Illinois · Hiking

Forest Ridge

1.0 mi
loop
91 ft
climb
839 ft
high point
Loop
route
Apr, Jun–Oct
best months

Forest Ridge is a short, easy loop hike in Castle Rock State Park in Illinois, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. The trail is about a mile long, with a total elevation gain of 91 feet and a loss of 133 feet, making it a gentle walk that can be done in a single outing. The route is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.15 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 6 percent. The high point is 839 feet, and the low point is 725 feet, so the climb is modest and the trail stays within a small range of elevation. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 77°F, with July the warmest month at about 85°F. Several other trails sit close by. Heather Valley and Wildlife Viewing are each about 0.3 miles away, and Timber Edge is about 0.7 miles away. Big Jump Prairie is roughly 4.4 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit Forest Ridge

    Best months: April and June–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

      30° / 13°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      35° / 17°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      48° / 28°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      61° / 38°

      12 wet

    5. May

      73° / 49°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      82° / 59°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      85° / 62°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 59°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      77° / 51°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      64° / 40°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      48° / 29°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 19°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Polo 5nw, IL, 13.2 mi away at 856 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Heather ValleyPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Heather Valley

Next door

1.75-mile loop in Illinois with 442 ft gain.

Stone Barn SavannaPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Stone Barn Savanna

~10 min drive

Easy out-and-back savanna trail through restored prairie habitat.

HIKE

Adt - Illinois - I - Seg 2

~1h 22m drive

78.85-mile point-to-point Illinois trail segment for backpacking adventures.

Wildlife ViewingPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Wildlife Viewing

Next door

Short point-to-point trail ideal for wildlife observation in Illinois.

Mississippi Palisades State Park Trails SouthPhoto: Curtis Abert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mississippi Palisades State Park Trails South

~1h 12m drive

Scenic 1.6-mile point-to-point trail through Mississippi River bluff country.

HIKE

Iat - Albany-Evansville Connection

~1h 26m drive

10.70-mile point-to-point trail in Wisconsin with 553 ft elevation gain

Lone Rock TrailPhoto: Curtis Abert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lone Rock Trail

~54 min drive

0.53-mile loop with 61 ft elevation gain in Illinois.

HIKE

Rockport Park Trails

~1h 25m drive

A 4-mile point-to-point trail through Wisconsin woodland and natural areas.

Orange TrailPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Orange Trail

~57 min drive

1.14-mile loop trail in Illinois with 171 ft elevation gain.

Green TrailPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Green Trail

~59 min drive

1.94-mile out-and-back trail in Illinois with 266 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors