I love the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. It just has so much to offer. I decided to check out a lesser known trail with a girl hiking group. We met at the Saltpeter Cave trailhead that is just south of Harrisburg off Stone Bottoms Road. From here, we started hiking on trail 481.

This trail is actually part of the Lusk Creek Wilderness. The trail heads down into the forest and descends into a hollow. The bluffs start to rise on either side of you.

Before you get to Lusk creek, there is a rock shelter to the left. I guess we thought this was Saltpeter Cave, but looking at the map below, I don’t know that we ever saw Saltpeter Cave! LOL! The cave is to the west of the Natural Bridge Crossing over Lusk Creek, but we never went that way. If anyone reading this knows, let me know!

If the water is low enough, you can cross Lusk Creek and head to the Natural Bridge which we did! The Natural Bridge is pretty cool as you can duck beneath it and then come up on the backside of it and cross over the top.

From here, we headed back to the trailhead the way we came. I really enjoyed this trail and hiking with this group of girls! Be sure to check it out!