Red Diamond Trail
15.6 mi · ▲ 166 ft · 5 hr 17 min
Red Diamond Trail is a 15.6-mile out-and-back in Sand Ridge State Forest near Forest City, IL. It is mostly level, with 166 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Red Diamond Trail
15.6 mi · ▲ 166 ft · 5 hr 17 min
Elevation 476–540 ft
Out & Back · Sand Ridge State Forest
Trailhead: 40.39087, -89.84731
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:00 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading E.
- 1.6 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Red Diamond Trail, heading W.
- 3.5 miReach Red Diamond Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 3.5 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 1.6 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.5 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 3.1 mi in (~76 min). Leave by 5:24 PM for the 7:00 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:31 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Sand Ridge State Forest Sunset Point via Red Diamond Trail 13.8 mi · ▲ 140 ft
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Hikes near Forest City, Illinois