Illinois · Hiking

Brown East Trail

3.8 mi
one way
135 ft
climb
737 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Apr, Jun
best months

Brown East Trail is a 3.8-mile point-to-point hike in Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve in southern Illinois. It is a short, easy walk with a low rise of 135 feet over its length, from a start near 694 feet to a high of 737 feet. The trail is on regional agency land and is not wheelchair accessible. The route stays relatively flat, with the steepest stretch at about 9% grade coming around 1.4 miles in. Bikes and horses are both allowed. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 73°F and October highs near 65°F, with July peaking around 90°F. Tan Trail is the closest neighbor at 0.6 miles, with Farm Pond Trail at 1.1 miles and Orange Unpaved Trail at 1.3 miles. Canyon Creek Falls Walls, a climbing area, lies about 7.7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun

    Best time to visit Brown East Trail

    Best months: April, June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      33° / 15°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 18°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      49° / 28°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      62° / 39°

      12 wet

    5. May

      73° / 50°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      84° / 60°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      90° / 64°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      87° / 63°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      80° / 55°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      65° / 43°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 31°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      38° / 21°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Little Red School Hse, IL, 1 mi away at 715 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Black Unpaved TrailPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Black Unpaved Trail

~3 min drive

4-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 367 ft elevation gain.

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Green Unpaved TrailPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Green Unpaved Trail

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0.49-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 78 ft gain and 151 ft loss.

Orange Unpaved LoopPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Orange Unpaved Loop

~6 min drive

4-mile unpaved point-to-point trail through Illinois countryside.

Purple TrailPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Purple Trail

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0.39-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 1 ft gain and 103 ft loss.

Main TrailPhoto: Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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~11 min drive

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Blue North TrailPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Blue North Trail

~4 min drive

A 2.4-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with easy terrain.

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Yellow East Trail

~3 min drive

A 5.95-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with moderate distance.

Brown TrailPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Brown Trail

~5 min drive

Brown Trail is a 0.36-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 6 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Red Paved Trail

~5 min drive

Red Paved Trail is a 5.54-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 104 feet of elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors