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Tunnel Hill State Trail

Tunnel Hill State Trail
Outdoor ExperiencesWalks and Hikes
Tunnel Hill State Trail
Karnak Illinois

Information

217-782-6302
lat: 37.2960299 long: -88.9758494

At one time, the rumble of freight cars reverberated through the narrow tunnel. Wooden trestles, with their system of slanted supports and horizontal cross pieces, spanned numerous bluffs and creeks. Passengers in Pullman cars clocked the miles with these and other landmarks as they traveled one of southern Illinois’ most scenic routes.

Tunnel Hill State Trail stretches for 45 miles from Harrisburg to Karnak. The trail continues on a trails spur for 2.5 miles from Karnak to Cache River State Natural Area – Henry Barkhausen Wetlands Center on the old Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad bed.

The 9.3-mile section between Tunnel Hill and Vienna crosses trails already known to outdoor recreationists: the River-to-River Trails, which extends from the Mississippi to the Ohio River; the unmarked American Discovery Trails, which in southern Illinois follows back roads and some of the River-to-River Trail; the U.S. 76 Bicycle Route, a part of the TransAmerica Bike Route; and the Trail of Tears, the primary route the Cherokee Indian tribe took in the winter of 1838-39 during their forced move from the Great Smokies to Oklahoma.

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Nearby Attractions

Cantonment Wilkinsonville (Historical Marker)
Cantonment Wilkinsonville (Historical Marker)

110 S Church Rd, Grand Chain, IL 62941, USA
Distance: 4.02 mi (straight line)

General History

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Fort Massac State Park
Fort Massac State Park

Fort Massac State Park, East 5th Street, Metropolis, IL, USA
Distance: 17.93 mi (straight line)

LC Features Forts

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Dixon Springs State Park
Dixon Springs State Park

Dixon Springs State Park, Illinois 146, Golconda, IL, USA
Distance: 17.98 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences

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Mound City National Cemetery
Mound City National Cemetery

Mound City National Cemetery, Illinois 37, Mound City, IL, USA
Distance: 18.23 mi (straight line)

General History

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Mom’s Kitchen
Mom’s Kitchen

500 Public Square, Jonesboro, IL 62952, USA
Distance: 19.29 mi (straight line)

Food and Drinks

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Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site

521 N Main St, Jonesboro, IL 62952, USA
Distance: 19.65 mi (straight line)

Other

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Cairo Railroad Arch Bridge
Cairo Railroad Arch Bridge

1903 Sycamore St, Cairo, IL 62914, USA
Distance: 22.23 mi (straight line)

General History

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Magnolia Manor
Magnolia Manor

2723 Washington Ave, Cairo, IL 62914, USA
Distance: 22.89 mi (straight line)

Museums and Interpretive Centers Other Guided Tours

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Cairo Custom House Museum
Cairo Custom House Museum

Cairo Custom House Museum, Washington Avenue, Cairo, IL, USA
Distance: 22.95 mi (straight line)

LC Features Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Horseshoe Lake Nature Preserve
Horseshoe Lake Nature Preserve

18615 East Side Dr, Olive Branch, IL 62969, USA
Distance: 23.16 mi (straight line)

General History

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Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site
Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site

Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Green Street, Wickliffe, KY, USA
Distance: 23.36 mi (straight line)

Museums and Interpretive Centers Walks and Hikes Tribal Experiences

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Fort Defiance State Park
Fort Defiance State Park

Fort Defiance State Park, U.S. 62, Cairo, IL, USA
Distance: 23.40 mi (straight line)

LC Features Viewpoints

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Noble Park
Noble Park

2801 Park Ave, Paducah, KY, USA
Distance: 23.71 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences

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Wacinton
Wacinton

Wacinton Totem, Paducah, KY, USA
Distance: 23.79 mi (straight line)

Other

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Fort Jefferson Hill Park and Memorial Cross
Fort Jefferson Hill Park and Memorial Cross

Fort Jefferson Hill Park and Memorial Cross, Wickliffe, KY, USA
Distance: 24.31 mi (straight line)

Viewpoints LC Features

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Paducah 1895 Washington Hotel
Paducah 1895 Washington Hotel

1310 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY, USA
Distance: 24.95 mi (straight line)

Lodging

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Paducah Riverfront
Paducah Riverfront

Holiday Inn Paducah Riverfront, an IHG Hotel, North 4th Street, Paducah, KY, USA
Distance: 24.96 mi (straight line)

Cultural Districts

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Makanda Inn and Cottages
Makanda Inn and Cottages

Makanda Inn, Old Lower Cobden Road, Makanda, IL, USA
Distance: 25.25 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences

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