Shawnee Forest River to River Dualsport

This is a wonderful scenic 2 day backroad ride mostly in the shawnee Forest of Southern, Illinois. You will ride all the way across the state from the Ohio river to the Mississippi. It starts at Cave In Rock state park campground in Cave In Rock Illinois on the Ohio river where you actually ride a free ferry across the river into Kentucky and head East and North and back across an old bridge into a very old town where the bank still stands that financed a then unknown town---I think the name was.....................hhmmmm......well...what was that town???.....oh..hmmmm... oh yeah--Chicago--or something like that. At lot of it is unpaved but it is all on legal roads. Besides the ferry ride you will go by many beautiful places, ride on some river levees, view some beautiful bluffs,eat some good food,ride right thru a creek where you better watch yourself or you'll go right off the waterfall on the slippery rock. There are waypoints for camping, gas and such. You will end up at the really neat small river town of Grand Tower and view a magnificent suspended gas line across the Mississippi river.
This ride cannot be done on a street bike---you are an animal if you want to try it on one---although some of it could. A big GS if fine---I liked my KLR on it !!! If you don't like hills, curves and gravel better stay home. The levee riding is my personal favorite.
There is no mud on any of it except one place---there is a waypoint on the file called "4-way"------don't go down that little rocky creek of a road unless you want some mud and creek crossings--some a little deep. I've done it on my 1150 and my 950 and had a hoot---less experienced riders might really have some trouble---just follow the route and not the track log at that point.

The ride is chronicled on my website at http://www.bigdogadventures.com/ShawneeDualsport.htm check it out---and you'll see the muddy section--some guys went down in there. The first day we rode from sun up till sun down and couldn't quite get it all in and had to skip some of it. I think I ended up skipping some of it the 2nd day too--get an early start---or take 3 or 4 days to do it--what the heck !!!

Disclaimer: you never know what the stupid forest service and government will do---don't go where it is posted not to. It was OK when I rode it.

Bigdog, your ride looks like a ton of fun. I got to get there sometime.

If you have anymore, the group over here in Indiana would love to ride them....

Many thanks

Alpiv---------did you ride the ride I have posted-----what did you think of it ??

I have a route from just south-west of indy to the south-west corner of Indiana, I am going to try and tie these two together for a long four day ride.
Looks like mid to late May before I can get to it..
I am mapping it out using software (the connector) and then I will ride the connector and after that do the whole thing..
Once I have competed both -- I will do a write-up with photos.

Looks like a lot of fun sections.

Alpiv-------I'll be eagerly awaiting reading how your trip goes--what you thought of it---and of course the pictures.

I just went thru and re-read the story of the Illiniois part I did and realized there was so much more to the ride after looking at all the pictures I didn't post. There is 10 times more neat stuff----you will be pleasantly surprised.

Myself and a friend from Tennessee are "planning" to run this route this weekend...
Keep an eye out for a ride report next week...
Hope the weather holds out...

Keep an eye out in ride reports for a report and review of this ride..
Should be well worth the wait....

here ya go....
RideReport

Nice ride report! Better late than never, eh? I really need to subscribe to the threads that I post in. I'm going to see if my girl wants to ride this route this weekend.

Looking forward to some of that root beer.

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We rode some of your route last weekend, it was excellent. There was some flooding in the area, but most of the roads were dry.

my ride report is here
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Some pictures from last weekend



water crossing



flooded road



twisties

Thanks for info and inspiration. Nice to know where there are some decent twisties and off highway spaces in Illinois.

Glad to see somebody actually riding this----looks like you had a great time.

Lucky we didn't run into each other---when I'm home, I usually get down there plunking around every week. We were just down there last weekend and there has been more rain and flooding---bunch's of washed out roads and bridges----we made it thru all of them including a huge mudslide that was 4 ft. deep and littered with trees and rocks.

One of the washed out bridges is on my route-----it's bad---don't know when they will get around to fixing it---if they even fix it.

Digging this back up from the grave. Checked out your website and man am i impressed with the trips you've been on and the detail of the reports. Feels like I was there.

But, most important is the fact that you live very close to me. I live in Paducah, originally from Metropolis. Next time you set out on a trip I would love to tag along. Been spending most of those year riding and back country camping in the LBL but would love to actually go on an adventure.

Anyways, keep up the awesome work on the reports and the website. hopefully we'll run into each other soon.

Yes sir a lot of that looks familiar! Thanks for sharing it!!!!! By the way where are the snakes? I know you got them down there! :

Just started a "West Kentucky Dual Sport" Club on Facebook, so if your in the West KY, Southern IL, South West Mo. region give me your name and I'll add you to the list. We will hopefully be doing rides and camping whenever anyone can. I am usually pretty tied up with family stuff so I'm trying to get my friends some people to ride with when I can't make it.

Been awhile since I posted or have even looked at this thread.

The bridge at waypoint "CrossHutCrk"-----------is completely gone------and to make matters worse---there's a crazy lady guarding the thing if you try to go around it.

I'm hoping they'll fix it someday---but money is tight they tell me for projects like this.
The crazy lady doesn't want it fixed---that way she'll have the most beautiful dirt road and
valley in the Shawnee forest all to herself.

If you go to the old bridge location just to look at it---she will stand there and stare at you till you leave.
She also has a male accomplice who will do the same. It's a public road for godsakes !!!!!

BigDog

Makes me want to ride down there and see the bridge in my ATF uniform!

I think you should!

My daughter and I road the Kentucky portion of this trail last weekend and it was a really nice ride. I am eager to try the parts on the western side of Illinois if I ever get enough time to get over there.