop trail in Illinois with 894 ft elevation gain.
Cedar
~2 min drive
1.70-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 174 ft gain.
Jackson Falls
~2 min drive
2.98-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 1,075 ft gain/loss
Sand Cave
~2 min drive
0.68-mile out-and-back trail to Sand Cave in Illinois with 90 ft of elevation gain.
White
~2 min drive
Moderate 7.16-mile out-and-back trail through Illinois woodland.
Cedar Grove
~2 min drive
Cedar Grove is a 1.16-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 48 ft of elevation gain.
Lake Glendale Trail
~9 min drive
3.06-mile loop trail in Illinois with 940 ft elevation gain.
Miller Cemetery
~3 min drive
0.8-mile out-and-back trail at Miller Cemetery in Illinois with 11 ft of elevation gain.
Jackson Falls
~2 min drive
5.81-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 653 ft of elevation gain.