Cave of the Spirit & Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur
15.7 mi · ▲ 218 ft · 5 hr 21 min
Cave of the Spirit & Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Red Oak Nature Center near Batavia Junction, IL. The route reaches Cave of the Spirit at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 218 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Cave of the Spirit & Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur
15.7 mi · ▲ 218 ft · 5 hr 21 min
Elevation 657–769 ft
Out & Back · Red Oak Nature Center
Trailhead: Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Branch · 41.79811, -88.22423
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:54 PM
Transit-accessible: Batavia & Bernadette stop 505 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Branch, heading NE.
- 0.5 miSharp left onto Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur, heading W.
- 6.1 miSharp left onto Fox River Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Bubo Trail, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Fox River Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miReach Cave of the Spirit, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Bubo Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear left onto Fox River Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur, heading N.
- 6.1 miSharp right onto Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Branch, heading E.
- 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.2 mi in (~127 min). Leave by 4:27 PM for the 6:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:16 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Batavia & Bernadette stop 505 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Branch Trailhead
- Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur 9.7 mi · ▲ 84 ft
- Big Turtle Viewpoint & Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur 15.6 mi · ▲ 218 ft
- Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Branch 6.7 mi · ▲ 110 ft
- McKee Marsh–White Pine Pond, 4 lakes 12.6 mi · ▲ 57 ft
- Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Branch 5.6 mi · ▲ 57 ft
- Kirk-Fabyan Regional Trail via Illinois Prairie Path Batavia Spur 10.5 mi · ▲ 84 ft
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