Constitution Trail Southtown Branch
- 1.7 mi
- round trip
- 968 ft
- climb
- 891 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Constitution Trail Southtown Branch is an easy, out-and-back hike in southern Illinois, about 2.2 miles from the community of Bloomington Heights. The route is 3.5 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 54 feet, and it reaches a high point of 891 feet. The climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 0.74 miles in, where the grade reaches 4 percent. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bloomington show May highs around 72°F and September highs around 76°F, with July the warmest month at about 84°F. The Route 66 Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Constitution Trail Interurban Branch is about 2.3 miles off. East Lincoln Street and the Constitution Trail Illinois Central Branch are both within about 2.7 miles.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Constitution Trail Southtown Branch
Best months: April–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.
Jan
31° / 16°
9 wet
Feb
36° / 19°
8 wet
Mar
48° / 29°
9 wet
Apr
62° / 39°
11 wet
May
72° / 50°
12 wet
Jun
81° / 60°
11 wet
Jul
84° / 63°
8 wet
Aug
83° / 61°
8 wet
Sep
76° / 54°
8 wet
Oct
63° / 42°
9 wet
Nov
48° / 30°
8 wet
Dec
35° / 21°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bloomington 5w, IL, 4.1 mi away at 852 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
5-Mile Trail
~1h 4m drive
A 4.19-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with easy-to-moderate hiking.
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Constitution Trail Interurban Branch
~4 min drive
Scenic 4.84-mile out-and-back rail trail through central Illinois.
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Constitution Trail Illinois Central Branch
~11 min drive
Paved 3.90-mile out-and-back trail following a historic rail corridor in central Illinois.
Photo: Curtis Abert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)North Pool Trail
~1h 25m drive
2.70-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 51 ft elevation gain.
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Constitution Trail Collegiate Branch
~8 min drive
Easy 1.83-mile out-and-back paved trail in Illinois.
Photo: Curtis Abert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Roundtree Trail
~1h 25m drive
0.71-mile out-and-back hike in Illinois with 10 ft of elevation gain.
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Constitution Trail Northtown Branch
~12 min drive
Easy 2.85-mile out-and-back trail perfect for casual walkers and cyclists.
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Route 66 Trail
~2 min drive
Quick out-and-back walk along historic Route 66 in Illinois.
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Illinois River Bluff Trail
~1h 8m drive
Scenic 4.12-mile point-to-point bluff hike along the Illinois River valley.
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Constitution Trail Illinois Central Branch
~5 min drive
Easy 3.12-mile out-and-back paved trail in central Illinois.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors