Jackson Falls

Again from my friend, Mel, this trail report about some time he spent at Jackson Falls in mid March. We won't hold it against him that he wasn't carrying a pack and had the horse to do the walking..... :-)

Mel is a great friend to hikers in the Shawnee. He showed up unexpectedly early one morning at Trigg Tower in a steady rain to be sure our group had his phone number in case we needed help during our hike. Nice....

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While the river to river trail in the Shawnee national forest is a 200 mile challenging visually diverse experience, many spectacular sights await you slightly off the designated r to r trail. One example is Jackson falls. Whether you climb, hike, or ride it on a horse like I usually do, Jackson falls never ceases to be impressive, interesting and constantly changing. We rode the falls area and beyond on March 13 with a threatening cloudy sky. We prepared for rain but were not disappointed by the lack thereof. We visited with climbers at spleef reef and then enjoyed lunch at the waterfall itself. We stopped at a rock that is photogenic place for horses on our way to railroad rock. The trail through Jackson falls always fills me with awe and gives me a good feeling on the inside. The ride allows me to enjoy my friends and appreciate my horse. Mel

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Indian Kitchen in the Spring

My friend Mel sent this photo back in early March of Indian Kitchen, which is in the Lusk Creek Wilderness a couple of miles south of the River To River Trail. Thanks, Mel.

Post Offices Along the River To River Trail

I've had several inquiries lately about whether there are post offices close enough to the trail to use for resupply. Yes, there are three that are virtually on the trail and one that is about a half mile from the trail. So I hope this helps those of you planning longer hikes and want to use the postal system for resupply.

I spoke with a couple of the postmasters of these post offices and they tell me that all you have to do is mark your package for "General Delivery" and they will hold it for you. Be sure to have an ID with you when you pick it up. Also be sure to check the hours of operation ahead of time. Some are not open for an hour during the middle of the day on weekdays and Saturday hours are very limited.

From East to west:

Herod
100 Highway 34 S, Herod, IL‎
(618) 264-5172
R2R trail goes right by this post office

Eddyville
110 Main Street, Eddyville, IL
(618) 672-4711
R2R trail goes right in front of this post office

Goreville
117 South Broadway, Goreville, IL‎
(618) 995-2642‎
at the trailhead at the north border of Ferne Clyffe State Park one can see the outskirts of Goreville to the east - the post office is about a half mile from this spot

Makanda
709 Makanda Road, Makanda, IL‎
(618) 457-5348
this post office is just across the railroad tracks from the Makanda boardwalk, adjacent to the entrance to Giant City State Park - you can see it from the trail

The Carey's River To River Hike Video is In

James Carey of Ohio along with his wife, brother and his brother's son hiked the western- most 40 miles of the River To River Trail in June of 2009. Here is the video of their experience. What a fortunate young man to be taken along on such an adventure. I hope you enjoy the video.

James, thanks for sharing this. I hope it inspires more people to hike the trail and share their experiences on this blog or elsewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeQR0u6DdRk