Illinois · Hiking

Yellow Loop

Yellow LoopPhoto: Darek214, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
8.1 mi
loop
247 ft
climb
733 ft
high point
Loop
route
Apr, Jun
best months

Yellow Loop is a moderate 8-mile loop in Swallow Cliff Woods, a regional agency-managed area in Illinois. The route starts at about 678 feet and reaches a high point of 733 feet, with a total elevation gain of 247 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 5.7 miles, where the grade reaches 14 percent. 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 around 65°F, while July averages about 90°F. Several other trails sit close by. Brown Trail is half a mile away, Black Trail is 0.6 miles away, and Purple Trail is 0.7 miles away. For climbing, Canyon Creek Falls Walls is about 7 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun

    Best time to visit Yellow Loop

    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, 2.1 mi away at 715 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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

Brown Trail

Next door

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

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

Orange Unpaved Loop

~5 min drive

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

Black TrailPhoto: enn-here, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Black Trail

~1 min drive

Short point-to-point trail under 1 mile in Illinois.

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

Main Trail

~11 min drive

9.49-mile loop trail in Illinois with 675 ft elevation gain.

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

Purple Trail

~1 min drive

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

HIKE

Red Paved Trail

~6 min drive

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

Green Unpaved TrailPhoto: enn-here, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Green Unpaved Trail

~2 min drive

0.36-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 59 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Yellow East Trail

~3 min drive

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

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

Tan Trail

~2 min drive

0.53-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 51 ft elevation gain

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.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors