AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Forest Glen County Preserve

River Ridge Back Pack Trail & Willow Creek Trail

6 mi · ▲ 293 ft · 2 hr 9 min

River Ridge Back Pack Trail & Willow Creek Trail is a 6-mile out-and-back in Forest Glen County Preserve near Meeks, IL. It climbs 293 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 56/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi571 – 666 ft6.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Big Woods Trail 40.00642, -87.55486
Nearest town Meeks, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

River Ridge Back Pack Trail & Willow Creek Trail

6 mi · ▲ 293 ft · 2 hr 9 min

Elevation 571–667 ft

Out & Back · Forest Glen County Preserve

Trailhead: Big Woods Trail · 40.00642, -87.55486

Weather Sep 20: Overcast, high 81°F / low 67° · precip 23% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:37 AM · sunset 6:52 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on River Ridge Back Pack Trail, heading W.
  2. 2.5 miTurn left onto 1950 East Road, heading NW.
  3. 150 ftTurn right onto Willow Creek Trail, heading NW.
  4. 0.4 miReach River Ridge Back Pack Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  5. 0.4 miTurn left onto 1950 East Road, heading NW.
  6. 150 ftTurn right onto River Ridge Back Pack Trail, heading E.
  7. 2.5 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/river-ridge-back-pack-trail-river-ridge-back-pack-trail-out-back-3-sights-10-km-a420

Trail surface

95% dirt5% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 81°F67°
Precip23%Wind10 mphUV5Humidity90%
Rained 0.7″ 2 days ago (1.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperatureRain chance
85°65° 12 AM: 4% rain1 AM: 5% rain2 AM: 1% rain3 AM: 2% rain4 AM: 5% rain5 AM: 3% rain6 AM: 2% rain7 AM: 2% rain8 AM: 2% rain9 AM: 2% rain10 AM: 2% rain11 AM: 3% rain12 PM: 2% rain1 PM: 4% rain2 PM: 8% rain3 PM: 16% rain4 PM: 20% rain5 PM: 23% rain6 PM: 17% rain7 PM: 12% rain8 PM: 13% rain9 PM: 12% rain10 PM: 9% rain11 PM: 12% rain
Sunrise 6:37 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:52 PM
Mon 66°61° 35%
Tue 62°55°
Wed 63°52°
Thu 66°57°
Fri 70°54°
Sat 67°52°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 6:28 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:11 PM — 8 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Big Woods Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Meeks, Illinois